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We had big plans for today. We told the kids over breakfast -- I even drew them a picture -- that we were headed to the WINTER SPORTS PARK! For SLEDDING!

We loaded the car up with the sleds, more layers of clothing and winter gear than a family of four could ever wear and the stroller. Because in addition to SLEDDING, we were going to walk around DOWNTOWN! (The mention of this word always sets the kids off singing "Down-town, dadadadada DOWN-TOWN...") We'd get hot chocolate and muffins and go to the book store!

When we made it downtown we realized that it was freezing. Below freezing. Like, 10 degrees. And when Berit screamed about walking from the car to the coffee shop, we chose to forego sledding and stick to the calories begging to be consumed in each of our favorite shops.

At Roast & Toast the girls got chocolate milk, pancakes, eggs, bacon and fruit and ate everything. We ordered coffees and egg wraps and saw people and laughed and shook hands while sitting down and let the kids hug other kids they knew. We went to McLean & Eakin and the girls ate their donuts and we poured ourselves more coffee, adding shots of the girls' chocolate milk to them for cream. We played and read then attempted a walk and when Berit nearly froze RIGHT TO THE STREET (ahem) we got in the car and made new plans. We went home, took the dog for a walk on the lake (our new backyard) and packed our SWIMSUITS! Because we were going to the POOL!

Gaylord has a great family pool, with a gradual entry and lots of sprayey and squirty things, and the girls have always loved it there. And while Berit did her typical dance and prance because she's still afraid of swimming (lessons start this spring), Marta literally dove head-first into the water every chance she got. She's what, two-and-a-half feet tall? Picture head entering water, repeatedly, face-first, Trevor and I pulling her out, cracking up with those wide eyes blinking out the chlorine. She was furious with us for holding her in the deep end, even if it meant she would sink. We stayed for an hour, only an hour, because when she realized there was a slide in the lap pool for big kids, as in teenagers only, over four feet tall, she wouldn't rest until she conquered it. As she wasn't allowed and would, you know, drown, we had to go.

Both girls slept on the way home, giving us plenty of time to drive by the house we're hoping to buy twice and for a stop at the Bob-In Again, where I picked up a quart of frozen custard and four chocolate-dipped waffle cones, two with sprinkles and two with nuts. When we got home the girls were so excited for their treats, and following the ice cream we all had quite a long stretch of sugar mania.

They played mermaids in the tub while Trevor said silly things like, "OH, you're a permaid? A merman?" and the girls giggled and corrected him.

The house is nearly clean and Trevor and I are about to sit down to play Trivial Pursuit. At one point I played Gemini's version of "Everybody Loves Saturday Night," and while its folksy, multi-lingual verses bopped Trevor and I caught eyes across princess puzzles and a bowl of tomatoes, grapes and blueberries the girls were munching on and agreed that yes, we were kind of like a movie today.