Ah Winter…

This is the time of year when the temperatures dip waaay past what a normal human should endure, and where I plant myself firmly in front of the blazing wood stove with a hot cup of coffee and either a book or the current issue of Runner’s World (or Canadian Running) and resist most efforts made to move me from my warm little piece of heaven.

I sit and sip, and imagine myself being all hard-core and gearing up in fleece winter running wear and a cute beanie for my head, and doing a long run on the snowy roads in the cold, and how awesome that would  be in the crisp cold air with the snow sparkling all around me.  And then I move about half a foot away from the stove, realize that IT’S FREAKISHLY COLD OUTSIDE, and promptly sit down for a little more coffee and maybe a bit of chocolate to go with.

So last Sunday, when it was for sure below –20C and Berry Guy and some friends of ours had planned a Pond Party, I had little to no intention of attending.  My master plan was to say that it was certainly too cold for Berry Baby to be out there, so I would either stay home with him or head over to Prairie Chick’s for coffee and a visit (since she was smart enough not to go as well).

Besides, we’d just spent the holidays consuming gobs of butter in the form of sugar cookies and shortbread, and I have to say I am certainly feeling the many, many, many cookies…on my thighs…and my butt…and unfortunately not on my chest.  Which made me *ever* so anxious to put on a pair of long underwear underneath my jeans, so that they’d feel, you know, tighter.

But then Berry Guy called me a Party Pooper.  And I may be many things (that we need not list here) but I am not a Party Pooper.  I am a walking partay thankyouverymuch.

So I put on my game face and bundled up myself and the toddler, and we went out to meet the rest of the party animals at the pond after Berry Baby’s nap.  And, to be honest, I’m glad I did.

There was an awesome game of broom ball going on…

and Berry Guy was not doing very much at all tending net.

Berry Baby was stoic and looked not unlike a large navy blue marshmallow…

because let’s face it, it was COLD out there.  But everyone’s kids were all bundled up and warm…

kind of, and Berry Guy finally got in the game and started playing…

which I found kind of hot.

The boys were, I think, looking for fish.  In the pond.  Which is in the middle of a field.  Whatever.

Berry Baby stole a ball and wouldn’t give it back to the players (who, fortunately, had a spare)

And this, as you can imagine, is where I parked my party-animal self for the duration of my time out there.

Yeah, I don’t go far from the warmth.