I thought I might never want to travel again, thinking that our homestead was the only place I needed to be. But I forgot that I am human, and my family is also human, and visiting family and getting away is actually kind of magical and needed. So we went away last August and we have left the “farm” (if I can call it that) again for Christmas. We are currently in Winnipeg, the most Canadian of Canadian cities, in my opinion, visiting family.
In order to have a successful vacation, you need to line up a house sitter/farm sitter with whom you have confidence to man the first while you are gone. For us, we wanted someone to stay at our home while we are gone to keep our old dogs company and make sure our youngest dog doesn’t decide to expand his territory while we are gone. We found someone using Facebook, who loves animals and we are confident our furry and feathered beasts are in good hands. We butchered the calf in November, so he is taking care of three dogs, three cats, thirty chickens, three ducks, and two geese, and a partridge in a pear tree. Or maybe not the last one.
Sine arriving in Winnipeg, the pandemic has ramped up slightly, and caused some complications for the family with one positive test splitting the group in two as half the family has to isolate. But we are working on making the best of it and keeping the children entertained.
When we come to Winnipeg it is a really special time to relax, play, drink tea, and eat to our hearts content. Thoughts of feeding my microbiome are on hold as I am not sure my appetite for homemade cookies helps.
Thoughts on relaxing
It’s amazing how at home, I am planning out each day, trying to maximize my time, and accomplishing as much as possible. I wake up and start my day in a run (figuratively) and feel like I just don’t have enough time to get it all done. And then vacation happens you when you finally get away you realize you can sit and drink tea and just relax. Wanna go for a walk, okay, let’s go. Wanna play cards, great, what shall we play? It’s a different pace that I think is health and rejuvenating. When we are home, even on our games nights, I am thinking about what project I will tackle after we are done and the kids are in bed. My mind doesn’t stop when we are home, and here, I can’t even think about how I am so busy at home. It’s weird.
This place
Where we are staying, has it’s own kind of magic. Pictures on the wall from when everyone was little with real 80s haircuts, an OG nintendo with duck hunt ready to go, Christmas stockings from that hang on the same hook they did thirty or more years ago, and so much more. Our kids jump from the carpeted stairs, just like their dad did when he was little. And the grownups crowd around the bar for happy hour. Alby, not quite two, puts mitts on his feet and rolls around on the couch like he is in the best place on earth, but I think it is more about being with great people he is surrounded by.
Perks of Winnipeg
Probably my personal favourite part of Winnipeg is that my BFF lives here. Sometimes we cross country ski, sometimes we go for pho, and sometimes we make birdhouses. This week we got to do just that, as well as drink copious amounts of tea and nut milk and it filled my cup, literally and figuratively. We had been under quarantine for almost a month as covid swept through our household, and I didn’t realize how much a missed socializing and adult company. Nothing against my cute kids, but they aren’t one to want to discuss feeding your microbiome as in depth as we did. Granted, Wilf can discuss the subject matter for a bit.
I crave crafting, and this was right up my alley. My BFF’s is so peaceful and beautiful. I have to ask him about every plant and book and record. Some of those plants are older than my kids. He really knows how to tend for those little greenlings and I like to learn from him. Like check out his cactus’. Did I spell that correctly?! Lol.
Christmas Itself
People always write about their Christmas traditions, and although Cam and I don’t have any that are deeply ingrained, we really enjoy the traditions his family has, which include Ukrainian Christmas Eve dinner, which is twelve vegetarian (or pescatarian as we had fish) dishes. Everyone (all vaccinated, kay) got together for dinner that Baba prepared. Everything was from scratch and just the best food you could eat. Cam’s grandma is the pro cooks of pro cooks and makes each dish from scratch. Alby just loved the perogies and was a perfect gentle at the table, even using the silverware to eat his sauerkraut perogie.
We zoomed the family that was isolating, in for dinner, and they had theirs delivered from the kitchen, so we could all enjoy the same dinner “together” ish.
The turkey is in the freezer and once they are out of quarantine, we will have our Christmas beast then.
Alby thought seeing his cousins on zoom was pretty neat. You can’t underestimate how wonderful it is to be surrounded by family, even if it is virtually. It’s like love on love on love and the kids drink it up.
What to do
It’s cold here. I mean, it is Winnipeg. So when we aren’t feasting on perogies and dainties, we try to get the kids out of the house. I love that expression that there is no bad weather, only bad gear, but the practicality of it in -20 to -28 isn’t the same thing. My goal since Wilf’s birth has been to get outside every day, rain or shine, but have you ever felt a Northern prairie wind blow right between where your toque meets your face or the gap around the bottom of your snow pants? Yep. Wind. It makes me a bad parent because I just can’t do it. So we have tried to go skating and to the park. And most days we come running back after ten minutes fearing that Alby’s cheeks will be frost bitten. Wilf is such a good sport, he doesn’t mind missing outdoor time for the sake of his little brothers epidermis. Lol.
So this means that some days Wilf gets to stay in his pajamas all day. All day! That has never happened. Ever. And he loves it. “Mom, I have been in my pajamas all day!” And he is just content. Playing with his uncles, watching too much TV, and having his own relaxing vacation time. I always want to be the one in YouTube videos who is hiking and exploring and maximizing life, but maybe there is a version of this that is about doing less “out there” and more with family and friends. I don’t think Wilf is complaining.
Homesteaders do Holiday
We are mid holiday as I type this. Hoping our family who is isolating can come and play soon so all the cousins can jump from those same stairs and the adults can sit at the bar for happy hour reunited once again.
Do I have any major lessons learned from this holiday that will make this blog post valuable to anyone out there? Yeah, maybe. Not hugely eye opening, except to say that holidays are great. Even for those with farms who take great joy in their chores and their animals. And having a good reset is worth it. And this is only Winnipeg and it has filled our cups.
I look forward to making a bit of time for crafting and working some down time in to the calendar next year.
Christmas holidays are also a great time to reset for the new year. No sugar for one year? It might happen as I obsess over feeding my microbiome once more! Cheers to you and your family! I hope you get a break too, even if it is an at home one.