Reid and I went to Kindermusik this morning for the last time until the fall. There is a class next weekend but we’ll be on the train heading for Toronto. It’s hard to believe it’s been nearly two years since Ken and Reid went to the first class. We’d anticipated it (or maybe it was just me) for months and then when they came home from the first class, I was waiting at the door. Ken reported that it had consisted of lots of standing up and sitting down. Two years later, I’d have to agree with the assessment but he missed the dancing around while holding Reid who is incredibly shy at Kindermusik, at least for the first half of each class. It definitely is an aerobic workout if you’re doing it right.
After class, we headed to Westfest, a sort of street festival with music, authors, face painting, sidewalk sales, etc., in the Westboro neighbourhood of Ottawa. There were a couple of dontations for charity activities that involved a cost but otherwise everything was free. How nice not to be digging into my pocket constantly! The only cloud on the day was discovering after many minutes of waiting that Reid didn’t meet the height minimum for the bouncy obstacle course/slide that we encountered when we first got there. She bounced back, so to speak, and we had lots of fun. At Mrs Tiggy Winkles, a local toy store, Reid and I played with giant bubble wands – including one of the ones with the sliding strap – for several minutes and then we went in the store where a young woman painted a beautiful butterfly on Reid’s face. After that, Reid played in a Dora playhouse and Deigo’s pirate ship with a bunch of other kids. There was a sign nearby that said the playhouse was reduced to $300, from $899. Wow! I wouldn’t even begin to consider a $300 playhouse. The one I got Reid for Christmas sells for $99, is a grocery store-theatre-post office-house depending on which side you look at, and folds down to just a few inches thick. Reid got her picture taken on an historic fire engine – I’ll have to see if Ken will scan it – and she fished in a barrel. On the way to the car, I stopped at a street vendor for hotdogs in the hope that eating would keep Reid awake. It didn’t. She fell asleep two bites from the end of her hotdog. I decided to have a tea at Starbucks and let her sleep since sometimes waking her after 20 minutes means her nap lasts only 20 minutes. I wrote most of this while sipping my tea. Reid woke after a bit more than an hour, picked up her hotdog and finished it. What a kid!
I’m inspired by the success of Westfest to check out Jazzfest, Bluesfest and the rest to find activities for Reid and me, even Ken, to do together. Free would be nice.