Day 50: Lent

I adore and dread this time of year with equal measure. Pancakes, crocuses, lamb. Fasting, frost, rain. And I wonder how much it will differ here. Crocus stalks used to be the favourite spring treat of my childhood pet rabbit. She would bite of the flower head and eat the stalks. I doubt any edible plant can survive the colony of rabbits here.

Sadly we lost 'little rabbit', one of Charlie's toys, last weekend. We took a rather icy and treacherous walk along Johnson's Canyon, with Charlie and little rabbit in the baby carrier. We only gained the lower falls before turning back, with Andy having to cling to the rail and me sliding into everything and everyone. At one point we paused to look into one of the pools, and as little rabbit was perched on the head rest, he slid off, bounced down the cliff and into the eddying water. Charlie was upset, but we told her he was swimming and would be fine. She soon cheered up when we opened the picnic.

The thing is, I'm not sure about lying to her, now that she is getting older and can tell when we are lying. She expects him to swim all the way down river, run a few miles, jump in to the creek and swim right up to our house. But of course he won't. It made me think about the other lies I tell her all the time; "You won't like coke, it tastes funny." "You'll get square eyes if you stand that close to the TV." "There are no cartoons after 7pm." Maybe I just feel guilty, because I knew it would happen; she always drops her toys when she is being carried, and I didn't stop her.

We didn't have pancakes: having skied at Lake Louise we arrived home late and exhausted from the effort of attempting to ski on ice for most of the day, and avoid the hoards of idiots on the slopes. My husband thinks they are deliberately out to annoy him, especially the ones who stop in a group at the top of a pitch, waiting for you to catch up, then set off all at different speeds just as you pass them, and stagger themselves like an ever moving set of cones for you to not weave in and out of because that would be rude!

So having missed all of the usual spring traditions and preparation for Easter, I have decided to throw myself fully into Lent. Charlie (who receved 3 Valentines cards and a chocolate marshmallow heart) is brutally honest in her actions and opinions. For some time she has enjoyed prodding my stomach and giggling, and pretending to lose her finger in my navel. However, a few nights ago, we were taking a bath and she was driving her duplo bus around my body, singing; "We're gonna go go go go, on an adventure." (From 'Cat in the hat' - prime Canadian viewing) followed by ad lib, "We're gonna go go go go, up a mountain," as she drove it over my stomach.

So I have decided to forgo wine and chocolate for Lent, as they are probably the main contributors to my expanding waistline (perhaps the dryer isn't shrinking my clothes). But to cheer myself up I am also treating myself to some positive resolutions. Last year I stoped myself from being bitchy (even in my head) and it had a really positive effect on my outlook. So this year I am going to aim to exercise 4 times per week. Skiing counts so that's two easily, and any yoga or walking with Charlie in the carrier has to be good. I am also treating myself to rereading Harry Potter, but in French. Got to have a challenge, right?

On good Friday I'll treat myself to a bar of Dairymilk and a bottle of something nice. I was toying with the idea of a bonus incentive of putting a dollar in a box for every day I don't have any alcohol and using it for my treat, but as wine and chocolate are so expensive I'd end up with a half bottle of lambrini and a freddo if I were lucky.

Tomorrow is Charlie's birthday so I'm baking her a chocolate cake (with cocoa powder so it's fine) and I'm sure she'll appreciate it if I toast her with a G&T. See, Lent's easy, n'est ce pas?