Tuesday, February 19, 2008

We had such a fun weekend!

Yesterday was Family Day (a new holiday here in Ontario, perfectly positioned in the middle of February), which means we got a 3-day weekend.

On Saturday, we took the kids skating. We decided to go to an outdoor rink because the weather was so beautiful. The rink was built on a baseball diamond and sloped ever-so-slightly downhill, which meant the kids could skate one way (down), but not the other (up). It was pretty funny to watch. Maggie did great. She had the little bob-skates that attach to her boots and she was moving around pretty well.

Sunday brought freezing rain, so Maggie and I went to the grocery store first thing in the morning (8:00 AM – good time to shop) and then we stayed put for the rest of the day. I hauled out their Ikea castle tent and they played in there for hours while I made some yummy brownies with peppermint frosting. We all played a game of Princess Monopoly and then Homer played some video games with Bart and Lisa (Simpsons Hit & Run, of course).

Monday’s weather cleared up and we went tobogganing. Because of Sunday’s rain, the hill was not a snowy as I would have liked, but it was really fast! I just loved hearing the giggles and screams as they flew down the hill. I’m hoping for a little more snow this week so we can go out again this weekend. We then took them to a playground, where they played on the abandoned climber to their hearts’ content.

When I contemplated having kids, this kind of weekend is exactly what I pictured. It was simple and pure and fun. Sometimes I am guilty of getting bogged down with things that have to be done, but I didn’t do that this weekend. And I'm really glad I didn’t.

10 comments:

email said...

That sounds fun! I've never been ice skating. There wasn't an ice skating rink in Charleston, SC, until after I was grown up. I've still never tried it, but I'd like to.

It's hard to not get bogged down in what has to be done, so good for you!

Jess said...

That sounds amazing! I love how Canadians all teach their kids to skate. No wonder hockey is so popular there.

Misty said...

That sounds so lovely. Oh. Am Jealous.

Gah. Peppermint frosting? Oh we are so needing that recipe.

Family Adventure said...

What a great weekend! I've heard about the new Family Day from our friends, and I look forward to enjoying it with our boys next year -- a long weekend in February will be a good time for skiing, too, when your kids get a little older!

Heidi :)

Chantal said...

Sounds like fun. We enjoyed our long weekend as well!

Mighty Morphin' Mama said...

Sounds like you took total advantage of family day weekend!
For family day, my dh went to work. With his Dad, so I guess he was with family.

Saly said...

Wow, we need family day around here!!

Don Mills Diva said...

Glad you had a great Family Day!

Tess said...

I miss ice skating. I bet Maggie was so cute.

Is Maggie content to spend the entire day inside? If so, was she always like that? I only have one kid, and therefore no frame of reference, but it is IMPOSSIBLE to entertain AD for an entire day indoors. We end up taking her shopping, to the park, etc. every single weekend.

Please advise! ARGG! Is the answer "have another kid"?

LoriD said...

Yes, the answer is to have another kid. Hee.

She's pretty content inside, but then again, she pretty much entertains herself. Both the girls are like that. The boy needs a little more guidance, but he can easily be steered in an appropriate direction.

One thing we found is that we keep most of their toys in the playroom downstairs. They don't really like playing down there, so we'll bring one thing up at a time (e.g. the big kitchen thingie for Maggie). Because she hasn't played with it in awhile, she gets excited when she sees it again and plays for quite some time. When the novelty wears off, we bring up something else.