Ontario-i-o

These are long overdue.  Blame our beautiful borealis-ness and no or limited Internet connection.  However, they're here now...some southern Ontario sights from early December.  It took returning to Ontario, north-western this time, to be able to get them to you.

Half pint.

Get your roller girl on!

We were here.

Grandma and Evie.  A blurry, beautiful moment.  All this new, joy to the old.

Hiking up the ski hill.  I love our Canadian Shield.

gratuitous baby shot 2

For demanding aunty #2.

Evelyn took to the sky for the first time.  The flying baby was a hit everywhere we went...no screaming en route (in public) this time!

Hah!

It's like a sasquatch sighting.

Only the sasquatch doesn't make you do a round-off and hop up and down for it to appear.

Winter sensations

It's officially winter.  Crisp air leads to crisp blues and whites that wake you up.  Eyes widen as they are hit with the harsh light.  Red cheeks burn hot, a reminder of the cold walk to mumma and grandpa's through the woods.  Crunching over the newly-packed snow, papoose thickly bundled against maman's chest.  Time to break out a scarf.

Dabada dabada dabada dabada dah! Dabada dah!

I've been hiding behind the "new mom, no time" excuse...Thanks for the kick in the pants, Aunty Dez.  You're gentle, for an Enforcer.

The thing is, there's tons of time.  It's funny how it gets filled so easily.  Between an all-consuming girl, construction and food (gotta eat), something's gotta give.  Nothing stops the thoughts, ideas, realizations and wonder.  One-handed typing can slow down the blogging and emailing, though!

It's amazing what I won't do for a smile.  To see that little girl break into a beam when you walk into her room (especially first thing in the morning), when you parrot her coos, ahhs and hahhs.  It makes you feel like you are the most special person in the world.

(Shroom tuque by Rosie)

And now, the elusive laugh. It's just about to spill out, I can feel it.  The beginning of a giggle kept false-starting as Evelyn listened to my verbal drum kit solo this morning, rim shots and cymbals accented as I helped her kick her feet and shoot out her arms to their raps and crashes.  But giggle became hiccups became cries...drum solo ended.

She's a growing, healthy girl who lets us get lots of sleep at night.  She looks like Steve, especially when she's got her fussy-pants on (I think that's a Parks creased forehead!)  She loves the Indian elephant above her change pad, paper star above her crib.  Steve walks her in her princess chair so that she can see the world and I walk her in her carrier so that she can know her beautiful boreal backyard.  And so that she can be lulled to sleep for an afternoon nap so that I can "do something".  Anything.  There's a list.

Not a written list.  That's too stressful.  More of a panoramic, 360 degree turn and look...could do that, or that, or that....yeah, that.  That's what I'll do.

Time to hit the trail.  Hopefully, the girl will be sleeping by the time we get home so that I can keep mudding in the utility room.  This is a Job in 12 Movements.  Da da da daaaaa, da da da daaaaa...

Task at hand

I like to work hard.  I like to push my body to a point where my muscles are sore afterwards, even the ones you were never really aware of.  I like it when I've worked so hard that there is nothing better than a shoulder rub, or dig.

There's also the satisfaction of digging up all of the potatoes and looking at a freshly turned-over garden.  And getting up on the wakeboard for the first time in a year, crisscrossing over the wake, despite the niggling little fear of...what?  Not being able to get up?  Falling into the water?  (Fear of faiiiiiiilure!)

And finally, after all of these workouts, there is now nothing better than being forced to sit down, feed my baby, and relax.  Stare down at her, aware that she is now aware of so much around her.  We both take it all in.

I'm realizing that the jobs I am responsible for have changed.  Everything outside of Evelyn is secondary, whether I want it to be or not.  I am slowly learning, as a local librarian called them, the "Rules of Evelyn".

Gratuitous baby shot follows.

borealiso beautiful viii

First kick at blueberry picking, 3 days B.E.  No blueberries, (no Evelyn) but plenty of northern beauty.

Pebble Beach, end of dragonfly season.  Our selfless protectors.