Some nice Winter Moments (Bridgetown Winterfest Saves the Day Again!)

Hello! Happy Winter! (I'm trying to be more positive about the rest of winter hanging around. It's sort of working.) We celebrated the slightest whiff of spring in the air the other day by participating in the parade of lights and bonfire lighting part of Bridgetown's Winterfest. The parade was better than ever (and an extra block long!) and the turnout was great.

The bonfire was really fun, too. We spent time with some friends, and Griffin had a wonderful time running amok and splashing in ice puddles.

And other than that, life has mostly been continuing on as normal. We've been colouring (mostly on the paper!)

And baking.

Griffin likes to use his oven, too (loaded from the back, of course!)

Spring Fever - I've got it Bad

huh, yeah, it was almost exactly a year ago that I was feeling just exactly like I am now. What is it about the last half of February that is just so hard to stomach. I get this crazy yearning in me to be out of the house. To be doing something. Some un-nameable thing that will make the sun come out. I found this quote last year that made me feel a little less like maybe I was just going crazy:

It's Spring Fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you've got it, you want - oh, you don't quite know what it is you want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!

Oh, Mark Twain, how I do love you! I felt like Charlie Brown when Lucy finally suggests he has Pantophobia (the fear of everything) and he yells "THAT'S IT!!!!" There's a name for this thing. Unfortunately the only cure seems to be time. Maybe Griffin and I could go out and do a Sun Dance. Last year I rearranged the furniture. That's not really an option this year (our four pieces of furniture are pretty much set where they need to be) but maybe I can find something to paint white. Hmmmmm....

Ok, that picture was taken last year on March 6th. Is it possible that that three feet of snow might actually all be gone in the next few weeks?

Happy Valentine's Day

Hello again! Happy Valentine's Day! First thing yesterday morning, Jai won a radio contest sponsored by our local rock station - a one-week, all expenses paid trip to Mexico! We haven't figured out any of the logistics yet, but still it's pretty darn cool. I've never been anywhere tropical!

It's just too bad we have to wait until May. Every day, it seems, we get more snow. Oh, February, why are you so long?!?

We're doing a lot of colouring to counteract all the grey.

I even did some while Griffin was napping.

Griffin's enjoying his new pencil crayons, courtesy of Grandma. They're really great because the 'lead' is so thick that he can't break them easily, and they're not round so they don't roll off the table.

Plus, it turns out that it's super fun to dump them out of the bag, and put them back in again (and again, and again, and again.)

We're almost at the point in the winter when we just try and ignore whatever crazy weather is being thrown our way, and go out anyway. Today we got together with a bunch of friends to have a play day. It was snowy and ridiculous outside, but everyone made it. We're getting tougher. Our skins are getting thicker. Soon we'll be throwing our coats off and laughing in the face of the latest blizzard. Hah! You call that snow?!?

Finally some pictures!

Hello again! We've been having snowstorm after snowstorm it seems lately. This engenders a lot of reading of various stories on various couches,

with various footwear.

Some cuddling of cats on said couches,

and a lot of staring out the window, watching for tractors.

Although, to be honest, I think I'm the one that is going a little stir crazy! We did catch a momentary "snowbow" through the window the other day, which was pretty cool. And we've been enjoying the rainbows that crop up in our living room every time the sun comes out.

Today I made whole wheat raspberry white chocolate scones. Yum! The only problem with all this baking is that I'm the one who does most of the eating. Especially when we're stuck at home all day!

I did finally manage, though, to get some bath pictures with Griffin.

I'd been meaning to do it for a while, but kept forgetting. Jai and Griffin usually do bath time mostly on their own while I get the bedroom all ready for sleeping. They have elaborate games with ducks and boats and buckets, and a lot of splashing sounds and giggles tend to emanate from behind the bathroom door. What fun!

I can't post all the bathtub pictures, for obvious reasons, but here's a couple of my favourites, just for fun.

A Quiet Week

Hello again, it's been a little while, mostly because we've been staying inside most days, and not taking a lot of new pictures. The big story around here is snow snow snow! It's taller than Griffin out there. I bundled him all up and took him outside yesterday, and within minutes he was crying to go back in. One day it will be fun, but right now it's just cold! There is a plus side for him, though, in the form of multiple tractors and plows driving past the windows all day. I think he dreams of tractors - some nights he wakes up, calls out a little, then puts himself back to sleep saying "traaaactorrrr........"

I haven't been up to much. I spent a couple of days getting my resume together and writing a cover letter for a very exciting job opportunity that just opened up. More on that later, if anything should come of it. I wrote up my contract for photographing weddings, as I've gotten a couple of requests now. I've done a little knitting, here and there, and worked on some new pieces when I can. I made cheddar and bacon muffins for the first time (oh, YUM!) I spend a lot of time feeding the wood stove. I've been daydreaming about getting some backyard ducks. Griffin and I have read a lot of books, and done a lot of colouring. We try to get out at least once a day, even if it means battling through snow banks with the stroller. And that's what we've been up to this week!