Gal Smiley and Captain Jelly Belly are out on the driveway right now. It’s 15 degrees and sunny — they don’t even have coats on, only hoodies. Earlier we were blowing bubbles; now, they’re busy making chalk drawings, possible because there are no soggy mittens interfering with their ability to bend their thumbs. Sir Monkeypants might take them for a walk later, to do a little splashing with their new rubber boots. It’s quite the springtime scene.

Except…not quite. We’ve had above-zero temperatures for most of this week and plenty of sunshine, but since we had such huge snowbanks before the thaw, we still have about three feet of snow out there. It’s so strange to be out doing spring stuff in just shirt-sleeves with a veritable winter wonderland all around you. I guess this is what it is like when Calgary gets a chinook? Maybe?

In any case, the ability to make chalk drawings alongside snowbanks that are taller than they are is yet another very odd weather twist that the kids probably won’t see again in their lifetime. The kids keep asking to use our swingset — it feels like that kind of day — but the snow’s still over Gal Smiley’s head back there. We’re ready for spring…it’ll just be a little while longer before our backyard is, too.