Saturday, February 9, 2008

A WINTER WALK

These pictures were taken last Saturday when Owen was over for a few hours. It was a beautiful day out(about -10 Celsius) so we decided to go for a short walk.

As you can see we have a little bit of snow on the ground.Nothing horrendous or too terribly deep. Just enough to make it interesting for such a little guy.

The plows had been by the day before and there were chunks of snow-ice on the sidewalks. On one of our previous walks Owen had found out how much fun it was to smah snow chunks with your boots. He decided he could take on this piece. However, because it was snow and ice combined, it would not break. He would stomp as hard as he could and the piece would skid out from under his foot. After trying about twenty times he finally gave up on this piece and went on to a smaller chunk. No problem at all. He had that little piece broken into three smaller lumps on the first try. Then he picked up one of the pieces or at least tried to do so. His mitts are still big on him and he can't get his thumb in the thumb hole, so he has to use his whole hand to pick up the piece.This is difficult becaue he can really only use the palm of his hand.

After a number of attempts he was able to do it. The snow was so frosty at this point that the lump just stuck to his hand. This confused him a bit and he tried to shake it off. He looked like one of those comedians who has paper stuck to his hand and can't get rid of it. He would shake his hand and look at it, only to find the piece of snow still there. He finally grabbed it with both hands and carried it around like it was something precious, that he did not want to lose.

This was the first time he really attempted to walk in snow. I would go to the edge of the sidewalk and push my foot into the snow and then he would try to do the same. It was hard for him because he would sink in and get stuck. I would then have to pull him out. He was trying to put his foot as far off the edge as he could. Hence the split stance.

He soon realized that if he held my hand he could balance a lot easier. Then he was off. He tromped off into the snow and I had to follow. He walked all around our front yard and enjoyed himself immensely.

The hat he has on, is one of the few that he will wear. For some reason, he just loves this hat. Maybe because it covers his ears. He also has a shirt, a sweatshirt and his winter coat on. He wears longjohns under his jeans and over his diaper so he is very warm. I just don't know how he can move.

I do know he sleeps well after one of these excursions and so does Grandpa.
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14 comments:

phlegmfatale said...

Owen is super-cute, and I approve of crunching snow/iceballs. Fun!

alphonsedamoose said...

Phlegmfatale: Thank you for the Owen compliment. We think he is the best ever. Crunching the snow Is great fun, and such a new experience.

BRUNO said...

There's just somethin' about SNOW, and "real" KIDS, that are drawn to each other like magnets! Even I was once a kid---REALLY! And when my Dad had to drive to work in the ice and snow---and I had a "snow-day" from school!---I would get my bicycle, and "do my part" of the impossible, as well! Dad may have never crashed---but I sure did! And LAUGHED about it, because it was good, clean, FUN!!!

alphonsedamoose said...

Bruno: It was great fun when we were kids wasn't it. Don't you wish we could still do some of those things, even for a little while?

Lin said...

I agree with Owen - if something clings that stubbornly to your mittens, then you should carry it around like the crown jewels. Well, unless it's cat poop or something like that. But that's what Grampa Moose is there to figure out and take care of. Hew knows that.

alphonsedamoose said...

Lin: I guess that is the way he figured it too.
If it was cat poop, hopefully I would notice BEFORE he picked it up

Lin said...

Well, Moose, maybe ya gotta get philosophical here. Afterall, Grampa doesn't move as fast as Owen and how else do we learn the difference between chocolate and the rest of the world sometimes?

alphonsedamoose said...

LIn: I know but what a terrible thing to learn. I'll just keep a close eye on him.

Bonita said...

Owen will really appreciate this post when he is older. It is so dear. I hope he will always look to you for that helping hand.

alphonsedamoose said...

Bonita. Sorry to be so slow in responding. I have not been on in a couple of days as I have a nasty sinus infection.
I , too hope Owen will always look to me for a helping hand if he needs it.

Hope Walls said...

I wish we could see sidewalks... we keep getting dumped on, every time I turn around.

It's supposed to be nice for Getty Day (do you have Monday off?) so hopefully we'll get out for some ice-runching ourselves. Maybe some toboganning, too.

alphonsedamoose said...

Hope: The city makes us clean them right down or get fined. But not if you are on council ( or so it seems).
I have to work Family Day. Like a lot of businesses we only seem to close Christmas , Easter and New Year's. Blame the Big Box stores . Family time doesn't seem to be as important to them as making money.

Anonymous said...

What is Getty Day? Why don't we have a Getty Day?

Moose have you ever seen the old movie "A Christmas Story" about the kid who wanted a Red Rider Rifle for Christmas? His little brother was all bundled up and layered just like Owen then he fell over backwards into the snow and couldn't get up. It's hilarious.

alphonsedamoose said...

Getty Day is the third Monday in February. It is called Family day and started by our ex-premier Don Getty , He thought we should have a day in February as a holiday fro winter, where families could be together. It has not worked out hat way as most business ignore it and people have to work anyway.
Hence: Getty day. It is actually a pretty good idea, just poorly implemented.