...and more snowy weather!

This winter!  It is unreal! Never can I remember having so many snow days in one winter.  The two (yes, two!) days off this week brings Jack to a total of six days off, and me to four.  January almost disappeared in the blur of all these days off. 

Not that I am complaining.  There is nothing quite like the magic of a snow day.  A glorious surprise every time, a gift of unburdened leisure in the midst of life.  A pause button for reality.  A chance to sleep in...

This week our snow days were actually "cold days", our second batch of 2014.  Nothing like two polar vortexes to start a year off right.  "Cold days" are by far my favorite of the snow day genre.  Almost invariably accompanied by brilliant, frosty sunshine, cold days bring clear roads and easy outings.

Because snow days, gift that they are, can sometimes be too much of a good thing.  The gift of time together as a family can sometimes come wrapped in bickering and tantrums and general ennui.  The magical leisure of it all can sometimes become just a little oppressive when we're at home all day...

Never fear.  That's nothing a little Wade Oval can't fix.  This week's days off included warm and wonderful trips to the Gardens and the Natural History museum, time with friends and time with the Wii, with a little bit of painting and a little bit of refinishing the mantle thrown in, just for fun.

Bring on the magic.

What is it with taking your kids somewhere else to play?  They played happily with this cake  for a good twenty minutes.
Never would they collaborate so well together at home.

We had SUCH a nice outing with our friends on Wednesday.  Just 'moms and kids' as Ivy noted, and everyone was so happy to be together.  Jack, the ringleader, getting everyone laughing as they laid on their tummies on the earthquake simulator.  Happy littles wandering alone and in pairs in the Discovery Center.  Yummy lunch, eaten with gusto, complete with dinosaur finger puppets.  The chance to talk (albeit in often-broken sentences) with my wonderful friend.  Have I mentioned that snow days really are a good thing?

Other highlights from this week:

*The Lunar New Year festival in Asian town, to start off our "year of festivals" (in which we resolve to visit one local festival each month of the year).

Not the most exciting festival I've ever been too, but you can't complain about getting to watch a kung fu demonstration, an extremely loud drum performance, and an Asian food speed eating competition all in one day.

* The last session of this round of skating lessons.

These lessons haven't been easy on Jack.  Becoming more confident, he is also more cavalier and more speedy and more likely to fall.  He also struggled to master all the skills--which his instructor said was perfectly fine, as it was a very short session-- but my poor sweet little perfectionist took it pretty hard and was in tears every time.  Sigh.  I feel badly for my part in the genetics that bring him so much frustration.  But I am proud that, tears and all, he never left a lesson.  He pushed through.  He is not sure he wants to sign up for another session, but he pushed through.   And while he won't admit it, I have to say he does a very nice backward swizzle...

Ivy, always the foil to her brother, is raring to go for Snowplow Sam II.  She was an enthusiastic participant every time, eagerly bringing me the imaginary "milkshakes" they made as a part of the lesson, and heading back out onto the ice, all on her own, after class was over.  

That pink thing out there?  That's my baby daughter, ice-pusher-thingie abandoned behind her, marching herself into the great unknown. Looks like we'll be doing some Saturday lessons for her next month...