The family arena skate.

Well done!

Though the ice arena looks small in size,
it's larger than our sport court size of 16 x 36 feet.

The snow has fallen with a steady rhythm for the past few days, though heavy flakes covered the ground today at record speed. I estimate we had four inches within half an hour early this morning, as I drove the children to piano lessons.

Shovels in hand, many hands make light work of course, so all the children cleared the front walkway to the front door (again), and then our older son took the job upon himself to “salt” the general area when the snow mounds were cleared. This would allow our organic food deliveryman a lessened dangerous path to haul our goods being delivered to the door by noon today. It was important not only for this particular delivery chosen food delivery itself, but rather included in it, was going to be eight glass milk jugs carried and we couldn’t imagine the racket, should he lose his balance with them in hand along the way.

The snow here is something else, so much fluffier than out west (sorry but true) and retaining its denseness, not turning an ugly color before too long. It has snowed more or less all week long, and all last weekend before that. Fallen snow certainly has a way to “calm” the earth, creating a wonderful silence and ripping outward to offer a true peace of soul, at least this is true for us. More snow is in the forecast until at least Tuesday, and our children are rejoicing in this weather news today. I suppose we have to alter our "no school" policy when it snows, or we'll never get any work accomplished, however basics are being maintained at the very least, contrary to the children's desires, during these snowy days.

When piano lessons for the four children were complete this morning, all four came home to shovel snow again! What joy we had around here today, no tractor from the neighbor visible to flag down hoping he could give a great big swoop of the area and save us all a lot of work. Nope it wasn't happening here! When we all saw the city snowplough sail by, it was a funny thing when we all gave a loud moan at the same time, knowing we had more work to do. A few children waltzed up the driveway with their winter boots marching down the lane towards the roadside to begin shoveling the snow there, mounds of snow now holding us captives in our own land with the height suddenly mounted up in height alone from the passing of this modern machine. The family wonder van we are delighting in while traveling through this winter wonderland surely wouldn’t be able to drive over it at that height, so once again, shovel, shovel, and shovel…again!

Alas, all was to our desire, though not fully complete, and lunch bellies were growling so food was a definite desire. With bellies full, a hot meal behind them, two of the children dressed into their winter attire once more, so warm and lovely straight from the dryer, and snow shovels in hand, headed out to their ice arena area, now at least 14-16 inches in fresh fallen snow! It took the two troopers over an hour, scrapping and ploughing out the fallen snow to expose the icy surface underneath. Somehow I think these two especially will sleep the night with a dreamy slumber, sure to deepen with their sore muscles screaming in pain.

Surely THIS was an exciting moment, all with skates in hand, plus hockey sticks and one son had no extra hand, so a black hockey puck was in his mouth while he trudged in the snow, heading for the family arena at the back end of the property. It was cute to watch them all today, their project envisioned at long last, finally fruitful and before them. Although it looks quite piddly from the viewpoints of the camera lens, it’s actually a larger space then our 16 x 36 foot sports court, believe it or not!

When the skating was near its end, children pooped and cold, they grabbed our empty large water bottles from the garage and filled them with more water, traipsing them out to the rink, and spreading it along its surface to thicken the its depth and fill in all the cracks. With snow shovels in hand again, they spread the water until satisfied with the end result, grabbed the equipment surrounding them, and headed back towards the house. Just as they entered the garage, vast amounts of snow began to fall….again. Go figure!

As the dinner hour came and went, the children began to devise a plan to head to the back of the property with warmer water to splash onto the ice rink surface for the night. Hotter water is better and freezes quicker, simple science they are being reminded of as I type this up.

So, tomorrow will be a new day, a free day to explore options of ice arena folly and fun. Until then, adios!