Ice, Ice Baby

It has been cold here. Cold, people, cold. Like, -22 cold. Like, air like needles to the skin when you walk out the door cold. Like, never, ever take your kids out to play cold. It's been cold.


The most tremendous thing happened last week. It was so cold, a water main burst, and a ton of water came travelling it's way through our backyard, freezing all the way down the ditch in a long, wide stream.


The result was a glorious, long and smooth sheet of ice. (The snow drifted in and covered it partially, but the spot behind our house was pretty clear.)


I could not help but be reminded of Little Women, and ice skating in winter. Isn't that the first thing anyone would think of? Little Women?! Trodding off through the woods with ice skates over their shoulders? Agh! How old fashioned family winter fun is this?!

And by Saturday, the ice was good and solid, and would you believe it? It got into the 30's! Even with 20 mph wind gusts, it still felt a welcome warm compared to the absolute frigid last week or so.


The ice was perfectly frozen and smooth, we had a whole Saturday to ourselves, and it was finally not deathly cold outside.



It was the perfect storm, perfect conditions for a day of skating fun for us. How incredible is it that we basically had a Walden Pond in our backyard?! You know, like the March girls?!!


Jim found these like new ($150 new!) skates at a thrift store for $3 before Christmas, and they were just the right size for Grace and Patience to wear, taking turns, of course. I can't believe they got to have their first experience ice skating in our own backyard!! Unbelievable.


It was windy, which proved bothersome, but Bebo, the girls and Dad were thrilled to finally get outside.


Grace and Patience both got a shot with the skates, and were absolutely adorable out there, sliding and wobbling.


Lily and Bebo just ran and slid. Daddy showed off a little... He hasn't gotten to use his ice skates for a really long time. He carved it up good.

We had the chance to let the girls try out the ice without worrying about them falling through accidentally (you know, like Amy did in Little Women?!!) since the ice was only inches, not feet, thick.

And then, of course, they went sledding too. All in our own backyard.


Hudson napped, and I stayed warm inside with Bacon, taking pictures through the glass of my bedroom window... accounting for the fuzziness of the pictures. Someone had to stay inside for H, right?


And when the troops came in, and cheeks were rosy and the boots were off, there was hot caramel apple cider waiting...