Burger lunch

I had a strange craving for a burger yesterday.  (Strange because I generally don't eat beef).  I knew that I wanted a nice, quality burger.  Not a teeny, greasy bacon jr. from you know where.  I also didn't feel like trekking around since the weather was yucky, so we went for a family lunch at The Gladstone Hotel across the street.  Conveniently, it is the closest place that has a nice burger AND the closest restaurant to our apartment.  Kinda awesome that even though it was thunderstormy, we didn't need umbrellas because we live thatclose.

Mah burger 

Keeping the Rowen entertained.  She enjoys self-portrait time on our phones.

.  She was generally quite well behaved!  We were able to eat our food at a normal pace, without rushing and she only had a few outbursts of loud babbling.  It's funny... when we are at home, in the car, at the park, she has a very cutesy mellow voice.  And when we go to some places where LOUD BABY voice isn't as appropriate, i.e: quiet restaurants, the grocery store... she'll use her LOUD BABY voice.

She's so cute she can get away with quite a few loud babbling outbursts in pubic.  People don't seem to mind too much!

Let's Go to The Ex!

The CNE (Canadian National Exhibition) is another childhood/teenagerhood/nowhood tradition of mine that I was excited to share with Rowen.  I've been going to the CNE when it comes to town almost every year of my entire life....  I still call it the "CNE" even though a few years ago they started trying to make it hip and cool by calling it "The Ex".  

I have so many fond CNE memories over the years!  My big ass bear that my Uncle won for me when I was 2...which stayed with me until a few years ago.  Getting so sick with Dave and Annie that year we went on the Tilt-a-Whirl too many times.  All the Tiny Toms Donuts, Superdogs Dog Shows, crazy cat lady Cat Shows... man oh man!

Anyhow, tonight we went to the CNE with Rowen after her late afternoon nap.  Just a quickie visit for dinner at THE FOOD BUILDING.  My happy place.  Just one of the best places on Earth, really.  The Food Building, if you've never been (why?  go already!) is truly amazing.  Imagine a mall food court multiplied by 50 and with delicious foods of every style you could want!  And all kinds of crazy deep-fried items (deep fried Twinkie!) and everything wrapped in bacon.

Just taking in the sights and playing with my foot, no biggie.

 We met up with Auntie Ange!  Roasted Corn on the Cob Cheers!

Perogies from the GOOD perogies stand.  I wait all year for these!!

The stand with the amazing onion-krauty-greasy-delicious special sauce and sour cream for free.  Not like the crappy rip-off plain boring perogies stand, ick.  Do not go to the crappy perogies stand!

Tiny Toms, a CNE tradition. 

I hope that Rowen does not inherit my sweet tooth/donut love.  

Lowell and his Hot Waffle Ice Cream

City off in the distance...

Kinda cool being able to walk to the CNE this year.  It was stormy and gloomy all day but we missed the rain.  

The Gladstone Hotel

Lowell and I also had a lunch date this week at The Gladstone Hotel. It's a great little boutique hotel literally ACROSS THE STREET from our apartment. It's been great having it thisclose to home. I started suggesting brunch and lunch dates there when I was hugely pregnant... and then after the Baby was here, it was the most convenient location for baby's first restaurant venture and also Momma's first excursion sans baby!

For our lunch date, Lowell and I got there for the last 15 minutes of lunch so that there wouldn't be too many others in the restaurant. Sometimes when you're walking into a restaurant with a baby, you get the same looks as if you were getting onto a plane.    The café side was nice and quiet, just us and 2 other groups. Not that it mattered because the Rowen Baby was impeccably well behaved as usual! She just hung out in her seat playing with her blankets, eating her hand and watched us eat! Such a perfect little baby.

Everyone should have a lovely little getaway so close to home!

Baby at the drive-in and a few random photos

This week flew by! I find myself saying that every single week, but it's just the truth!
Last Friday, we took a Family trip down to the drive in movies. Did you know that there is a drive-in theatre down by the waterfront/industrial part of town? So fun!

We ate dinner, bathed the Rowen Baby then headed out. With the back-backseats down, there was a nice big space in the back of the car. We padded it down with blankets, brought snacks, bought popcorn and had a nice camp-out while watching The Avengers. Baby had her bedtime snacks when we got there and slept luxuriously sprawled out on her back the entire time! It was a fun way to spend some time out of the house together. Plus Lowell and I got to see a current movie without needing a baby-sitter. I recommend a trip to the drive-in for everyone.

By the way, I'm pretty sure I'm not quite ready to leave the baby without either Lowell and Me present just yet! I think I would be stressing out the entire time! A few weeks ago, we did manage to take a trip to Canadian Tire while Rowen stayed with her Grandma and Grandpa for an hour or so. That's a start!

And now, some random photos from our week:

Chip the Cat, Rowen's best friend after Momma and Daddy...

Eileen the Bean stands guard)

Never to small to ROCK!