The Best Laid Plans

Our plan for this weekend was to take Matt skiing for the first time. Saturday was predicted to be cold and windy, with conditions improving on Sunday. We decided to go to Cochrane on Saturday for their WinterFest - there were pony rides and hay rides - which our son loves to do at any opportunity. Sunday we'd go to Lake Louise, spend an hour or so on the learner's slope at Lake Louise resort with our son and then head to the Chateau on the lake for the Ice Magic Festival.

We had loads of fun Saturday and Sunday morning the weather looked like it would cooperate, so we packed up the truck and took off to Lake Louise. As we headed in the mountains, the weather worsened. Ominous clouds hung overhead, the wind picked up and snow hit the windshield but as anyone who has headed into the mountains knows, the next turn in the road can bring dramatically different weather so we continued on. This proved the case a couple of time but looking ahead there was always more inclement weather ahead. The dramatic conditions did provide for some great photographs.

Upon arriving at Lake Louise, with the wind blowing on the mountain, we gave up the idea for the skiing - we wanted good weather (or at the very least better weather). The wind was calm when we got the parking near the Chateau and after a bite to eat, we bundled up, grabbed the skates and sled and headed to the lake. While the wind didn't remain calm, we had a great time at the festival - we saw the ice carvings, went ice skating on the lake, and generally had fun in the snow (we did go inside to do a craft when the wind created white out conditions on the lake).

It took a bit of flexibility but even though our original plan didn't work, we had a great weekend. What did you do this weekend? How do you deal with changes to your plans?

TGIF!

It's Friday and I for one am very glad and not just for the ordinary reasons. While I'm happy that the weekend means playtime with Daddy, a birthday party on Saturday and a family adventure to the mountains on Sunday, I'm ecstatic that it's Friday because the weather forecasters have promised this cold snap will break for the weekend. It's been a week of temperatures dipping into the -40Cs with the wind and today is comparatively balmy at a -29C with the windchill. Don't get me wrong, I love winter... but I'd rather winter be -5C with lots of snow and sunshine.

I have learned two things this week. 1 - It's worth the effort to get outside every day, to enjoy the outdoors and interact with nature even for a little while. My son and I had some great adventures this week. 2 - It's exhausting. Playing outside when it's -39C is tiring... it takes more energy not only to play, walk through the snow and keep warm while outside but it also takes energy just to get ready. I'm ready for some sane temperatures... though the forecast of 10C on Wednesday seems a bit too dramatic a change... I do enjoy winter with snow and ice for sledding, skating and skiing.

It's all about being happy and healthy... and even though you can't see it, my son is grinning from ear to ear under all his layers. How was your week? Why are you happy it's Friday?

It's cold out there...

I just posted a photography post by the same name on braving the elements for my photography. While I love photographing in any weather, the other reason we were outside was to play and explore. I am a firm believer that we need to get outside everyday for a bit of outdoor play - though yesterday was limited and today even more so as the temperature dipped to -34C/-29F and colder with the windchill. My son and I had was the huge amount of fun in the snow and cold... we went for a walk and listened to the birds, we looked at the tracks from the neighbourhood hares in the snow and we used the diggers and dump trucks with snow instead of sand.

What do you do when it's cold outside?

The Big Picture Philosophy Tested

The Big Picture... the philosophy behind this blog which dictates that our goal is that we are happy and healthy. If not, maybe we're doing something wrong and we should take a second look at the situation. 

Apparently this was a test week. I'd signed Matthew up for another session of swimming lessons and it was the first day. He'd been fussy for the last few weeks of the previous session but I hoped with the break that he'd be as enthusiastic as he once was. For the first 5 minutes that thought seemed to hold up... he enthusiastically sang along with the teacher, performing the skills wonderfully and blowing bubbles through his nose for the first time... then it went downhill from there (okay - truth told it simply crashed). The rest of the class was an exercise of futility. Talking to the teacher at the end of the class, she suggested perhaps he was bored and tired of the songs but that he obviously loved the water and swimming. He's already done two sessions at the Sea Turtle level and was advanced to the Sea Otter level, however he can't start the level until he's turning three.

Leaving feeling frustrated and tired, I wasn't sure what do. Do I continue the class hoping that things get better? Do I let him quit? Do I enrol him in something else? We'd found a gymnastics class just the day before that we thought he'd love, but would he really? What about the added expense? My husband and I talked through the options that evening. First off we decided to withdraw him from swimming... if he wasn't happy, what's the point? We'll register him in a more advanced classes when he's old enough and see how he is when he is being challenged in an unparented class. Then the pros and cons were debated for gymnastics. In the end we decided to take the chance with the gymnastics - we think he'll love it and, it being a Calgary winter, having an active inside class was a good idea.

The decision feels right. We're not quitting swimming but waiting for a more challenging program and we'll still go to open swim to swim and play. The pool was very understanding and only charged us for the one class we attended (crediting the rest of the fee to our account). We got the last spot in the time slot that we wanted for gymnastics and he's all set to start next week. Only time will see what happens but for today we're happy and that is "The Big Picture". 

Looking Forward, Looking Back

In the past few days, I've started planning some of our adventures for the coming year. As I was compiling a list of potential people, places and things for us to see and do it occurred to me that I should look at the adventures of 2011. From dozens of fantastic day, weekend and week long trips, there some that stood out right away such as my son's birthday at the lake with friends and our trip up to Jasper with my in-laws. There was joyous trips such as my mom's surprise party in Vancouver and sad trips such as my uncle's funeral. The weather was hot, cold, dry, snowy and everything in between. There was snow, rocks, sands, trees, mud and water. In the end, I've chosen to share with you five trips which demonstrate values that form "The Big Picture" - things that made us happy and healthy as a family and as individuals. I've listened them in order they occurred as it would be impossible to rank them otherwise.

#1 Family Day Weekend in the Okanagan

We headed down to Vernon for Family Day weekend to visit my mom and stepfather, go skiing and enjoy a weekend away.  I'll always be thankful that we took the time to visit my aunt and uncle nearby while we were there. Not only was it a great visit with them and a multitude of cousins, it was the last visit I had with my uncle who passed away not a month later. I'll always look back on the weekend with bitter sweet fondness. Family is important, and while they may drive you crazy, it's important not to miss opportunities to spend time with them.

#2 Winter Hike at Mount Lorette Ponds

This was a typical day out in the mountains for us. We often pack up our gear, pack some snacks and head out with no fixed plans. This particular day was snowy and in Kananaskis. We stopped at the ponds for a short hike and we had a blast romping in the snow and enjoying winter at it's best in the mountains. And as a photographer, I was also able to get some great photographs of my son and the landscape around me. This trip demonstrates that some of the best memories don't have to be planned or grand. We have to seize the moment and look around us.

#3 Upper Kananaskis Lake Photo Hike

I took this hike in June with a local outdoor meetup group and I look back fondly at this day out with fellow photographers. A beautiful sunny day, it was a day filled with laughter, photography and new friends - it was rejuvenating to spend the day out.  It was a solo trip but I feel that it clearly belongs on the list because it demonstrates that needs of the individual in a family dynamic... and individual trips for all of us should be on this list for the coming year.

#4 Back country camping trip to Laughing Falls
We joined two other families for the August long weekend for a back country camping trip into the mountains. Six adults, three toddlers and a baby in the back country of Yoho National Park, camping beside a raging river fed by glacier water. The weekend wasn't without its challenges - missing juice, clogged filters, night terrors, thunderstorms, etc. - but we proved it possible and had a great time doing it. A back country trip is a definite for 2012.

#5  Camping at Dinosaur Park

This was a short weekend trip that we decided on literally at the last minute. Within about an hour Saturday morning, we had packed up and were heading out into the crisp fall air. We avoided the main highway as we meandered to Dinosaur Park, stopping at several small provincial parks along the way to explore. We took the time to catch frogs, have a picnic and I got some photographs. At the park, we took turns playing with our son and making camp. We watched the sunset over the badlands and ate dinner as the sky darkened. Our son fell asleep quickly and easily in the tent. We enjoyed a last cup of tea under the stars. The next day, we hiked the hills of the badlands and learned about dinosaurs. We learned to camp simply and to play with our son instead.


Now what adventures lay ahead for us this year? Only time will tell.

What a Year!

A new year is around the corner and like many others I find myself reflecting on this past one. It's been a busy year full of triumphs and challenges.

Our family activities were heavily based in the outdoors - snow, rain, ice or sunshine it didn't matter - you'd find us enjoying the wilderness at our doorstep. Though the winter was often really cold, there was plenty of opportunity for snowshoe and winter hiking trips into the mountains. Sledding and skating was fun for the whole family. Matthew enjoyed several days of playing and hiking in the snow with one parent while the other hit the ski slopes - the skis are waxed and ready for him to give the sport a try this year.

As the weather warmed, camping trips to the mountains and into the badlands were part of the menu, including a multiple family back country trip into Yoho National Park. Matthew found out the joys of riding in the kayak and getting close to birds, fish and turtles. Parks were explored and water parks sought out. Summer flew by and soon the weather cooled, the snow fell and Matthew donned snowshoes for the first time. Sled rides, wagon rides and outdoor Christmas festivities filled December.

Family visited and family was visited - trips that included Vancouver and the Okanogan. We mourned the passing of my uncle and celebrated my mother's victory over cancer. We celebrated birthdays, anniversaries and holidays. We laughed, cried and fought. We lived.

Through it all we watched our son grow from a 1 1/2 years old to 2 1/2 years old - an amazing experience. He's a running, dancing, swimming machine that rarely stops for a breath of air. From single words to sentences, he's now beginning to be able to communicate his thoughts and desires. He's not completely understandable yet, but it was fun watching him greet his aunt, uncle and grandparents at Christmas. His play has gone from simply pushing his train around the tracks to complex scenarios involving the conductor opening the doors, the people getting on, tickets collected and destinations established. And if the train goes off the track... the fire truck and the police car goes to the rescue! Always the puzzle fiend, about a month and a half ago, my son made the jump from chunky wooden puzzles to picture cardboard puzzles. He started to understand the concept of creating a picture with the pieces - from then on he's been off to the races. There's no stopping him now - he's now onto 48 pieces and having a ball.

There was an important lesson that we learned through all this and which became the premise for this blog. We learned that we can't do it all and that we shouldn't feel bad about it. The important thing is that everyone - my husband, my son and myself - are happy and healthy. So sometimes plans were cancelled, altered or postponed if the circumstances warranted instead of barrelling ahead no matter what. We made sure that we asked if we were doing stuff for the right reasons. We took a breath and smelled the proverbial roses. We enjoyed the days, the months and the seasons to the greatest extent. That is "The Big Picture".

I'm looking forward to the coming year... so much to do, so much to explore. Happy New Year!

Kid's Zone

The Kid's Zone at Chapters has been a life saver for many parents I know. Where else could you go to have a coffee, talk to fellow parents, let the kids interact and play with each other, read them a story, pick up a magazine for yourself and get your Christmas shopping done all at the same time. I wrote about going there in Time Changes. Morning, noon and night, we've taken our son to the "book store" and everyone enjoyed ourselves. We've used various locations across the country as breaks when on the road or travelling - it makes for a familiar spot when you're in a new city - and as every parent knows this can be a great comfort to little ones.

Unfortunately, I've had to use the past tense. After the library today, myself and a friend headed to the local Chapter's with promises of trains for our sons, coffee for ourselves and perhaps a few last minute gifts in the bag. Alas, when we get there, "train gone" as my son said. We were told by the woman working the section, that they were told to remove the train tables and that in the future there would most likely only be a couple of  chairs and the teacup in order to focus on books.

Sounds great in theory - bookstore focussing on books. However, in reality, life doesn't work that way. Here are some of the realities.

1. Reality is that if I just want to read a story with my son, I stay at home or go to the library.
2. Reality is that the only time that I get into the book store these days is when my son is playing with the trains, other kids or reading a book in the Kid's Zone while I get a coffee, talk to a friend and browse the books.
3. Reality is that it would have also been great of the store to warn parents that the train will be gone as of X date - that way my friend wouldn't be having to console her child, another mother wouldn't be pushing two screaming kids in a stroller out the door and I wouldn't have to lie to my child that the train was broken and had to be fixed.
4. Reality is that I've rarely walked out of Chapter's empty handed - either I've bought a book, a toy, a coffee, a magazine or a gift.
5. Reality is that with the trains and toys gone, Chapter's has just become another store I'll be avoiding in order to prevent unneeded meltdowns due to boredom and "don't touch" choruses. 
6. Reality is that we went to another store that still welcomed kids to be kids, and well I didn't walk out empty handed from there.

I really hope that either the information we received today was wrong or that Chapter's reconsiders their policy regarding the Kid's Zone. It's been a great place that encourages literacy, community and social interaction for kids and parents alike. Aside from that, from a purely economic view, most of what I spend at Chapter's is done while taking advantage of the Kid's Zone.