"I still can't believe that's not the sea"

I know I said I wouldn't talk about the school bus but OMG, this morning.  I shouted that it was time to get ready.  Smallest burst into tears because he thought he had more time, then he got a nose bleed, HB rushed to get him a new top.  They ran to get the bus as it was at the end of the drive before they got there. Small got on and obviously never mentioned the fact that his brother was on the way!  Smallest was just about to cross the road when the bus started. Aaarggggghhhhh don't run over my Smallest!  The driver saw him luckily and stopped and let him on.  Blimey, that was close!

If you look really closely on the left, you can see Smallest running for the bus

HB and I had a nice quiet breakfast before getting ready to go to the Beach.  At the mention of beach you think swimsuits, towels, flip flops.  Oh no, we had hats, scarves, gloves, thermals, flask and blanket.  I didn't know whether the blanket would be to wrap ourselves in or to put down to sit on.
HB had a walk down the garden before we left to see whether she needed a coat or not.  The sun was out and shining brightly but it was -4. So we donned all of our winter stuff and packed our picnic and off we went.

Look at those bloomin' leggings!

When we got there (HB navigated beautifully, not a wrong turn!), we put our money into the parking machine but no ticket came out.  HB was talking to a woman who was telling her that her leggings were Jazzy!  The woman told me the ticket machine wasn't printing and that we could put a note in our car and hope we didn't get a ticket.  There wasn't much we could do about it so we left the car with a note in it and off we went.
The lake at the start of the walk was frozen over and the Canadian Geese were ice skating.

Ice skating geese

HB and her jazzy legs

After a brisk walk of half an hour we were wowed by Lake Otario.  (although I have already been here, it still amazed me that this beautiful lake and beach could be at the end of this lovely walk).  HB loved it and kept saying "I still can't believe this is a lake and not the sea" and every time I said Lake, she said Sea!


We took our coats and hats off and sat on the blanket.  It was just lovely.  We couldn't believe how warm it was and yet there was still snow on the sand and there were icicles hanging from the trees.
The waves were Flicking the tree branches and the water held there was freezing into icicles.  It was quite magical looking.

Icicles on a branch

More icicles

...and some more

The lovely HB (without her coat)

Looking along the beach 

The swans

Jazzy legs looking at the swans

We walked as far as we could one way and then turned around and went as far as we could the other way.  Then we walked back to where we came in, sat on a bench in the sun and had our picnic lunch.  We were hoping someone would be on Skype so we could show them how lovely it was but no-one was on.

Beach/Snow picnic 

Uncle Grump wink

Beautiful

Lovely

Great

Super

Smashing

Ooh a treeeeeee.

When we were here last time we thought we could see the mist from Niagara Falls but today we couldn't.  HB said that maybe they had turned it off!!!!!!!!!!  She was emailing her mum on the phone and I went investigating the stones very close to the water's edge.  I wasn't really looking at the water and didn't notice that it had formed an island around me.  HB shouted "FAMFA" and I quickly ran up the bank and into a tree.  She thought it was funny, she also had my phone so managed to take a photo of me.

Arrrrggggghhhhhhh I'm stuck

Soooo sunny

We didn't see any little birds today.  Only seagulls, Canadian geese and a couple of swans.  On the walk back the red dogwood was beautiful.  Ten minutes into our walk and we were skyped by Grandma who told us that Aunt Pear was trying to Skype us.  So we walked back to the beach and waited for a call.  Aunt Pear had trouble connecting so after about half and hour we started the walk back.

There's the legs again

Geese

This is the picture I was taking when I got stuck - worth it

Gorgeous red

We found a tee pee (the same one we photo'd Small in), and then watched the Canadian Geese fly onto the lake and then HB tried to see how close she could get to one.  She was scared and thought they were going peck her.  I think they ran away as soon as they saw her 'jazzy leggings'.

A pee in a tee?

Treees

Tree and frozen lake

"Would you like to be my Mother Goose?  I can't find mine!"

Landing geese

Snowy logs - not legs!

We drove back and popped into a store to buy valentine cards for the boys to take to school.  Apparently, here they send cards to everyone in their class - MAD!  While we were in there we passed the Easter egg aisle.  WOW.  I have never seen such an array of Easter eggs.  They were quite frightening.  At the checkout the lady who served us said "Wow, do you wear anything under those?" pointing at HB's leggings. She said yes she had her thermals on but back home she wouldn't normally.  "Where do you get those from?" she asked.  HB told her England and then the lady started telling us which members of her family had died (some were English) but we are not sure why she was telling us, I think she was saying that she had no-one to buy her those in England and bring them back - at which point HB started to pick up the things we had bought and started to walk away.  The lady looked at her leggings again said "Crazy, you're WILD".

A whole aisle of huge Easter eggs

Scary Bob Le Ponge

Scary my little pony

We took photos of the huge snow piles in the car parks and then pretended to Aunt Pear that we had had that much snowfall he he he.

A snow plough pile

We drove home.  Skyped Grandma, Aunt and Unc Pear.

Aunt Pear (she is saying "what's she doing?, oh I bet this will appear on her blog!")

Unc Pear (looks like a vampire)

We waited for the boys to come home and then we played in the snow on the front till dinner time.

We made a SnowHB - I even made her leggings - perhaps not jazzy enough!

Smallest came home with a bag full of sweets, valentines and chocs.  Small informed me that he needed to take something in to school for tomorrow so we started making gingerbread hearts.

HB making valentine gingerbread - she made one for you GP but we ate it!

After dinner Small wrote his valentines to his friends.

How very Canadian

Snowy Port

Last night I caught Gary truffling.

This morning Moo and Smallest were busy 'doing' under the bunting.  Moo was emailing and Smallest was cutting - his most favourite things do at the moment.

This is one of Smallest's new tops for Christmas "collector of bugs" and he chose to wear it today - quite apt considering the combing session we had to do last night!!

 

Saw these wrapped up trees on the way in the car.  Liked them architecturally.

We decided to go for a jaunt to Port Perry today.  It was raining just a little bit but the longer we were there, the more and more it snowed.

Bbbbrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Port Perry is a small town on the edge of a large lake.  Some unique shops, restaurants.  It was really cold and starting to snow so after browsing through a few shops we found an Italian Restaurant for dinner.  It was lovely.

Soldier and Smallest

The Grinch cake

A snowman made from drums and a trumpet

A jam jar glass - regular thing here!

I think they give you a straw so you don't dribble over the lid part!

The boys enjoying their dinner

Huffle had a lovely homemade Beef Lasagne.  Moo and I shared a Garlic soup (which was much better than it sounds and a Spinach and Ricotta Manacotti.  The boys had pizza and chicken strips.  It was yummy.

Main street of Port Perry with the lake in the background

Huffle and the boys walking towards the lake

The lake was frozen

We stumbled across a Gingerbread competition - glad I didn't enter.  Mine would have looked awful in comparison - you could smell the ginger and the cinnamon as soon as you entered the room.  They were fabulous.

This one won.

look at all that gingerbread

A toilet!

"CAMPER VAN!"

Then the snow started to get a bit heavier and we decided to head for home.

This was the view from the car driving - I'm not driving by the way (not this time!)

The snow was almost horizontal.

This was our road as we got home.

Our drive (4pm)

We all went into the loft and set up the wooden train track - wow nice to have the room to just keep going.

The view from the loft looking at the barn.  Not a great picture but you can see the snow coming down.

Huffle set up the 'gym' in the basement so we could get some exercise.

Smallest 'rocky' boxing

Huffle boxing

Small cycling

My footprints in the snow.  He he  just mine, no-one else has been out in it yet. 

 I sneaked out.  Crunch crunch crunch

The trees and snow

We decided to open more boxes and started to organise things a bit more.  Books on shelves, computer stuff, craft things away.  It is starting to feel more like home.  Little bits here and there.  Pictures up.  Magnets on fridge, photos out.

Office (under loft stairs) - We are wondering if a chair or bean bag here might make it more comfortable 

Office - computer set up.  Printer set up.  Photo albums on shelves.

Smallest's room with his car lights up.

And this was the snow at 8:30pm. ......and it's still coming down...........

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the DotDot family on their new arrival.  My dear friend LizzieDotDot had a gorgeous baby boy this morning (a little earlier than expected).  Well done LizzieDotDot.  Can't wait to see more pictures and find out his name - we've always called him Bernard, maybe it will stick!  

I can't show pictures of him yet until I have the family's permission but believe me he is adorable - now I just have to find the bonnet I knitted for him and sew the blue Pom Pom on - which box is that in!!!!!???????