While we were gone...

Chris and I went to Toronto for a few days...to deal with a lingering business issue (all done!) and to visit our friends.  It was great!

That tip to "be a tourist in your own town" is SO true.    We were travelling light and fast and visited our friends and had a great time.

And while we were gone...

• The local Kinsmen "Perogy Cup" hockey tournament wrapped up
• Grandma and Grandpa got to spend a longer-than-expected time with Dexter, who came down with a nasty bug right before we left.  No daycare for this kid!
• Calves started popping out all over the place
• Cattle were relocated to soon-to-be greener pastures
• A mink was treed...and escaped
• The temporary pond in the front yard grew and already has almost completely receded.

Spring has sprung! 

Settling into the new normal

Well, we're in week two of part-time (three days a week) daycare...and LOVING it!

We (meaning Dexter and I, let's be clear) get out of bed a reasonable time (7-ish), eat and load up the car.  There is endless commentary from Chatty Charlie in the backseat including very reliable alerts as to when  freight trucks are passing and oohs and ahhs as the sky changes from dark, to pink, to orange to sun!

Yes, it is ironic to end up commuting 2+ hours a day here, versus a 10 minute walk in Toronto, but hey, what can you do? 

I have only ever spent time here as a short-term visitor, which meant in the past, I hung out with family or just my anti-social self vegging at the farm.  It's interesting to be part of the flow of life...

Yorkton does have a 'rush hour'...I have had to wait at least one full light rotation a couple of times so far crossing Broadway and there was line up of school buses and cars depositing pupils into the two high schools we drive by.

Yes, there is a wait at Tim Horton's (well, there always is...it's chronically understaffed) and there are harried parents trying to disentangle screeching children at daycare as they try to make it to work on time.

I realize I sound like an idiot, but after what feels like a couple of months of moving and holiday daze, it's oddly refreshing to see a bustle of living going on...and awfully, awfully nice to be able to retreat from it when we've had enough too! :)

"What's the cut off temperature?"

We took Dexter to check out a daycare in town. "So what's the cutoff temperature for taking the kids outside?" I ask.

Memories of daycare in Toronto, snow is flying and there's a stiff breeze...let's cordon off the hallway and break out the inside toys...it's playtime! Who wants to go out when it's cold and nasty?

"Oh, about minus 30", Rhonda replies. Yup. MINUS 30...degrees...Celcius.

She went on to explain that the majority of this outside time was getting ready, followed by a brief time outside, confirming that indeed it was stupid cold out, then turning around and peeling off all the layers they had just applied. Fun!

And if that's not enough, when they can't do that, they bring the outside in. When we were there, one of the staff hauled in a paddling pool full of snow. The kids pounced on it.

We had to carry Dexter out of there. He wanted to move right in. Soon...they'll have space for us in February. Yay!