Getting out the wheels

And now with spring here, this is what Clem and I do at night. Either a walk/run around the lake or tonight... a trike ride. She's keen to peddle the whole way, singing as we go. Cracks me up that the plastic peddles are mostly broken off and she still has the strength to push round and round, knees high, knees low. Not much longer before the 2-wheeler comes out, I suspect.

Superman flies in to Salmon Arm

We had a buddy visit from the Coast this past week. Last time we connected, his fellow was 10 months and Clem was just 3. You get a sense of the post-dinner level of excitement. I love that we can now open the back door after supper and out we go.

Sunday Skating

3:30 to 5:00 Sundays, you'll find us at the Sunwave Centre. Clem's now able to skate from blue line to red line on her own, but still loves being held by Paul and zooming around the ice.

Day with Dads

Ever since bees went into hibernation, Paul and Clem haven't been making as many trips to Miege farm to check out the other hives and sneak a visit with David and Heidi. Girls were lucky that Dave's truck was in the shop for most of Friday, so lots of time to dress up, hang out and be with dads. Doesn't happen often enough.

Home again, home again

A bit of a heavy heart to be home. Driving to the airport Dad let Clem know, the saddest part of any holiday is the end when everyone goes home. Doesn't make the leaving any easier, but here we are... happy to be home and needing to plan another visit to see mom and dad sooner rather than later.

Trip highlights/memorables - boxing day dinner with Ros, Grandfather, Mildred, Marlene and Elizabeth, bookstore shopping with mom, all the snuggles with Clem while recuperating from holiday flu, dinner and movie with Ann & Richard, teaching dvd nights with mom and dad, New Year's with Doug & Anne, holding Jane and spending time with Ruthie (what a smile she has), coffee at the kitchen table with mom in the a.m., dad doing our laundry, brunch at the Ranchmen's. Was a wonderful almost week. And goodness, how did I forget lunch at Mercatos. Dad, thanks for that treat (and all the others!).

We did it! Gingerbread houses galore

CBC Radio talked about rituals this week. Specifically, that the Christmas rituals are remembered where gifts are forgotten. This really resonated with me. I keep thinking about how as a girl we marked each week with the lighting of the advent wreath and that Christmas dinner was the height of anticipation. It started around 10 a.m. just after the gifts were opened and carried on until it was dark, candles were lit and we were all starving beyond belief. When supper arrived on the table it was so good. Better than any other meal - turkey, potatoes, gravy, gravy, gravy, peas, stuffing... All so sumptuous on our beautiful table with Baba's linens and best cutlery.

Cousins had gingerbread houses. I think I recall the Jacobsons making one each year and then the Thurlows had beautiful gingerbread decorations with red yarn to hang them from their Christmas tree. I wanted to be one of those clever, crafty people that made gingerbread with my kids (and didn't let my brain go to thinking that it was a wasteful, unhealthy thing to do that left you with a stale, yucky-tasting cookie base where all the good bits had been picked off... WHO would think something like that? Bah humbug!).

So we did it. Against all odds on a Monday evening after a long day of work and staying up the night before making gingerbread until 11 p.m.... we did it.

Some walls broke, there was icing everywhere, structures weren't holding, parents had to really use all their delight to ensure kids did not fully melt down and then after two batches of icing, it all came together. The roofs stayed on, the walls stopped falling and the girls decorated and decorated and decorated. It was amazing. Their houses turned to perfection. Georgia's pretzel ladder was brilliant just as Clem's care in aligning her jelly beans and marsh mellows. My heart could barely take it.

So perhaps this has become a ritual. We'll see. Whatever it is/was, it was the most lovely evening. Thanks Kutschker family for sharing this with us!

Sledding!

The snow is finally sticking around, so we managed some sledding on Sunday. Clem is a speed demon, but luckily I only had to once holler "Fall off, fall off, you are going to hit the FENCE!"