Winter Cliche

Is it cliche for Canadian kids to play hockey outdoors on a frozen lake while the sun moves westward across the sky, casting its long shadows on the snow covered ice?

If it is, then I will embrace this Canadian stereotype.  Because it is fun and exhilarating.  We usually do this just a couple times each winter. Frozen lakes are on our doorstep, like beaches in Florida or mountains in British Columbia and we often have a tendency to overlook the vacation spots right in front of our eyes.

We are in full on winter here on our patch of the earth.  And we are having a stretch of mild temperatures  which makes it a lot easier to appreciate winter.  This time of the year can be a bit monotonous as we suit up in our same winter uniform that we've been wearing for nearly four months now. Callie in her green and purple jacket and Lexi in her practical one piece snowsuit.  Some days they shake things up and swap toques.

 

It's around this time of year that Canada's population drops by half.  Shorts and sandals are pulled out from the far back of people's closets.  Chartered flights are loaded with canucks, some already bronzed from tanning beds and others choosing to venture out au natural...aka pasty white.  All looking for a healthy dose of vitamin D to recharge their supply.  Enough to push them through the several months of winter that still lie ahead. 

As cliche as playing hockey on a frozen lake is, so is the Canadian "winter holiday".  Another cliche I will embrace because a week off from routine, from our winter uniform, from the decision between black pants or grey pants, scarf or no scarf, apple or orange... sounds absolutely divine.

We have been skiing.
We have been sliding.
We have been skating...inside and out.
We have been snowmobiling.
We have shoveled snow.
We have made snow angels.



Remember the first snow?  It's pretty much old hat now.

We have had hot chocolate in fancy cups, in plastic cups, in to-go cups, at the ski lodge, at the rink, at our kitchen table, at the coffee table, with marshmallows or without, sipped with straws, scooped with spoons...

I ordered sundresses and flip-flops for the girls.  I stocked up on sunscreen when it was on clearance last fall. 

We have passports. 

Why not one more winter cliche?