More Snow - Where is Spring?...

18 March - Friday Ralston School was closed for a teacher training day much to the delight of Tegan and Fraser - no school. So Noo, Kay and I took all the children to Medicine Hat Leisure Centre swimming. We had a fab time playing in the waves, surfing on the floats, jumping off the diving board, diving through legs and going down the indoor flume. After two hours we decided that we had all had enough and we were suitably wrinkly skinned. So we all went to a garden centre situated by Medicine Hat airport, much to Fraser's delight, to have lunch - it was almost like an English coffee shop - not bad.

Saturday Fraser had his skating lesson, Tegan at this pointed decided not to attend this week so went off with Chris to a friends house to watch the England v Ireland six nations rugby match. Fraser was on the ice for 1 1/2 hours having great fun playing hockey. We then joined Chris to watch the rugby. Tegan and I left the rugby for an afternoon of pampering in Medicine Hat. We went to a salon called Plush where Tegan had a pedicure and manicure - much to her amusement and delight, she choose red for her toes and blue for her nails. After being pampered we visited Claire's Accessories and made a few purchases and finished off with an ice cream - one very happy little girl. This afternoon was Tegan's treat in-lieu of us buying Fraser his Calgary Flames hockey top recently.

Snow, snow and more snow - Saturday night there was yet more snow - we almost thought that the Spring was going to arrive as some of the snow had thawed, however since Saturday we have had snow most days. Snow arrived in Ralston on the 17 November 2010 and has not gone since - it really would be nice to see some grass now and to stop shovelling the paths. The gophers are going to be very confused as they dig their way through the snow and pop their heads up.



Monday night saw the last Icemen's game prior to the BHL tournament which takes place next week. Unfortunately they lost 3-0 - but Fraser was happy to watch as always.

BATUS Ski Meet - Tuesday Tegan and Fraser had the day off school as we all went to Hidden Valley along with many others from BATUS as the mountain was ours for the day. A down hill race took place throughout the day as part of the Commanders Cup (a departmental competition that takes place throughout the year involving many sports). Chris had signed up as part of the Icemen team and I had a go just for the fun of it - I came second in the ladies veterans with Sam winning - mind you I think it may only have been us two who fitted into the category! It was a great day with Fraser going to his favourite place - the jump park and Tegan enjoying her skiing. It did snow all day with quite a hairy drive to the mountain in the morning but we all had a fantastic day.

Weekend without Chris...

11 March - This weekend saw 20 of the Icemen leave Ralston in limos for a ice hockey fantastic weekend in Calgary. Chris organised the Icemen's end of season bash which centred around ice hockey, beer and a penguin!!! Chris has promised to make an entry onto my blog with all the details - so we shall wait out and see.

So with a weekend with no Daddy what could we get up to. I attended Tegan and Fraser's school assembly on the Friday afternoon, Tegan was in a small production on stage and was cast as a vulture! Fraser's class had been working on Flat Stanley which is a story about a boy who got squashed became flat, then had lots of adventures being posted through letterboxes. All the kindergarten children had made their own Flat Stanley's and are writing to pen pals, they paraded around the assembly showing their Flat Stanleys. After which all the children returned to their classrooms for popcorn and then it was home time.

Friday night Fraser was having his friend Harry sleepover. As all the daddy's were away Zoe and her 2 girls came round for supper, the request for supper was spaghetti bolognese and chocolate mouse - all 5 children were great and ate everything and then played. Fraser and Harry slept 'top to tail' and were asleep by 8.15pm - much to my relief.

Saturday morning was an early start - Fraser and Harry were awake at 5.50am - I don't usually wake up until the time starts with a 7!! But it wasn't a bad thing as I had to be at the ice arena for a 9am puck drop as the Devils were playing ice hockey against the Wildcats juniors - the children ranged from 5yrs old to about 9yrs old - it was the funniest game I have played in, great fun and they beat us 11 v 1!!!!! After which Tegan, Fraser and Harry had their ice skating lessons followed by being allowed to stay on the ice afterwards to play ice hockey themselves - we eventually left the arena about 12.15pm for lunch. The remainder of the afternoon was spent round a friends house taking both dogs for a walk on the prairie in the snow with 5 children Kay then kindly gave us all tea. Harry went home that night - much to Fraser's disappointment - he is now planning who can come for a sleep over next, along with Tegan.

Sunday morning was another early start as we were off skiing for the day at Hidden Valley (approx 1hr 15mins) the other side of Medicine Hat. So with everything loaded into Sam's car and Sam D behind us, off we set in convoy, with the sun shinning. We had a fabulous day skiing, it was almost too hot - but gorgeous even eating our lunch outside. The kids were great and the weather certainly help the mood of all the children, with 7 children skiing it looked liked ants all over the mountain. After a fabulous day we arrived home at 5.30pm to find Daddy lying on the sofa looking a little shabby.

I then popped over to the ice arena to watch the PSP game. Five staff from the PSP played against the 1st year Devils - it was hilarious as they were dressed up in bow tie and suits and skated around the girls, bringing out sticks that got bigger or longer, silly signs, a stick with a puck attached by string that they could whizz around and finally Sue got a custard pie in the face. Pierre and John are two of the PSP staff that played, they are also very much part of the ice hockey scene being referees throughout the season and generally funny characters to have around.

Fingers crossed Chris should make an entry soon.
















As for the Canadian weather it looks as though Spring could be arriving in Ralston, although we are still knee deep in snow. The biggest indication is that I have seen at least ten gophers appear, how they dug through the snow with their little legs - but they are out and about and the temperatures are improving during the day. The only down side is that the snow starts to melt during the day and then turns to ice at night - not great for the morning walk to school. But hopefully the warm weather will continue - but who knows in Canada!

Shrove Tuesday...

Tegan and Fraser have got into the habit of having North American pancakes at the weekend along with maple syrup. So on Shrove Tuesday we decided to do 'proper' pancakes. The competition was then on between Chris and I who could do the best pancake and flip most successfully - I won!!! We all enjoyed several pancakes with sugar and lemon.













As mentioned previously whilst at the Flames ice hockey match Chris and I bought Fraser an official Flames top - it had to be No 34 Kipprusoff - the goalie. He is extremely proud of his top and wears it as much as possible - so here are a few pictures.

Weekend of More Hockey...

Friday 4 March - Whilst dropping Tegan and Fraser off at school (8.40am) Sam D asked if I would like to go to watch the Calgary Flames play hockey that night in Calgary - so within half an hour a plan was made with regard to childcare after school. Chris & John were playing ice hockey at 2.30pm so just enough time to collect all the children from school and drop them off at Ralston arena to watch their dads play hockey whilst Sam and I jumped onto the coach bound for Calgary. The MFRC (Military Families Resource Centre - a Canadian facility) had kindly provided 28 tickets for people in the village and Sam D had come by 2 tickets, this included transport to the Saddledome, entrance and a hotdog and drink - great Friday night out. This time at the Saddledome our seats were not quite as luxurious as they had been for Chris's birthday, we were up in the gods, commonly known as the 'nose bleed seats' but I really didn't mind as I just loved being there. The game was fantastic Flames vs Blue Jackets (USA) with the score 4 - 3 to the Flames. So after the game we found our coach and set off on our return to Ralston, we arrived home just after 1am. The boys spent their afternoon playing the shinney and then all round to John's house to feed the children and watch a couple of rugby matches.

Saturday morning was Tegan and Fraser's ice skating lessons. They were on the ice for nearly 2 hours as the lesson for adults, which takes place after their slot did not happen, therefore the boys were on with their mini hockey sticks and off they went. Saturday night we had friends round for supper which concluded at 3am after several games on the PS3.

Sunday morning I was up again bright and early as the Devils were having a 3on3 ice hockey tournament and the puck drop was at 9am. About 18 girls had signed up and we all played at least 6 x 15 minute games with only 3 girls on each side and the goalies. Obviously with so few on the ice you cover the whole area and skate extremely hard - again great fun. I did manage to score 1 goal and assist in another but Sam D managed an amazing 9 goals. After the games Pierre and John (referees) kindly set up a few fun skills activities which were testing after playing all morning and legs feeling rather tired, but fun things to finish off with. By the time I got home Chris had finish tidying the house after a lazy start to the morning, so with sun shinning we all went for a family walk to finish off another busy weekend - like I say life in Ralston is never boring.

Chris's Birthday ...

Sunday 27th - Chris was woken up by two excited children wishing him a happy birthday. After opening his card from Tegan and Fraser Chris remained in bed with a cup of tea whilst we finished off decorating his birthday cake.

So guess what we had for breakfast that morning? - birthday cake. After opening his birthday cards it was then time to pack and check out of the hotel.

Sam & John, friends who were also in the Rocky Mountains very kindly did a drive through and collect Tegan and Fraser as they were all back off to Ralston for a sleepover whilst Chris and I headed to the Fairmont Palliser in Calgary. Chris's birthday present was Calgary Flames tickets on the Sunday night.

So after checking in at the Fairmont we went for a spot of late lunch at a local bar. It was surprising that the city centre was pretty much shut on a Sunday, obviously Canadians go out of the city to all the malls around Calgary. The Calgary Tower was next door to the Fairmont so we took a ride to the top observation deck, 525 feet above the ground. Obviously the view was amazing overlooking the city centre and out to all the suburbs with the Rocky Mountains in the distance, along with the Olympic Park.

There is a glass floor on which you can stand, this is 36 feet long and more than four feet wide. The glass panes that make up the floor can each hold the weight of a couple Hippos! So Chris and I decided to test it out!




We then returned to the Fairmont for a quick bottle of bubbles before walking down to the Saddledome to take our seats to watch the Calgary Flames vs St Louis Blues.

After walking around the Saddledome soaking up the atmosphere we took our seats. I thought I had managed to buy fairly decent seats but during our walk around we went to the level below ours and entered a different world. For a start there was carpet on the floor with a members bar and restaurant and then all the private boxes each with individual bars and food being delivered - maybe one day!! The atmosphere in the Saddledome suddenly erupts as the Flames skate onto the ice with flames blasting from the ENMAX screen suspended from the ceiling above the ice, the crowd is standing with loud cheering and clapping, it is like being at a rock concert. So we were glued to our seats throughout the game, finally in the last third the Flames scored a goal - the stadium was on their feet and cheering. As we walked back to the city centre there was a great buzz from everyone walking along in the very cold evening air with snow falling - I love Canada.

We did make one purchase whilst in the Saddledome - Fraser has asked for the last year if he could have a Flames hockey top and it had to be No 34 Kipprusoff - the goalie. So we went into the Attic - the official shop - and found a youths top (having decided that he could have a fairly big top in order to grown into) and marched up to the counter to pay - at this point neither Chris or I had bothered to check to see how much it was. We both looked at each other when the price came up, after very kindly being given a military discount we still both took a deep breath and said we loved him and handed over the credit card. Needless to say Fraser was absolutely delighted and has so far worn it to school, ice skating, bed and any other time possible, when not in the washing machine.

So we strolled back to the city centre and went out for a fantastic dinner at the Saltlik restaurant arriving back at the Fairmont just before midnight. Monday morning we didn't have to check out of the hotel until 12pm - so we jumped out of bed at 11.30am showered, packed and checked out just in time and then hit the road back to Ralston. The weather in Calgary had been fine however just outside the city it all changed to the point where we couldn't see much of the road with the snow swirling in the wind all over the place. We did manage to get to the school in time to collect Tegan and Fraser which was lovely after a night away.

Half Term In The Rockie Mountains...

The last week of February saw half term at Ralston School so we thought we would make the most of it and off to the Rockies we went for a spot of skiing. We drove up midweek and was up on Thursday morning all ready to hit the slopes at Sunshine Village. However as we came off the highway we were stopped at the beginning of the drive up the mountain to be told that due to the extreme cold -32degrees the mountain was not opening until much later. So with a quick turn around we drove into Banff for morning coffee and a brisk walk around the town - it really was very cold. We then came to the conclusion that there would be a lot of people waiting for the lifts to open at Sunshine (especially people who had caught the bus up the mountain and had no way of leaving) so headed off to Norquay instead.

This was our first time skiing at Norquay and although much smaller than Lake Louise and Sunshine is was fine for an afternoon ski - again we could only manage 3 runs before coming in to warm up and then out again. Tegan and Fraser were not particularly enjoying the afternoon so by 4pm we called it a day and headed back to the Copperstone Hotel where we were staying and jumped into the hot tub. So the remainder of the evening was spent in the hot tub with a G&T before tea and bed.

Friday morning we drew back the curtains to be met with glorious bright blue sky with not even a whisper of a cloud - however we knew immediately that ment cold. Yet again it was so cold Sunshine was not opening until 11am - so with a lazy start we eventually made our way up the mountain. This time the afternoons skiing was awesome!!! The slopes were extremely empty, the views of the mountains surrounding us with clear blue skies were breadth taking - the only problem was that it was still so cold my camera would not work, hence no pictures. Tegan and Fraser skied really well and it was great fun us all sking together. Eventually it was time to leave the slopes so we skied off the mountain back to the car. Tegan and Fraser both had fantastic afternoons along with finding as many jumps through the trees as they could.

Back at the hotel it was hot tub time, then Fraser managed to cut his big toe open so rather than turning the hot tub red we made a quick dash back to our room for Chris to carryout first aid - I am a poor mum when it comes to blood.

Saturday morning it was decided that due to Fraser's toe he couldn't put on his ski boots, so Tegan and I went skiing for a girls morning whilst Chris and Fraser went into Banff. The boys had a great time as they went and watched some ladies curling and then for over an hour watched Timbits Ice Hockey. For those of you who are not aware Tim Hortons is a national institution in Canada - they serve good coffee and doughnuts, they also sponsor many children activities and one of them is junior hockey - hence the name Timbits. Fraser thought it was great watching children his age and a little older playing hockey, Chris thought it was hilarious watching them fall over. Whilst the boys were doing boy things Tegan and I had a great morning skiing the slopes of Sunshine.

After a quick change back at the hotel we drove to Calgary Saddledome to watch the Calgary Hitmen(3) vs Kelowna Rockets(4) ice hockey match. This was a treat for Tegan and Fraser, especially Fraser who's face was a picture when he entered the Saddledome to see how big it was and the noise levels were amazing. So with our hotdogs, fries and drinks we settled into our seats to watch the game. The standard of play is extremely fast, at points you lost sight of the puck but a great game to watch. It was 9.45pm by the time the game finished and we set of with the other hundreds of people to drive out of the city centre and back to Canmore.