SPRING, SNOW and SHRED

It’s March! When the heck did that happen?!

I have not posted in a while.  I have been busy getting a head start on spring cleanin’ in my spare time.   I figure maybe this will encourage spring to come to early?   Also, the weather has been warm enough over the past few weeks for the kids to actually enjoy the outdoors.  So, we’ve been spending good chunks of time out in the front yard.  Janna is into scooping snow and throwing it into puddles.  Like she will try and “fill up” a puddle for 20 minutes straight.  She also likes to pull her sled up to the highest little snow peaks in the yard and trudge across deep snow with it.

Actually... there is that saying about March.  In like a lion and out like a lamb.  And the last day of February we had a good ol’ snow storm.  One of the better ones for Ottawa.  Sometimes I find people this way over react to the weather conditions and call anything over 5 cm a storm.   Growing up on the East coast, and then spending my university years in Moncton right near the ocean... storms were STORMY!  20cm plus would be called a storm, and only if there were high winds, ice, and white-out conditions involved.   And then you still would try and drive around in it!  My dad owned a construction company while I grew up in Hartland.  And he did a lot of plowing over the years.  I remember being in his truck with him on the highway (which of course was a twisty and bendy 2 way traffic lane riddled with pot holes in the middle of blowing potato fields) and not being able to see a thing!  There were a few times I was quite sure I was going to meet Jesus any second...but my pa was some good on them ol’ roads!  Oooo...the Carleton county is comin’ out in me!

Ottawa does, indeed, have WAY WAY colder and drier days that NB.  It took me a few winters to adjust to this after moving here, but not so many stormy days.  Or at least what I grew up calling a storm.  The last day of February we got some blowing and heavy snow that came quite quickly.  School buses were not cancelled as things didn’t get going until noonish.  So, Dave had to drive home in the van in a good 20 cm of snow.  He was fairly late getting in, and when he stepped in the door I almost burst into laughter.  He was soaked and his glasses fogged up, and his hair matted down and he was sweating. 

I guess that EVERYONE was just stuck in the snow EVERYWHERE!  To the point, that people just got out of their cars and would push whoever’s vehicle was first in line out of the snow, and then onto the next person.  Dave had a shovel in the back of the car, and so this proved most useful in digging out wells so the cars could get some grip and go.  I guess Dave also got stuck 3 times and bailed out by pushing strangers 3 times.  Then he got into our parking lot.  We have a large shared parking lot with tons of people from the surrounding townhouses.  The plows don’t get to these until last..which could be a day or 2 later.  So, everyone was stuck!   Dave ended up pushing people into their spots, and then someone helped him into our spot.  The poor man was wiped.  He got changed and was just about to sink into a chair to eat a hot supper when the phone rang.  Katie was on her way home from work and was also stuck in the parking lot!  Dave suited up and helped her get parked...and then helped a ton of other people push their vehicles into their lots.  What a great man I have!

It was kind of nice.  I actually sort of wished I was out there pushing vehicles.  It was like community!  People were depending and helping each other, and the stories made my heart happy.   No more of this don’t look or talk to anyone!  The next day, I had to dig the van out of the spot to get the kids out for a play date.  It wasn’t too bad, and aside from having to gun it over a few part of unplowed road we made it to my friend Kim’s and back without any issues.  When I got home, I let Jesse and Janna trudge around in the snow in the front yard.  Robyn was half asleep bundled in her car seat, and I decided I would be awesome and shovel as many spots as possible while the kids were happy.  The plow seems to hit up our lots WAY after the snow fall, and one hadn’t been by.  All of the snow was packed down and it was easy to get stuck or spin out.   I felt like I missed out on this snow experience, and grabbed my shovel all set to shovel until I was sweating and aching! I envision clearing atleast half of this lot.  Well... Pathetic. I got through only one and a half spots before Robyn started SCREAMING!   We went inside.  Fail.  Someday.

Anyhoo, not too much new going on.  I’ve been starting to exercise again.  It’s time to rid myself of these pesky- 5- floppy- post- baby- pounds.  Sometimes I think I should just wait until I’m totally done having kids to tackle the baby belly...as it’s just gonna come around again with Baby Vance 4.  But, that’s a silly thought.  I just forgot how great it makes ya feel and that excess energy it infuses me with is wonderful.  So, that’s been fun.  Right now I’m just doing the Gillian Michaels shred.  I do it at 7 usually when Janna is awake for the last half hour of the day and when the other kids are in bed.  The first work-out I did with Janna in the room was so funny.  She was mesmerized and tried in her 2 year old fashion to do the moves.  Except when it came to cardio (instead of skipping in place or whatever)  she would just start running wildly in circles and happily shrieking.  And when I did pushups she would squat in front of me and put her nose on my head and ask for a hug??  And, of course, with sit ups, she wanted to sit right on my abs.  I don’t think she hindered my work out at all... she just added some extra weight and laughs.   Adorable.  I wish I had some of it on camera. 

Wella wella.  Kids won’t be napping for much longer, and so I should be on my way.  Just wanted to touch base. Happy march y’all JThanks for reading. I’m out. 

Ok...Jesse has joined me just as I'm finishing this post.  For those of you who miss my beautiful and expressive face, here are a few goodies for ya! And don't say Jesse is a mini Dave...here is proof that there is some of me in him