by SHANNON LEE: Catching Up: March, Part 1

In so, so, so many ways, this has been the longest winter I've ever gone through.

First of all, it really was the longest winter. Winter has a cold, unfair, and icy grip on Spring. Miss A tells me that Winter is so stuck to Spring, that Spring just can't come this year. For the record, Winter also hijacked Autumn, which is typically my favourite season (typically = southern, southern = the Maritimes). Winter began at the end of September, and was firmly in place by the first week in October.

We are finally in the "sometimes it's above 0 degrees Celsius, but that's not a promise" phase, but usually the lows over night drop well below 0, sometimes as far as -20 or more if you factor in the wind.

Tonight, for example: April 28th, the low is -17 with a freaking -27 windchill. I have nasty words in my head for you, Yellowknife. Tomorrow's high is -17 with a -13 windchill. It's almost May! We want to pack up the parkas and snowsuits, people.

I will seriously karate chop someone in the head if they complain about the heat this summer. Suck it up and get some ice cream.

So, with all of this wintering, you'd think that I would have loads of time to blog. But, winter has won, and I don't have much fight left in me, or energy for almost anything above and beyond "getting through the day." I think that Eli and I do a pretty good job on making the girls a priority, but I've done a crummy job lately of making me a priority (and the blog falls under "me"). In short, I think my brain has some permafrost, and is a little sluggish and stupid, just like the ptarmigan.

And, so, I bring you a jam-packed post about our March adventures, in three parts.

Part 1: Birthdays

Daddy's birthday was the first day in March, and he had to work late due to some flights that got changed at the last minute. On a Friday.

The girls had a lot of time to prepare, and were so excited to surprise Daddy for his birthday!

The blur perfectly captures the elaborate dancing, party horn tooting, and singing/yelling that welcomed Daddy home.

The girls were pretty adamant about getting Daddy Spiderman paraphernalia for his birthday. Daddy is a boy. Boys like Spiderman, Mom. The End.

This is the "It's a Spiderman action figure! Will he live with the Barbies?" look. And, yes, as a matter of fact, Spidey has proposed to several Barbies in the short two months he's lived here.

And, nothing else would do for a cake for Daddy, but a rainbow Spiderman cake.

I had to cheap out and order a cake, because the week was so nuts that I was not able to squeeze in baking!

When I called to order the cake, the lady repeated my order like this, "Are you SURE you want a RAINBOW SPIDERMAN cake?" Yup. It's for Daddy from his girls. "Oh. Ok, then."

The girls get excited about every one's birthdays, but birthdays that we get to celebrate together are the best.

Happy birthday, Eli.

Oh, and the balloon... the girls got Daddy a "Good Luck" balloon for his 39th birthday. Good Luck, Eli.

Later that evening, Eli was delighted to get a homemade Boston Cream Pie from his childhood. He says it tasted as good as the cakes in Telegraph Creek.

It's pretty wonderful to have parents in the same town who can stop in to celebrate a birthday.

Then, a few weeks later, it was Gramma's turn for a birthday celebration. I made Gramma a yummy carrot cake with cream cheese icing, and Miss G provided the signage.