Norma Walton, Very Quiet House

Today is the first day that our two boys, both 11 1/2 years old, are away from home.

They have never had a sleepover away from home before.  They have never spent the night without one of us with them.  They are still babies in so many ways in my mind.

The house is eerily quiet, even with their two rambunctious younger sisters still there.

The boys are a force to behold.  They are approaching their teenage years at 140 pounds each with size 10 basketball shoes, very questionable taste in music, a love of everything electronic, and the desire to do everything and anything that is athletic in nature.  If there were a darts team at school, they would be vying for it.

I suspect that they will have a blast with their classmates in Muskoka for the next three nights.  I will miss them; my husband will miss them; and even their sisters will likely miss them...eventually.  The beginning of a new era...

Norma Walton, True Canadians

My brother went south for Christmas.  My parents are heading south.  One of my best girlfriends is hanging out in Cuba as we speak.

I, on the other hand, am embracing winter in all its slush, rain, snow, ice, dampness, snow halos, and frigid cold...because I AM CANADIAN (without the need for a beer).

After Christmas, our family headed north - not south - to fully embrace for three beautiful days the negative 35 temperatures in Haliburton, Ontario.  We enjoyed a round of cross country skiing, two rounds of tobogganing, two rounds of outdoor skating and at least four snowball fights which we book ended every single day with relief from the cold in the heated pool and sauna.

IT WAS GLORIOUS.