Chloe's birthday was Sunday, but since we were in Canada, we celebrated with cake and the traditional balloons today.
I also bought Chloe a cake while we were in Canada but we never ate it since we were in a rush to get out of the country and back home on Sunday evening. Besides, Chloe prefers ice cream cake, so I obliged.
We were back in Canada (again) for the third time this race season for the second in the four series Canadian regional race. Chloe's race craft is improving and the race was also the first time she drove her new kart chassis and refurbished motors.
This time the race was outside of Montreal at a very nice kart track located on the old Mirabel airport. If you like cars and racing this is the place for you. We camped with views of the kart track to the front, the rental kart track just behind and the race circuit and drag strip to our left. There seemed to always be some form of auto racing going on.
Chloe on track with a cargo jet taking off in the background.
Oliver and Emma Claire by their favorite car at the track.
This lineup was directly behind our RV. We enjoyed having them as our neighbors for the weekend.
This was our 6:30 a.m. wake up call on Saturday morning. You can hear from the crying in the background that Emma Clairedid not enjoy that alarm clock.
This was our evenings entertainment after the racing was over the first day--
And then, there was this, which was possibly the most ridiculously loud vehicle I have ever heard. People would pay to be taken on a joy ride in it. We got the joy of hearing loss.
We camped again with our fellow racers and friends and also had Tom and Amelia fly up to visit as well.
Tom gave Chloe a BirelArt jacket for her birthday. She's been asking for one for a long time.
Part of the camping crew.
It was also Chloe's birthday!
Happy 11th birthday Chloe!
Emma Claire was also pleased to have someone her age to play with.
Practicing with bubbles as a trophy on the podium.
Coloring with Amelia.
It was great fun with great racing. The only hitch in our visit north was crossing the Canadian border. Usually it's pretty straightforward and a pleasant experience but thanks to the prison break just a few miles from the border that had two convicted murderers on the loose, we were boarded and the RV and trailer searched. It wasn't too long of a delay, just a little excitement, and the AK-47 wielding Canadian troopers were very nice.
Chloe with a fellow teammate before her final.
Chloe and D at the awards ceremony Sunday. D got a 2nd place finish and the "champagne" spray!
Oliver and Chloe got their birthday presents while we were in Canada, dirt bikes. If it has wheels, our kids want it.
Just two weeks of school remain. As school winds down, the racing season winds up. In between weekends in Canada and NY racing we've packed in getting as much as we could get down around the house. Of course, we've had end of the year parties, birthday parties (every year almost half of Oliver's class was born in June) and end of the year banquets/awards. Emma Claire and I finished our last Mommy & Me so that is done for year. She will start pre-school in the fall two days a week sans Mom. Swimming is on hiatus for a few weeks so our evenings are just Tae Kwon Do. Oliver has his last soccer game for the season this weekend.
The change in schedule is nice. Its a welcome break as we begin traveling for races.
Emma Claire helped me purchase and organize furniture for the back patio.
Emma Claire and our babysitter, Cailley, picked flowers and made a headband. Darling.
Chloe and Oliver having fun on the bounce house at the end of the season soccer celebration.
Chloe had a weekend of two northeast regional races May 15-16. She finished on the podium on race #1 but was crashed into in the pre-final of race #2 that kept her off of the podium in that race. The entire weekend was a bit frustrating and the chassis got bent when she was wrecked by another competitor, a chassis that has only seen three races! Luckily, we got her chassis sorted out before we hit the road for Canada on Wednesday evening to compete in the Eastern Canadian Karting Championship outside Toronto. Unfortunately though, Chloe's motors that were with the engine builder didn't get returned to us in time for the races in Canada and Chloe would have to run on a rented motor (UPS returned the motors as they thought they smelled odd and didn't ship them).
The race was at Goodwood Kartways and we were joined by our fellow racers and friends who stayed with us in the RV (yup, 9 people in the RV).
Our view from the RV.
The kids playing on track after racing.
The off-track highlight was when Sonja and I went to purchase beer. If you've never bought beer in Ontario, you're missing out. Straight from the movie "Strange Brew" with conveyer belt and all.
Lets just say I burst into laughter and had to leave the store, eh. Sonja had to step in and complete the transaction. She managed to keep a straight face until she hit the exit. When we returned and I recounted my experience to Matt, he said, "Yea, its Canada, what did you expect you hoser?".
As for the racing, the real reason we were in Canada, Chloe started the week off well. When it came to the race days though, she seemed off pace. It wasn't until after Saturday's race that it was discovered that her chassis was bent (again!) after a tangle during a practice session. Once again the chassis was repaired and her lap times improved by half a second!
While Chloe didn't do as well as hoped (she was really disappointed after Sunday's race and it was heartbreaking to see), we have no doubt that Chloe will be more competitive in the next round of ECKC racing when we have her new chassis and her own motors.
On the way back from racing, we stopped at Niagara Falls.
And, just in case you wonder what we do at the track when we're not watching Chloe race, here's a snippet.
The kindergarten teachers and students at Oliver's school put on a festival towards the end of every school year with singing and dancing. It's a very cute way to celebrate the closing of the school year.
Oliver and his BFF.
And in case you're still wondering what goes on at a Kindergarten Festival, here's a video of the last song and show ending...wait for the surprise!!
My Mother's Day was spent at the track. In Quebec.
Whatever, it was fun and my daughter got on the podium for me!
Chloe is running with a Canadian race team this race season and many of our races will be taking place in Quebec and Ontario. Our first Canadian race was this past weekend and Chloe did really well racing in her MiniMax on a wet race day. She came in third.
We brought along two extra passengers this weekend, Dylan and Karsten, who didn't race but were under our watch as their parents competed in a cross-country race (fun). The boys didn't race which meant Oliver had someone English speaking to hang out with, which he loved.
Emma Claire had Dylan and Karsten all to herself until big sister and brother arrived home from school.
Our campsite. Not the most scenic.
The three boys watching the racing.
Chloe on grid with her wets on.
Emma Claire loved jumping in puddles. I think I changed her clothes at least twice daily.
Both Oliver and Chloe outgrew their bicycles so we went to a local bike shop and purchased them new bikes. It's amazing how fast Oliver has progressed on a bicycle. He taught himself how to ride a bike in the fall and now he is on a bicycle with gears before age 6.
We stopped for ice cream at the turn-around point (mile 11).
Since winter finally decided to depart and spring never really showed up, we've enjoyed some unseasonably warm weather (YIPPPPPEEEE!!!!) that's perfect for bike rides along our county maintained bike path. We went for our first family bike ride on my birthday and made the trek from our village and back without any complaints!! That's over twenty miles and Oliver kept a blistering pace most of the time to insure he was the leader of the pack. It was a great ride, day out and birthday!
Chloe's swim team annual dinner and awards was this week. Chloe got recognized for her swim times and got to hang around her swim friends out of the water. Only Chloe and I got to attend the event as Matt was on business in India and the event lasted a little too long for Oliver and Emma Claire (so they got to spend quality time with the babysitter).
