Snowshoeing: An Epic Trek

With the weather taking a sharp turn for the better over the past few
days Erin and I decided to give Anderson his first taste of
snowshoeing today. The three of us climbed intimidating slopes (the
snow banks beside the road), traversed barren tundra (the soccer
field) and wove our way through dense forest (the trees behind our
townhouse). So, epic may not be the best word, but it was fun!

Anderson seems to be getting used to the cold and sitting in the
carrier. He is done after about 45 minutes, but progress is being
made. This little jaunt around the block proved to me that a short
snowshoe in the mountains should be possible given the right weather
and the availability of enough blankets and comfort from Mum.

Helmet Training

Erin made a couple key observations a few weeks back. They are...

1) A helmet must be worn by children in bicycle trailers.
2) Trevor has a great desire to put Anderson in a bike trailer.
3) Anderson hates having things on his head.

With this in mind, it seemed prudent to purchase Anderson a helmet
well in advance of the purchase of a bike trailer. So, when we went to
buy my new cyclocross bike (another fine adventure) we also picked up a
red infant's helmet. The results are shown clearly in the picture
below. I'm actually quite amazed that he let us keep the helmet on
long enough to take the picture.

Winterizing Anderson

We got the season's first big dump of snow this week here in Calgary. I really love snow and I hope very much to be able to enjoy it with Anderson as he grows. Time will tell if my strategy will work or not, but I've been trying my best to get him accustomed to some of the discomfort that adventures with Dad will inevitably bring. Typically, this involves play wrestling, hanging him upside down by his feet and driving the stroller over the rough ground. The new snow and colder weather presented an opportunity to begin the "Winterizing of Anderson".

I bundled him up in a onesie, a thick sleeper, a toque and his hand-me-down winter suit. Clearly, the winter suit is going to take some getting used to. It's quick thick and his arms are rendered useless. My hope is that if we keep putting him in it, he'll grow to tolerate it.  

Unfortunately, it was quite cold that evening, and it was very near to bed time, so I don't think he enjoyed the experience too much.  When I put him down in the snow, he didn't really know what to make of it.  He ran his mitt through the powder a little bit, but the substance was a cold mystery to him.

I am comforted by the fact that things went better when I was holding him.  Given how cold it was outside (-10C) my body heat probably helped him out even through both of our winter coats.

I must admit that I am anxious about what will interest Anderson as he grows.  I hope he, Erin and I can enjoy lots of fun time out in God's glorious creation.  For the first few years, he'll have little choice in the matter, of course, but that will change as my little boy grows into a young man.  He may decide that the things I enjoy aren't cool enough and that will probably hurt.  But, that worry is for another day.  For now, I'm going to have fun teaching Anderson how to have fun!