Januaryness

It's the last day of January.

My blogging in January?  Not so good.

Maybe it's the coldness.

Maybe it's the darkness.

Maybe it's the blahness.

Maybe it's the Januaryness.

Yes, that must be it.

Well, it's picking up! 

The days are getting longer. 

I am hopeful that we'll have more clear sunny days.

And, February is shorter than January by two whole days.

And, I need to blog.  It makes me happy, and I should make time for it, right!?  Me time.

So, without further ado, I give you a smattering of photos and captions of our frozen life in January... a recap.

The girls have ensured that the snowmobile, while in the toasty garage, is well-used for a variety of functions... including supper consumption. 

Eli's enjoyed taking the snowmobile on trips around and near Yellowknife. 

Miss A has found her inner 80's fashionista. 

Miss A built a shaker for Make-Your-Own-Musical-Instrument show and share at preschool. 

The girls love to take turns "driving" the snowmobile. 

We had a crazy hair day at school. 

The girls were excited about their crazy pony tails and crimped hair... but their hair is as straight as mine and can't hold a bend, even with have a bottle of hairspray. 

Eli went on a hunting trip with some fellow-Northern-fellows. 

They saw lots of signs for moose, but no moose.

Smart moose, I guess. 

Instead, Eli shot this can of spaghetti from 188 metres with one shot.

Apparently, that is impressive. 

Eli told me so.

Emerson has a few extra hours in Yellowknife between flights, so we met him at the airport for a bonus visit. 

Miss A resumed her natural stance. 

Bonding and conversation with various levels of Arctic wear. 

The girls had a wonderful time drawing.

In fact, Miss G gave a drawing of a raccoon to a pregnant lady waiting for someone to arrive. 

The cold weather means we get lots of snuggle time inside with warm thermal socks.

And crowns. 

It was snow removal day.

Snow is not ploughed her each snowfall... we drive on it and pack it down, then once or twice a winter they clear it all away.

NO LEFT TURNS! 

It's pretty cool.

I mean cold.

It was about -40 that day, too.

(Special thanks to Eli for going back to take these pictures after he dropped me and the girls off at school.) 

Eli was working on the snowmobile, and asked for a kiss.

I said, "No way!  You have stuff all over your face."

He didn't believe me, so I took a picture to prove it to him. 

Miss A fell asleep in her Patchy-Patch giraffe costume the evening that Gramma came over to read bedtime stories. 

Miss G carefully designed this snowman in Kindergarten. 

Our outdoor thermometre finally went on strike (to the equator, apparently) and told us off.

Note the O.F. in the temperature.

Pretty sunrises in the cold cold snow can be seen off our back deck. 

Miss G gets sad if Daddy leaves on the snowmobile without her.

Don't worry.  He came right back and took her for a drive on the lake!! 

Miss G found a BIG snow hill to climb. 

Queen of the hill! 

Miss A is gearing up for Valentine's Day and February...

C.O.L.D.

It's cold up here.

I've been told,

"You ain't seen nothin' yet. 

This is a warm winter. 

Winter hasn't even begun."

Uh.  Thanks.

How comforting.

On Monday, this is what our front door looked like.

From the INSIDE.

It was -45 degrees Celcius with the wind chill.

You can imagine how excited I was!

Oh, well.

The girls have a different approach to surviving the Fozen Land.

Denial.  And, play.

One weekend, not so very long ago, Miss G created this "Ode to a Bun" picnic paradise for Twofour's snacking pleasure.  

Twofour thought it was grand. 

Miss G brought Twofour her Christmas singing puppies (in the red box... they bark Christmas carols, and will be out year-round... batteries have already been replaced once... or twice).

Of course, Fiver, the toy Mama Bunny, snuggled up, and the pet "walking" doggie in his cage came, too. 

Yes, the girls love Twofour.

And he loves them. 

And, why not? 

They keep him VERY well fed.

Now, Eli has ways to cope with the Frozen Land, too.

Often, it includes the snowmobile.

I know you are all sympathetic to him missing his Mistress, the Boat, during this very cold period. 

A boy must have his toys, you know.

Right.

Anyways...

Eli also promised me a DVD shelf for the living room, since our DVD storage solution in our house in Halifax did not work in this house.

So, one cold weekend...

TA DAA!   

The girls liked "helping" Daddy build it.

And, they supervised me while I painted it.

And, both girls were very enthusiastic to help us fill it up.

Please note the rabbit to the right of the shelf (still) eating carrots.

Best fed bun in the North!

I love the shelf. 

It is beautiful. 

It is eight feet tall, and I need a step stool to reach the top shelf.

Not that that matters. 

I need a two-step stool for most situations in my life.

For writing Math solutions and explanations on the middle school white board, for example.

(Another reason I miss teaching and learning with the Little Kids.)

Now, the big question is... where will I put any new movies I may buy? 

Oh, dear.

Anyways... back to coping with the C.O.L.D.

I will be thawing my fingers and getting back to more regular posts now that the routine of school is more settled.

Procrastination is a wonderful thing...

Becoming Artists

This is a magical time of year.

You can ask any teacher.

It is my favourite time of year, especially with Little Ones.

The January and February stretch is when I, truly, see the largest and most astonishing leaps in skill and comprehension EVER in a single academic year.

It's the time when pre-readers become readers.

And it's the time when printers become writers.

Awe.

I'm in awe every year.

This year, I'm noticing it in my own Little Miss G and Miss A.

Their colouring prowess has been well-documented, and is supported by the laundry basket full of beautifully and carefully coloured pages they've completed (and that's just since the winter set in).

This is a purple house that Miss G would like to live in in Miramichi. 
I think Papa is considering repainting his house to lure her there!

Now, Miss G is a beautiful little drawer.  And Miss A is picking up like crazy.

So, for Christmas, I bought the girls Ed Emberley's How to Draw books.

 

I ordered four in total: 

Drawing Book of Faces,

Drawing Book of Animals,

Drawing Book Make A World, 

and the Complete FunPrint Drawing Book (two-in-one book using stamping finger prints and adding to the prints with drawings)



I thought this would give great scaffolding for my beginner drawing artists.

A blog I really love to read, The Artful Parent, did a post on Ed Emberley's How to Draw books,

and while she was worried that it might stifle creativity,

I had a feeling that for my girls some How-to-Draw books would be a spring board. 

My girls like to watch Eli and I draw just about anything, but I don't want them to get the idea that only grown ups can draw, and kids can only colour.

So, these books have been sitting on their shelf waiting for just the right timing.

Last night, Miss G asked Eli to draw something that he just didn't know how to draw, so I passed him the book.

Together, they looked it up, found the page, and followed the steps.

Today, after school, the girls watch another few demonstrations, and they were off and drawing

(and being TOTALLY CREATIVE by the way... not just sticking to the ideas in the book).



This is what the inside of the page looks like. 

It has step-by-step directions that run from left to the right.

I set the girls up with their new book holders (which I got specifically for these drawing books). 

Miss G exclaimed, "Mama!  That's a great idea!" when she saw them set up.



The concentration! 

Following directions... 

Careful observation... 

Sequencing...

Oh, it's too much!!  It's just so FUN!!

So, here is one of the first ones. 

Daddy drew it, with the girls watching how he used the sequenced pictures to help. 

Then, Miss G coloured it and drew a big heart for the Doggie because she loves him.

Miss G's turtles... with lots and lots of colourful Valentine hearts. 

Miss G's Kitty Cat.  Meow!!  (From freakin' nothing, people!!) 

A lonely fish (Miss G). 

Mr. Quackerson (Miss G) 

Miss G's bat.  She was very proud of this one, with all the stars!!

We do see a lot of stars in the winter in Yellowknife... 

Squeak!!  A Mouse by Miss G. 

Miss G's Flying Fish! 

Miss A drew this robot with six teeth. 

Miss A said that this was funny. 

Even though she is sad, she has pretty hair.

Miss A's turtle.

I love the legs!! 

And, the sideways smile.

And the detailed shell.