Them's the Perks: January in Manitoba

8:41am sunrise through the south window.

The beginnings of frostbite on rosy cheeks.

What yoga looks like at my house some days.

Gorgeous long sunsets.

Sun in the windows while race cars drive near the lentils.

Grand Forks Weekend

 Dear Harv and Helene (Grandma and Papa),

                         Thanks for a very enjoyable weekend at the pool.  Luke got visibly more confident in the water as the weekend progressed, and we all had a fun time in the water.  It's pretty special to go swimming in January at these latitudes.  It was also really nice to visit with you, after such a long time apart.  We love you, and love spending time with you.  Maybe next year you guys can go on a date and we'll stay at the hotel and baby-sit...oh wait, it's not baby-sitting when they're your own kids, is it?
                          Derek and I really enjoyed our evening alone, and we think it's very special that our boys have the kind of grandparents who like to play with them.  Thanks for loving us all.  You do a wonderful job showing it; and we love you too.

Derek, Laura, Luke and Seamus

Look at this kid!  Climbing out of the pool by himself!  And jumping in by himself, too!

Luke says:

Mom, I am amazed by what I see!

Linus, you've got to convince yourself that you can do it.

For my birthday I want everyone to play baseball in the baseball orchard. (upon further investigation we discovered that he meant baseball "field"...you can see where the confusion lay, especially since we just recently returned from California)

 Isn't it funny that I'm wearing denim and you're wearing denim and Dad's wearing denim and Seamus is wearing denim, but Linus is not wearing denim?  Oh, Linus. You don't have any denim.

Mom, wake up!  It's a lovely blue day today, look outside. I'll open your blinds.  Look! The blue is shining in!

Did you hurt your toe?  You're just poor Mom.  And your toe.

Where'd Winter Go?

Yeah, sooo, it's January.  In Manitoba.  I don't think the weather got the memo.

But as you can see, we're not complaining.

Yesterday we walked to the park and played on the toys.

Light jackets, no jackets, sitting on the deck in the warm sun.

Luke went outside this morning in his gitch and threw the dog's ball for three or five minutes before I realized he wasn't dressed and dragged him in and . . . he didn't have frostbite! 

WHAT?!

A balmy 48 degrees fahrenheit on January 5th.

This one's for the record books.

Luke is so confused.  He keeps saying, "It's Spring outside!  I don't need my puffy jacket, just my Fall jacket, 'cause it's lovely out there."  (Yes, my three year-old says "lovely".  He's lovely.  We love him.)

Luke came in with sand in his pants today for the first time in months.

I got to enjoy my flowerbeds without a drift of snow covering them.

Linus dug in my carrot patch.

I just have to say it again, because I'm stunned:

It's JANUARY.

In MANITOBA.

And it's NICE OUT.

?!!!!! (imagine me gesturing questioningly with my hands up in shock) !!!!!?

Okay, I think I got it out of my system.

For today, anyway.

Also, I cleaned the windows inside and out, and that's noteworthy.  Maybe not for the record books, but impressive - for me.

  

.

B&W out-takes: goofy photos I wouldn't normally use for anything but can't imagine tossing.

What a good helper in the kitchen!  We made cranberry sauce together.  Listening to the cranberries pop was an attraction he just couldn't pass up.  Hm.  This boy would always vote for less clothes.  Pretty sure he doesn't meet the health code in this outfit.

 

He's always been able to raise one eyebrow.  I've always wanted to, but can't.  Some people's kids.

With his beloved puffs.

When they start lookin' at you outta the corner of their eyes, that's when you know you got trouble.  Right here in Winkler City.  Trouble with a capital T and that rhymes with B and that stands for Boys.

Trouble with a capital T and that rhymes with D and that stands for Dog.

Happy 2012! (tomorrow)

My New Year's resolutions are in threes as follows:

To post the blog three times a week (minimum)

To practice yoga three times a week (minimum)

To eat three meals a day (maximum - and no snacking!)

Perhaps I don't need to apologize, but I feel like I should say I'm sorry for not posting the blog in the last several weeks.  I suppose I could give you any number of plausible excuses, but they'd all be just that, excuses.  The truth is I didn't want to post, so I didn't.  I do understand the importance of the blog for my family far away, and as a record of my children's lives for their own benefit, (also I really do enjoy it most of the time) hence the New Year's resolution. 

I plan not to fall asleep on the job again.

The benefit of having a temperamental child is that sometimes their temperament is sweet

Last night after brushing his teeth Luke disappeared.  Naturally I assumed my three-year-old had gotten distracted and wandered off to play race cars, or snag a plate of cookies, or sneak outside with a flashlight to look for owls, or gone to lay a trap for the next person to walk down the hallway.  After looking in every other room in the house I finally looked in his and Seamus's shared room.  He was laying there in his bed, and when I opened the door he sat up and held his arms out to me.  What a sweet hug he gave me!  Grammy had been alerted to his absence and came in behind me.
While she squeezed him she said, "What a big boy you are, putting yourself to bed!"
"Oh, yeah," Luke sleepily droned.
"Well, that worked out pretty good for you, didn't it?" asked Grammy.
"No, not really.  I couldn't put myself to bed very well.  My foot was sticking out."