I feel that I've been a very neglectful Blogger since we arrived home at the end of August. During our trip there was just so much to tell! Every day we saw new places and had new experiences. It really wasn't hard then to find something to say.

Andy has been encouraging me to try to write every day. He says that people will be interested in the normal, everyday stuff too. I'm not sure if that's true, but I really enjoy writing, and do have thoughts and feelings that are note worthy to me, so to that end I'm going to try to get back to writing every day.

Henry takes up the biggest part of my days, so you will probably be hearing a lot about him! We have a lot of fun, a few frustrations, and learn from each other along the way.

Henry is walking very well now. He loves to walk outside, and it's hard to get him to keep hold of my hand. He's a very independent little soul. After breakfast every morning we get dressed, boots, coats, hats, mittens, and all, and go out to walk Buddy and Charlie. I used to put Henry in his stroller for this morning walk, but he really prefers to be on his own two feet, so for the most part we all walk together.

Henry doesn't like to do things the easy way, preferring the piles of snow to the flat sidewalk. He climbs up, trips and falls onto his knees, gets wet, then does it all again. This makes it very difficult for the dog walker. But hey, the fun way isn't always the easy way.

My little man is also starting to talk!! This is quite an amazing thing to me. The physical accomplishments are great, but having him able to communicate with more than pointing and grunting is incredible! It makes him seem so much more grown up! His vocabulary is growing daily. He can say hot, oops, ouch, and yuck (shows he's my kid!) and he imitates the dogs with an arf, arf! He also says car, clock, up, Dadda, Momma, bobba, and yes, much to my delight, instead of most kids no! It's really great hearing him. My little baby is not so little anymore.

We have turned a corner with Henry's need for Mommy. Over the past few weeks he has been playing more and more independently. He only really clings when he is getting tired. For a while he would have Mommy, and no one else...not even Daddy. That was hard for me to see, so I can only imagine how it felt for Andy.

Two days ago Henry and I got back from five days in Peterborough visiting my parents. Andy picked us up at Union Station, and the three of us went to get groceries. It was wonderful to see Henry not wanting Andy out of his sight for a change. Every time Andy went around a corner Henry would point and do his little, "oh, oh!" until he could see him again. Then his face would light up with a huge smile and a giggle.

Last night Andy and Henry ventured out on their own for a couple of hours. I packed Andy a 'man purse' with diapers, wipes, snacks and such for Henry. Henry went to Andy eagerly and waved bye to Mommy. No tears, no fuss, "bye Mom!". Off they went. They had a great time! Andy reported that Henry was bobbing his head and kicking his feet in time with the jazz playing in the truck, he giggled as he jiggled over bumps in a parking lot, they enjoyed visiting our friend Kim and her two month old baby Sarah, and Henry fell asleep in his stroller on the way home from downtown after they parked the truck. Everyone returned in high spirits.

While they were gone I enjoyed a snack and a hot cup of tea while I did some painting! Andy and my brother Dave made some doors for the boat in Dave's workshop. They turned out great, and Andy asked me to paint Sassy II and Jessica Rabbit on them, the same as is on the transom. It was fabulous to sit down uninterrupted for two and a half hours and do something creative!!

Now that Henry is a toddler I think we will both gain quite a bit of independence. I'm looking forward to delving back into some hobbies.

In other news, we have decided to sell our condo. With finances as they are, we are better served by selling and paying off all of our debt than by holding onto the condo and struggling to make minimum payments and never paying off any principal.

Being broke is quite a humbling experience. The best things in life are definately free, but having money sure does reduce stress!! My Dad always says , 'money can't buy happiness, but it could rent it for awhile!'. Well said Dad! We still have lots of happiness... in each other, Henry, and every time we step out onto the dock and see the sun shining, the ducks quacking, and another beautiful day. I just hate to see Andy working so hard and not getting ahead.

Being in business for yourself is fabulous when things are going well...it gave us the freedom to travel, and nine months on our boat enjoying a life most people only dream about. Being in business for yourself when things aren't going well is stressful!! Not knowing how much money is going to be coming in is tough when bills are due.

Hopefully we'll sell our condo and make a good profit. Once we are caught up we'd like to sit down and really think about what's next. We love living on the boat, so we're in no hurry to buy a house and settle down. We love travelling. Andy HATES winter, so somewhere warm would be preferable. Andy also HATES washing cars!! Maybe we should sail off and find ourselves a quiet little island where living is inexpensive and Andy can do odd jobs to keep us afloat. He likes diving and could clean boat bottoms, he enjoys working on boats, and could do a huge array of repairs and maintainance for other cruisers, he's also thought of chartering out our boat and taking people for day sails. There are lots of ways to earn a living along the way.

We've basically discovered that we really want to live a life less ordinary, and if you don't care about doing what every one else is striving for, like buying a home, saving for retirement, buying nice things, etc, then you can take a leap and lead that life less ordinary. Life is short, and we want to get as much out of the experience as possible. I don't need a leather sofa and a fancy car, I need to enjoy life out in nature with my family by my side.

Spring is in the air. March came in like a lamb, with sun and spring warmth. I have to say we had it really easy this winter living aboard. We had very little snow, few storms and mostly mild weather. It has not been a hardship in the least. Now I'm looking forward to getting the plastic cover off and moving back over to the island. City side is very convenient, but the island is all about enjoying nature. It is very serene, and I think Henry and I are going to have a wonderful time this summer. (I say Henry and I because poor Andy is working, working, working!).

Well, I certainly have found a lot to say. Now I should wrap it up before Henry wakes up from his nap. I have dishes to do and a boat to tidy so we can get out and enjoy the sunshine this afternoon!!