Love and Snowflakes...

Well. It's back to winter in the CLE.

We knew it was coming back, that all those warm sunshiney weekends were too good to last.

I was kind of in denial about that.

Ah well.

Silver lining?  Influx of snow = delicious surprise of a snow day yesterday!  Right on the heels of a 3 day weekend.

Snow days are my favorite thing, second only to three day weekends.   And yesterday did not disappoint.  I got the call just as I was pulling in to the J so I went ahead and stayed for yoga, then went to Starbucks to get some paperwork done.  Miracle of miracles, our kids still had school, and the roads in the Heights were fine--- so, date day for Nat and I!  A photo drive through Lakeview, time at the art museum, lunch at the new Pho restaurant on Coventry, antique shopping.

I could get used to this.

Plus, this current snow we have?  It's gorgeous.   A world in black and white, soft-edged.  Our house glows cozily among the drifts.  It's almost enough to make one enjoy winter.  Or maybe that's the snow day talking...

A little look back at February so far:

Finishing up Ivy's winter session of ballet.  The kids have chosen to do a school program that will be on Wednesday nights, so this is the last of ballet for a while. I will miss our Wednesday evenings, even if we always had to race maniacally through dinner just to be late anyways..

Ivy sure loves to dance.

 Here comes the snow.  That's my crazy-big boy who like to not wear coats...
And be adorable.  Isn't he adorable?

 Valentine's Day!  More love than we could handle.  Also more preparing of large meals, serving, and cleaning up than we could handle...

Meal 1-- special day breakfast with our little group.

Meal 2:  take-out brunch with Gram, Bec, and Joe.

Annual Valentine Cookie photo.  Somehow, we now make Valentine cookies every year.  It's a thing...

 Time out from cleaning to enjoy our little slice of woods across the street.  We had a great time watching a group of bucks wander through the forest.  And watching our happy, happy dog bound through the drifts...

Meal 3:  Second Sunday Soup!  On a Holiday!  Plus glitter!
 It was a hot mess and crazy as ever and totally great.

The playroom-turned-art-studio early in the evening, before children started to literally throw the glitter.  At this point, the valentine room still seemed like  a good idea...

So this happened just as everyone was starting to leave-- the 3 remaining big kids, sitting together and discussing, with great feeling and much evidential proof, exactly how the various Star Wars movies should be interpreted.  It was so cute!

President's Day sledding and game day with some friends.  New tradtion, anyone?  Next year-- president costumes!

  It's been a great week, hasn't it?  Stay warm, everyone.

Love and Light

We had the pleasure of attending a really beautiful wedding on Saturday. A good friend of mine, from college and from West Shore Chorale, married the love of his life in a hip, artsy space, in the company of well-dressed friends.  The food was terrific, the Dj was solid, the dance moves were spectacular.

We clean up well, don't we?  ** See story below about Ivy and the dressing up...

I do love weddings.  All that joy!  Anticipation!  The promise and potential, the pretty words in the ceremony, the looks on everyone's faces as they take it all in.  The way all the people in attendance come together around these two people they all share in common.  I love watching the kids come out on the dance floor, and then the older relatives, letting loose.  I love all the love.

This one, though?  Better than most.  And not just because of the delicious cupcakes.  Jason and Chuck have been together 13 years and have been waiting for this day for almost that long.  Yesterday they were able to marry, LEGALLY, in their home city and state.
About time!

So, multiply the feelings of love and joy and anticipation and togetherness by about 5 million, and you'll have some idea of how it felt to be at this wedding.

It was a perfect.

As if Jason's wedding wasn't enough-- this weekend treated us to glorious weather, again!   I am so grateful.  This morning's view:

A wonderful hour at the beach, kids discovering hidden icicles on the pier, making couches and desks and whole dramas from the crazy piles of sand.  It was a terrific morning for sea glass, too.  Terrific morning for just about anything, actually, with the bit of sun-warmth on our skin and the lake so calm it was hypnotic.  We could have stayed all day, but for the need to feed our children.  Which we did, on the way home, at the Chinese buffet.

So yeah, it's been a pretty good weekend...

** Aforementioned story:  Just wanted to capture a bit of what life is  like with my Ivy-girl around.  

Saturday afternoon Jack was dying to go ice skating. Ivy, not so much, so we did the divide-and-conquer thing and Ivy stayed home with me while Nat took Jack to Wade Oval.  Decided to get a jump on the getting ready, since I am notoriously indecisive about clothing for formal events.  Ivy was SO excited to help me pick out an outfit and get ready.  Before our shower we laid out a few choices and she was so careful to be sure she understood it all ("So, mom-- THESE shoes are the ones with this dress and those boots go over there with that one?") and so effusive with praise over the fluffy skirts on the dresses.  I tried on each choice and she carefully took a photo of me, which we then reviewed.  She was completely heartbroken when I did not go with her choice of THE most fancy ensemble--"mom!  Those skirts twirl out!  This one has a skirt too tight!  You won't be able to move your legs that way and this way to dance!" -- but managed to cope with her sadness in time to go get dressed up, herself.  She had to assemble exactly 3 choices, same as me, so we went to the playroom to pretend to buy a few more fluffy dresses.  Then she tried them on and I took her picture and she was pleased to choose THE fanciest ensemble, of course.  I'm not sure where this girly-girl came from--but I do so enjoy her!  

Warm Winter Weekend

Who can resist a little alliteration?  Especially on a Wednesday...

Crazy weather around here.  Our cold snap is a distant memory as the CLE basks in 50-60 degree sunshine.

NOT complaining.

Nat and I talked and decided that we have, in fact done all the winter things.  Going fast down a big hill?  Check.  Going fast down a small hill? Check.  Snowball fight and snowmen? Check.  Admiring the ice on the lake?  Check.  Crappy commute and kvetching about the freezing temps?  Check and check.

So, I am totally ok if this is it.

I know it's not.  I'm just sayin...

With no further ado (or alliteration)-  a recap of a weekend warm in weather and in friendship.

(s**t.  I accidentally alliterated.  I can't be stopped.)


Oh wait.  First a few more seasonally appropriate moments to remember...

As if tubing wasn't enough last Saturday, on Sunday we went sledding.  Accidentally.  At Lake Farm park.  We had no idea they offered sledding til we arrived but luckily, like so many boy scouts, we are always prepared.  We grabbed the sleds and the kids went sailing off into forever.

We also made candles (the ugliest little stubs of things which the children burned with great joy for our subsequent three dinners)...

... and duly petted farm animals....

Oh, and this is what happens when  you let your children sled BEFORE a late lunch.  We had to fairly drag this little thing back to the van.  Worth it, though.  We always have a nice time at this place...

 Before we lost our blue-wintry light, Corydon and I snuck out for a walk in our neighborhood.  A just-right January evening, sun low, air crisp, the smell of snow in the air.  As we walked, there was something about the glow of sunshine against the white that brought back a sense-memory of Winnipeg. I  walked SO much there.  No matter the weather.  Every walk was an exploration, and I can remember like yesterday all the little neighborhoods I discovered.  The feel of the ice-pack on the sidewalks, the puff of breath, the excited newness of our lives there.  And then I thought to myself-- will I ever need to remember THIS?

Will there come a time when our lives in this house, my walks on these sidewalks, become a sense-memory too?  I can't decide how I feel about this question.  There is a joy and comfort to imagine that maybe, I won't ever have to remember this winter walk, because it will always be mine.  Yet-- a sadness to think that I may never again explore the streets of a new home, never feel that memory-making thrill of discovery, backlit by the sharpness of winter sunshine. I could be happy staying here.  I love these houses, these streets, this place that has stretched into a custom fit.  But oh!  how I do love the NEW, too...And the world is so wide!

But no matter.  I am just grateful to find that Winnipeg winters still live a little bit in my heart.  

On an unrelated note:  Nat is taking a photography course!  This will be good news for the blog, for sure.
A few of his recent shots:

Ok.  On to our wonderful weekend.

Friday-- Mama Speakeasy night for me.  A cozy evening snuggled in at K's house, chatting and confiding and drinking interesting beers.  Warmth, defined...

Saturday--the great melt begins!  By noon it was in the 40's and the skies were clearing.  So we jumped at what was left of winter, and went for an ice skate.

I just love this little rink.  It is an oasis of happiness.  Seriously.  Everyone here is having a good time.  Especially all of the kids using the center of the rink as a slip-and-slide.  It was one big puddle out there!  But that didn't get in anyone's way.

Our two skated, all on their own, for an hour and a half.  They are skating obsessed rock stars.

 Looks wintry enough over this way, right?

 Turn around.

 Spring on Wade Oval, on January 30th!  Some spaniel was pretty darn happy.  All the smells!  All the mud!  Love this dog.

Another double-take:  Our lake at the end of January 2016:

The last of the ice, clinging to shore....

... and off in the other direction, a shining, spring-like city!

 And another happy dog.

 Saturday evening was spent eating sushi and playing games in the company of friends we don't see nearly often enough. Seven-week old twins to pass around, nice rum and mead to taste, time to crochet and chat and watch my husband have a great time losing his money to poker.
Warm, indeed...

Sunday, we found outdoor fun closer to home.  Here are the kids playing their new favorite game:  "kick your shoe/boot off into the air then hop on one foot to go get it."

This game was followed closely by the ever-so-safe "hit things with the biggest stick you can find"

 And don't forget "climb over the muddy creek on a fallen tree."

 We had to drag the kids out of these woods.  How amazing to have this gift right across the street!  You can hardly tell there were houses there just a year ago.  A veritable nature preserve, with meadow and gully and forest...   Note to self:  send these two little wild ones out to play in the wild, more often.  They loved it so much.

Sunday evening, we gathered in Lakewood to celebrate Becca's birthday.  A lovely dinner party for my lovely sister.  She's been promoted to manager at work, about to get her Restaurant Management degree in May... so proud of this girl!  But I can't believe she is 25 already!  How did that happen??

 Time is so fleeting.

It is certainly best spent in the company of friends and family, sunshine and balmy winds, candles and good food and good wine and conversation. Sharing the warmth for as long as we possibly can.