Except for the following. It is a law of nature that frozen water unfreezes when encountering above 0 degrees temperatures. And then when the temperature plummets again just a few hours later, the unfrozen frozen water does what nature dictates and freezes again. Only this time, not as lovely crunchy white snow, but as ice. Horrible, treacherous, dangerous ice.
So, here all of us parents were, incredible excited that the 6th of January had finally made it's way around and school was back in session. Only to awaken on the morning of the 6th to discover the world covered in ice. The sidewalks glistened, beckoning the brave and unfortunate to come try out their walking skills - only to have them slip, slide and wipe out with every step.
Fortunately, due to a consistently failing car battery and a need to get it replaced, I had our car which meant after taking hubby to work (slowly and very very carefully), I was able to not only take my child to school with minimal sidewalk skating, but also help a friend get her child to school and then get us to playgroup.
[We love our wonderfully warm homes, but after such incredible cold days and being stuck inside, we were desperate to get out of the house and take our kids to school].
The temperatures for the rest of this week have stayed reasonably ok - hovering around the -15 degree mark - which I know sounds really cold, and it is, but you can still get out and do stuff! Like ice skate!
We bought ice skates for me and the girls on Monday, so this week saw me back on the ice for the first time in years. I was so excited. We live about 250 steps from the Rideau Canal (yes I counted!), which becomes the worlds largest ice skating rink during winter. It opened up for skating last week and is just a gloriously beautiful place to go.
I went on Tuesday by myself, and had such a wonderful time, that today, my two dear friends Dina and Emma came with me, while our toddlers and big girls were all at school. It was a beautiful blue day, no wind. We skated from 5th Ave entrance down to Dow's lake, had a coffee and a cinnamon and sugar beaver tail and skated back. There is something so incredibly magical about gliding on the ice for 5km's, on such a beautiful day, with such wonderful friends. So great to be outside soaking up the magic that winter can offer when it gets it's act together.
Today was a memory that I shall treasure forever (and a memory I hope to repeat numerous times over the coming weeks).
Jen x
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