Parents to Perk up our (first) Polar Vortex - Dec 26-Jan 7

Christmas this year was a tidier affair than normal in preparation for the arrival of my mother and father in-law Boxing Day afternoon.  Aside from the extra cleaning, the extra company for the holiday season was fantastic and extended the Christmas joy.  For one, the gifts kept on being given, much to the kids' delight!  Mom and Dad spoiled us, but also delivered nice gifts from aunties, uncles and other grandparents.  They rather outdid Santa . . .

Now all three kids have push scooters from Omi & Opa!

The kids also had extra people to help them set up and play with their Christmas gifts throughout the holiday, which was a gift to S & I!

A & Omi figuring out the Loop-dee-Loom bracelet maker

Spirograph returns!

Christmas is ideally a mellow time to play games, do puzzles, read and visit with family - at least in my mind.  :)  This year we had the opportunity to do that . . . well, S not so much.  Unfortunately he had to work through what should have been his holidays.  Having Mom and Dad here helped me, at least, with this disappointment.  I'm sure I would have found the long winter days much longer had they not been with us.

Each time Mom and Dad visit, we head over to New Asia - a small Chinese restaurant nearby.

Needing Wanting to get out one more chilly night, we ventured to the local Greek/Jamaican restaurant, owned by a Welshman.  Eating out certainly was a treat! :)

The kids now anticipate a new tradition during their visits - along with going to New Asia.  At least for Ai, he can't wait until they return to bowl again.  More than enjoying the game itself, I think us grown-ups enjoyed his enthusiasm for this "first" (and within minutes, he was quickly instructing us on what we needed to do to win)!  Which Mom, with her semi-unbending knees, managed to do, followed by Iz.  I'm sure it would have been different had Dad played, too. :)

Other fun outings included the Manitoba Museum and the Children's Museum . . . 

Pressing their faces into the big Pin-Image-Captor-thing

. . . to get this effect.  I wonder how they sanitize these things . . . 

Mom having a go with the digger.
Too bad my battery died before I captured the line-up waiting for a turn!

Playing with the projection game on the floor.  Pretty cool what they make these days!

Do other kids like to be hung from windows?  Iz is a funny duck!

. . . going to an indoor play place and also the YMCA . . .

and for A and Omi, a special outing to Crock-A-Doodle to paint pottery.  I dropped them off thinking that they were going to make special plates, but returned to see that A had swayed Omi to paint ceramic cats.  I shouldn't have been surprised (and it was nice of Omi to accommodate)!

We were also able to visit with a couple of friends,

In the lovely house of nativities - they were everywhere
at Vic & Kathy's, much to my delight!

catching up with Edith

Neill, Iz and Makwa

. . . and have some friends over.

a late Christmas meal with Dave & Chantal

What the kids do to (accommodating) guests . . . beware

Sadly, however, Mom came down with a bad cold and was stuck with just our company most of the time!

The kids managed to play outside here and there.

Initially, they'd come in looking rather like this . . .

. . . but smiles soon spread as the warmth did.  I love the rosy cheeks that follow.

sharing snow with Omi

A honey with a honey stick on the nose - getting ready for tea?

Looking much happier moments after being released from snow pants.

The only photo I captured before getting a tongue sticking out!

Considering the record breaking colds and that we really couldn't get out much during Mom and Dad's visit, I'm surprised by what a fun time we had.  ("Surprised," I can hear Dad say.  "Why would you be surprised by having a fun time when you're with us . . . "). 

Mom and Dad handled it all very well and I think Mom was rather pleased to learn that on New Year's Eve, Winnipeg was colder than the surface of Mars with the wind chill taking the temp to -50 C!  This means exposed skin can freeze in less than five minutes.  Which is why a husband jogging 9 kms home from work looks like this and ends up having a nose that peels for the next two weeks.

In fact, the average temperature in Winnipeg this December was -21 C, which is the 5th coldest on record - the coldest being -26 C in 1879. There's something fun to such statistics.  Since we aren't out enjoying the mass amounts of snow or local ice rinks too much due to the bitter cold, we are allowed to complain just a little. And our guests may not have purchased "I survived Polar Vortex 2014" special edition T-shirts, but they went home with some bragging rights. Hopefully they also left with similar fond memories to the ones they left with us.  Their presence, help and conversation turned our holiday season into such an enjoyable one.

Thanks so much for coming our way (again), Mom and Dad!