clear arctic air

Last night (as Tim and I were hiking in at 10:30pm) we saw something for the first time...from our driveway we could see the top of buildings in downtown Rochester. We could also see the wind turbines in Dodge Center to the west, but we've seen those before on clear days. To actually see the buildings of downtown Rochester though - THAT is our new definition of clear air.

Speaking of arctic air - this morning is our new record at the yurt. Our thermometer was reading double digits below zero and we stayed out there (comfortably I may add!). This morning it was reading -17.9* outside, and a balmy 70* inside. Aaaah - home sweet home. Now if only we could drive up to our door instead of 1/2 mile away....

uh-ah (no)

This past week Conrad hit a milestone we wish he could have just skipped. He's started telling us no! So far it's mostly just when it's nap time or bed time....but I suspect this may spread? It's too bad, we thought we had him "trained" so well - before this latest development all we had to do after reading stories and brushing teeth was tell him to find his nook. He would go to the kitchen drawer where we kept his pacifier and retrieve it himself, then walk to his crib and wait to be lifted in.

In other news, I took him to a new child care center today for the first time. He's had babysitters (friends and family) and goes to daycare (Grandma Mary's house) but today he went to Knowledge Beginnings and was surrounded by strangers and new kids for the first time. It's located downtown near the Healthy Living Center and for $3 I could leave him there for up to 2 hours and work out. Of course being the way I am, I wanted to get my money's worth so I did two classes back to back. (dance, then yoga - it was a great combination!) Conrad did just fine, wouldn't even say good-bye he was so excited to get into the play area. When I picked him up he was a very happy tired boy and took a 3 1/2 hour nap. Love that!

how much is enough?

Tim and I have been taking part of an interparish JustFaith program this winter. We meet with 10-15 other adults of all ages (26-80+ years old) every Wednesday night to explore Catholic social teaching and Scripture. We've had some great guest speakers, watched a few videos, and have done A LOT of "assigned" reading on our own. Our current focus is simple living - right up our alley! The book we're reading this week is How Much is ENOUGH? Hungering for God in an Affluent Culture. It really encourages us to re-evaluate how we approach everyday living and spending - and recognize how living simply can and should be considered a social justice issue....

Cold, clear, and calm

We're back to the prairie after a few nights in Kasson. Not that cold temperatures alone would deter us, but cold temperatures and a sick child did. After coming down with a cold last week, Conrad had a little episode with his "reactive airways" (after he's two years old, they'll start calling it asthma).

Still cold out there (-9* this morning!) but the walk from the yurt to the car at 6am was gorgeous! The moon was large and bright making headlamps unnecessary, the fresh snow glittered across the field, and the air was perfectly still. We could see animal tracks crossing our path, possibly coyotes. In the past we've identified rabbit tracks, mouse tracks, turkey, and deer tracks. We've heard coyotes many times in the past, so I know they're near.