You see that spec.......

Yeah that spec waaaay off in the distance? Thats Neil. He's snowkiting ( zipping around on a snowboard propelled by the force of the wind against his giant 12 metre kite). I would've liked to get a closer picture but I was on a frozen lake in temperatures of minus a billion (without factoring in the windchill) trying to amuse a 3 and 5 year old for the about 3 hours. They refused to move closer. 

I've zoomed in on this one for you as much as I can but it's not much better really. You'll pretty much just have to take my word for it.....that's Neil and he's snowkiting.

While he was off doing that, we just hung around on the frozen lake. It was weird actually, even though it was flippin freezing, at one point I felt as if I was lazing on a beach. I was sitting there taking in the scenery and trying to keep my eyes on Neil over in the distance while the kids played in the snow as if it was the sand. It just reminded me of similar days in Tofino without quite so many layers :) Weird sensation but quite nice all the same. 

We cleared patches of snow to get a better look at the ice.

Then we tried to dance on it as if we were figure skaters.

Then we cleared even bigger patches so we could check out the cool patterns and see if we could see any thing stuck in the ice like fish or  mermaids.

We got a bit cold so we cracked open the thermos for a hot drink.

We were still getting colder, especially Bel, she's got very little meat on her you see, so I put her in Neil's kite bag to warm up.

She liked it in there and asked me to zip it up.

So I did.  

She was happy for a while but them she started to cry so I sent Seb off across the frozen wasteland towards Daddy with a walkie talkie and the giant (for him) bag over his shoulders while I picked up Isobel and hiked back to the truck with her crying all the way. I didn't have my snowshoes and believe me it's hard work to walk through thick snow carrying a three year old in distress. As we passed the trees we saw the same Mamma and baby moose from the previous time. I guess this is their favorite spot too. I checked back over my shoulder a couple of times just to make sure Seb was headed in the right direction. He made it to Daddy but apparently had a hissy fit on arrival so Neil's hike to the car was no better than mine in the end. Once the kids were strapped into their car seats all warmed up and happy (thank goodness for the in-car DVD! It can change a situation from chaos to calm in no time! ) Neil and I got to sit and enjoy a hot drink on a snow bank out of the wind without any crying or shouting in the background and he told me all about the fun he'd just had with his kite :) 

Sometimes it's hard work to get out and do things with little kids but in my opinion it's always better to give it a try than not to bother at all. We were all ok in the end..........

.....except for Neil who suffered frost nip in a few fingers ( silly boy was so excited about kiting, he forgot to put his gloves on until his hands went numb). Not to worry, it's been a week now and he's got the feeling back in all but one finger tip!

 If you ask him, he'll tell you it was worth it.