Mommy is wonderful lady but she's better suited for a Hawaiian Tropic photo shoot than one of those Coors Light commercials with the arctic train blowing through. Her idea of a good time needs 3 key ingredients - Sun, Heat, & Skimpy clothing... Unfortunately, I haven't seen any of those 3 in a long time. What I have seen though is our offspring braving the elements in pursuit of a Good Time. Logan is ready to take his game to the next level. We can't limit him to knee hockey in the living room or passing tennis balls back and forth in the garage anymore. He wants to spread his wings and fly. Well, "fly" might be a stretch. For now lets just call it - looking the part of a Hockey Boy. He shuffles and smiles. Pirouettes and stumbles. (Masculine pirouettes folks - I assure you.) Bear loves being at the rink amongst the older kids whizzing by. Going through all of the trouble of gearing him up always seems worth it at the end of a good skate.

Emma is right there with him, venturing farther and farther away from the walkers each time. Perhaps it won't be long until we might see her pretty white locks beneath a hockey helmet. For now, she's content with her pink laces and trips into the warming house for a drink from her Princess water bottle. I sure enjoy pushing her around the ice on that chair while she screams joyously for me to always go "faster daddy faster". (I'm sorry Minnow. My wheels have left me.)

The warmth that their mother requires isn't even in the same ballpark as our most recent trip above freezing. The warming trend delivered unusual January rain but also a chance for some more outdoor fun. With the Honda awakened from the Dead, the kneehighs only have to catch a glimpse of it in the garage to ask for a ride. We must be quite a sight! All 3 of us motoring up and down the hills by our house - tooling around out on the lake - or just lapping the yard until the snot runs like a Spring stream. Check out Logie's right hand.... 3 years old and thumb on the throttle. (A fair metaphor for most 3 footers I'm sure.) Those of us cool enough to have had a BMX Plus magazine back in the day, know that Emma's impression of Radical Rick is spot on. When I see my kids braving the elements, toughing it out and embracing what it means to be a Minnesotan - I know that I'm doing my parental duties.... and Mommy is resting easy in the house next to her space heater. (Which consequently "covers" some of my husbandly duties as well!)