Week 7

All class!

Couldn't resist blogging these right now - no, we're not on the way to a wedding! I went with Dar to Value Village today - 50% off. Found this little brown three-piece suit for Jasper - how very 70s! Had to try it on him as soon as I got home!

Blowing Snow

Here's a few shots of my walk yesterday with Shannon, Darlene and Wendy (and Jayden, Zach and Jasper), when it was snowing so beautifully. Before we set out:


Halfway through:

Week 6

It's been a funny week for weather: in this series of polaroids, there's a shot of me (with my eyes watering) when it was something like -42. Then on Friday it was -27 with the windchill, but Piper and I walked all the way home from Anna's house together! Every now and then she'd comment that her hands were cold, and I kept on asking if she wanted to hop in the chariot, but she really wanted to walk. I was just gobsmacked, cos I can remember when it was a struggle to get her to walk the ten minutes to the market in sunny weather! By the time we turned onto Walnut, almost home, she was saying how nice it would be to be at the beach! I had to agree... And then today, it was supposed to be something like +1! We had the most amazing snow - enormous flakes falling fast. Dar, Wendy, Shannon and I went for a walk - I should post some of those shots. Beautiful to be outside. And lovely that it was (relatively) warm!

Week 5

What a blowsy old day! The wind is whipping snow into new positions and the schteeming (no idea how you spell it!, but it means the snow being blown low across the road, so that the surface looks like dry ice) was disconcerting! Facing into the breeze, I gasped as a baby does when you blow gently on its face! Hard to breath in! It's around minus 42, I think...

But life goes on - Gord and Piper still headed to the pool, while I dragged Jasper to the scrapbook cottage and the supermarket. I brought a blanket and covered him totally (on top of the usual snowsuit) to and from the car - he was very patient! Babies here learn patience, in the winter! This evening we'll head to Jeff and Sharon's to hang out - much better than bouncing off each other (and the walls) at home.

I've been feeling up and down, but every time I'm down, more pieces of the puzzle come together, which hopefully makes for a different, more conscious experience next time I'm down! My Thursdays and Fridays are better than the less structured Mondays and Tuesdays (Wednesday is my day off). On Thursdays the kids and I head to story time at the library, and on Fridays, we usually walk with Darlene and her neighbour to a playgroup. Mother's groups/playgroups never worked for me in Aust, cos I had more social connections, but here, it feels like a lifesaver. I'm enjoying getting to know the other mums.

Everyone else in my family seems to be going very well! The swimming lessons stretch Piper, but the water is becoming a more familiar space. Jasper is just fantastic - he has the beginnings of two teeth, says bye-bye and waves his hand when he's heading off to bed, and is learning how to hi-five with Gord in the mornings - he is such fun! And yeah, he busts a mean move!

Gord and I enjoy discussing many ideas, and sharing our experience of being here - this process often keeps us chatting late into the night, so the mornings are pretty slow around here (well, Gord still has to go to work, but the kids and I are slow!). Anyway, I could rave on more, but everyone else is asleep here, and we're supposed to be at Jeff and Sharon's soon, so I should go get them mobilised. Without further ado, here's some shots of Week 5 of 2008 here in frigid Steinbach!

Jasper busts a move...

Jasper shows off his latest stuff at the dinner table...with a little background support later on in the piece...

Gembrook's gift to us...

This picture wraps up Bec's present from me. Some of you will recognize the pictures as coming from Gembrook - aboslutely beautiful photos taken by Bec's dad - Peter.