Underground Sea Life Caverns

In the middle of the mall is the entrance to the underground aquarium. Great stuff down there!

With the iguana

Instructions how to touch a cownosed stingray

Our oldest enjoyed this exhibit best and stayed a little longer than the others to touch the stingrays a few more times.

Fish we'd never seen before were in this aquarium: this nurse shark, puffer fish, giant seaturtles, black-tip reef shark, bluefin tuna, and others.

Caiman

Even penguins: apparently these guys make an "outdoor" appearance, where you can touch them, on Saturdays.

A Few Days in Edmonton

We went to Edmonton for few days this week and had lots of fun despite the freezing cold temperatures (-31 F, about -33 C). Brrrr! We spent Monday playing at West Edmonton Mall.

At WEM, there is a playpark inside a huge amusement park. We didn't participate in any of the midway rides, but the boys enjoyed a good long playtime in the playpark area while I shopped.

Everyone getting ready to go down the slide.



The launch


The landing

6 months old (and a bit)

We got to open an early Christmas present from Grandma and Pa, and I needed to take some "6-month-old" photos. Here's the result: one of the gifts on the 6-month-old baby.

I love the ruffles around the cuffs.

And since she always seems so interested in her toes, I thought we might all like to see what's the big deal! Here's a little toe study.

They are awfully cute!

Shocking I know.

With her new soft blanket.

Hot Chocolate and Marshmallows

Today is even colder with more snow and more wind, but the boys braved the wild and went out to shovel and begin their winter-long project of building a snow fort.

This little trooper came in first.



"Just like a worm," he said.

Nice and warm

You can't go out in this weather and work hard without a pot of hot cocoa waiting to warm you when you finish. It just wouldn't be right!

And when you are two and the first one in, you get first sips.

Just making sure the marshmallows are there.

Yep, they are.

Fishing out marshmallows is serious business.

But well worth the effort. Mmmmm.


Then the bigger boys came in; their mission accomplished for the day: the driveway's snow shovelled to the side and the fort's beginnings well under way.

Hot Chocolate and Marshmallows warm those chilly cheeks!

Here's a cup for you!

Snow Baby

She didn't go out. She's just dressed in her cozy, white one-piece.

I'm so happy.