Winterlude 2013

Ice sculptures in Confederation Park

Tunnel of Korean lanterns

An ice sculptor in action

Snacktime! Tiny cute face is excited to try a Beavertail

Sleepy monkey and hatless chicken, back at Grandma's for lunch

My mom and I felt brave enough to take the girls downtown for Winterlude yesterday, despite the cold. The plan was originally to visit Snowflake Kingdom where they have the ice slides and other stuff for kids, but it was closed. Instead, we parked at the Rideau Centre and walked over the canal to Confederation Park. I should mention that the girls were in the stroller with its plastic cover, and they stayed nice and toasty! (When I took M out to put her in the car, her cheeks were implausibly warm.)

We checked out the various ice sculptures, D's favourites being anything with wings (fairies, birds, butterflies) or fins (fish and mermaids). After about an hour spent outdoors, we were feeling a little eleven-o'clockish and bought Beavertails as a snack. To get out of the cold, we ducked into one of the heated change huts, and I must say, while they were just fine, I can't see how they possibly could have cost 750, 000$ apiece. For some perspective, my house is worth less than half of that, and we have furniture, appliances, bedrooms, bathrooms, and a kitchen. I'm sure it all comes down to location. All things considered, we had a terrific time, and I'm especially glad we were able to get downtown mid-week when there were no crowds and minimal traffic!