High Park

We had the chance to enjoy an unseasonably warm autumn day at High Park.  High Park is a huge park right in the middle of the city.  It kind of takes the idea of Stanley Park, but obviously in a much smaller scale with no ocean or mountains!  Our consensus though is it's one of the best parks that we've been to and it definitely wins the award for most amazing playground, ever!

When we arrived at the park, we were planning on walking around and just exploring the park.  However, there was a train that went around the park and it was just coming to the stop near us so we thought we would hop on board!
The train ride is about 45 minutes roundtrip but the great thing is there are different stops throughout the park and you can get off and on the train.

(our attempt at a Christmas card photo!)

We decided to make our first stop where there was a good playground and a big field with lots of trees and freshly fallen leaves to run around in.  I absolutely love the sound of the crunching of leaves underfoot.

After fun in the leaves and lots of playing at the park, we hopped back on the train.

The train took us for a lovely scenic tour through ruggid trails and past a huge pond.

We then got off at our starting point to check out the playground there.  Well, we have never seen a playground like it.  It is basically a huge medieval castle with tunnels and lookout towers.  It is the most amazing playground we have ever seen. 

Thankfully, Owen decided to have a nap when we got there because the playground isn't really suited for those younger than 2 (it would have definitely been a gong show with him trying to jump from every tower).

We finished off our day by walking over to the 'petting zoo'.  I'm not sure why it's called a petting zoo when all of the animals are behind chained link fences and aren't accessible for petting.  It was more of a 'looking zoo' which was good for us because Josh wouldn't have petted any of the animals anyways.  There were some very cool animals, including bison and wallabes (can you believe it!). 
Overall, it was one of the most fun family days that we have had in TO!

The Beaches

Although I am aching for the sight of some mountains, having this just a stones throw away definitely helps with the homesickness!

We took advantage of the beautiful sunshine yesterday and checked out the popular 'Beaches' area.  It kind of reminded us of Kits with the beautiful beach, gorgeous homes and trendy shops.  We had a wonderful afternoon, walking along the boardwalk and playing at the playground. 

As you can see though, we spent most of our time digging in the sand.

The best part was that as the boys contently played in the sand together, Mike and I got to just sit watching them as we actually had a moment to enjoy each others company.

Firetrucks & Wagon rides, oh my!

We thought we would celebrate autumn with a trip to the pumpkin patch.  We decided to check one out in Richmond Hill, about 45 min. north of here (if you watch 'Property Virgins', you've probably heard of Richmond Hill bc Sandra often takes her clients out of the city to check out places there).  Anyways, we were driving along the road almost at our destination when I spotted an open house at the fire station!  Well, the pumpkin patch could wait for a stop at the fire hall.

 Josh is obsessed with firetrucks.  Ever since he watched a 'Fireman Sam' dvd with his cousins in the spring, it's all about firemen, ladder trucks and every little detail that firefighting ensues.  He is Fireman Sam and Owen and daddy are also Fireman Sams (I on the other hand get to be a policewoman because all girls are policewoman - I am not going to argue with that!).  He had been asking me atleast once a week if we could go to the firestation so his dream had finally come true!

There were several different firetrucks on display that we could go in.  Josh was actually brave enough to go inside them.



They also got the attention of the adults by doing a demo of taking a car apart with all of their tools, including the Jaws of Life.  It was incredibly fascinating to watch.

After we got our firehall fill, we continued on to the pumpkin patch.  Of course it was no comparison to the Applebarn in Abbotsford and Josh really wanted to go to the Applebarn with R like we did last year but it was still fun.

We got to go on a hay ride which was definitely the highlight.  The boys also had fun being pulled around in the wagon, although Owen was mainly making it his mission to jump out!  Josh also picked out a perfect little pumpkin for himself.

September Smiles

September was a wonderful month, full of exploring our neighbourhood and having lots of fun!  We found some great playgrounds.

Josh explored the neighbourhood 'scootering'.  It gets me everytime but whenever he puts on his helmet and gets out there on his scooter, my heart melts. 

The boys also had lots of fun playing together in the apartment.

One of their favourite things to do is look out the window to see what action is happening on the street below.  Sometimes they are lucky enough to see a firetruck go by!

Who needs real toys when you can have an empty box?  I am pretty sure that they spent more time in September playing in this box than with any other toy!

Niagara Falls

We have the privilege of living just over an hour's drive from Niagara Falls and since none of my boys had seen the Falls, we thought it was time for a roadtrip!  We were blessed with amazing sunny, clear weather which made it even more spectacular.

No surprise that Owen thought it was great, as he does with everything but Josh and Mike were blown away.  They even did a little tour where they could go down below and get closer to the Falls.

I think the pictures say it all!