Ice, Ice Baby!

Murray has worked very hard to get a backyard rink ready for us to use! A lot of digging, shaping, packing down and flooding, flooding and more flooding! As a result we've been able to go out for several evening skates. Lovey and Honey have practiced their "lifters" (shooting a puck and getting it up off the ground, still in progress but an exciting goal for hockey players). Sweetie likes to practice her twirls and jumps and we've had to forbid cartwheels in the interest of public safety as well as her own!

The recent mild weather is not ice friendly though. It's still holding so far but if that nice little polar vortex doesn't come beck soon I think we're in trouble!

Family Skate

Uncle Andrew had a great idea for the holidays this year! While we were in town, he rented a rink for an hour and the whole family went skating! The ice time was a little early (7am) and we had to get up even earlier to get ready and drive there & have time to lace up etc. We were all a little groggy and slow to leave our warm beds but once we got there it was SO MUCH FUN! There was so much space and everyone could do what they wanted. Some played a bit of hockey, took shots on net, some of us just did laps around and some just came to watch. Andrew invited his wife's family too and his brother in law's niece and nephew. It was a great group and even though it was an early start, everyone was happy to be there and enjoyed the time together.

I got lots of laps in and skated around talking to the kids and watched them zoom around. I also learned that taking pictures of people as you glide by tends to result in a lot of blur! Oops!

We were off the ice by 8 and all headed to a nearby restaurant for breakfast. We'd all worked up quite an appetite and enjoyed our meal!

Thank you Uncle Andrew, this was one of our favourite holiday moments this year!

Ice Ice Baby!

Things you never thought you'd see at the beach: ice pellets! The girls recently enjoyed their first hail storm. They were so entertaining to watch as they ran inside, donned their bathing suits and rain boots and zoomed back out where they commenced to dance, twirl and exclaim to their hearts' content over this natural marvel! They also brought their umbrellas out but we had to confiscate those once we saw lightning in the distance. They were scooping up handfuls of the pellets and throwing them, eating it and couldn't get enough of it. Eventually the thunder and lightning got closer and we had to cancel their party, which of course was disappointing! They enjoyed it as long as they could though!

Honey! We Lost the Kids!!!!

...... but not for long! Mum decided to finish off March Break with a bang and hosted a super sleepover last night. Movies, treats, nachos, Cocoa Puffs, chicken fingers, crafts, games.... she could sell tickets for this much fun! I drove the kids up yesterday and they happily scampered off to her car and threw me a quick wave and were out of sight & off to Grammie & Grandad's Fun Emporium! I know Bunny was quite looking forward to spending some time with Baby Pinecone!

On the way there I checked out the cliffs where the water runs off. During the spring there are some pretty cool waterfalls & with the up & down weather we've had lately, I'd hoped there would be some neat ice formations and found some!

The kids were quite appalled that I would get out of the car on the side of the highway to take pictures but were more shocked when I walked across the hardened snow. They were pretty sure I was going to get swallowed I think! Luckily the snow held & I got my shots :)))

After I got home I got a bunch of work done for the multiples group, answered a bazillion emails (it's rough being popular!!!) and then got ready to go out on the town!!!!!!! Murray & I went out to a Chinese buffet. We're getting old and can no longer bolt down half a dozen plates of this stuff. After my second, I was struggling! Uncle Wayne would be so disappointed in me! I wore my eating pants and everything. *sigh* I was even too full to get popcorn at the movie after (practically unheard of, I looooooooooooooooooove movie popcorn!!) We saw "Unknown" and enjoyed the suspense with all the twists! I think the story has been done before though, maybe similar to one of the Bourne movies? Not that it mattered, we were out, free babysitting and movie gift cards to blow!!! Wooooohoooo!!!!