Brrr! Cold Day

Here in New England, we have been getting hit with snow storms, ice or freezing rain. The temperatures have been low. Last week, with the wind chill factor, it was -26 degrees Fahrenheit one night. BRR! 

The typical snow day consists of our children staying home from school. The school will call with a recorded message the night before, or at 5:30 AM, to notify us of the school closing or a two hour delay. The children are thrilled with snow days. I'm not always so thrilled. 

What a snow day represents for me: Helping four children find matching gloves and boots, hats, long socks and their own snow suits and jackets.
Then, helping dress these children in bulky snow gear.  This takes at least half an hour with the last child deciding to go out by the time the first one is coming back in because the dog stole their glove or knocked them over into a snow drift.

When one of these cold, snow covered children comes back into the house, they bring with them snow. Snow falls onto the floor, gets stuck in the folds of the snow gear, get tracked through the house and begins to melt. I am left wiping water puddles off the floor.

Maybe they come back in 10 minutes after they left. Maybe they come in to go "potty" and the whole process of removing and redressing begins again.

My Beloved and I suggest going out early in the day when the sun is out and it is warmer. Our children usually decide to go out right before the sun sets.  They have built snowmen, thrown snowballs at each other, find icicles and want to "save" them in our freezer. They sled and explore our woods and bog. We are under at least 2 feet of snow and more is expected to fall later this week.

Once they return to the home, they want hot cocoa with whipped cream and marshmallows and sip it through their favorite straws. They want warm baths, dryer warmed towels and to sit in front of the fireplace when they are done.

Winter takes a lot of work. 

Groundhog day is around the corner. I hope he doesn't see his shadow!

Winter happenings

I love the art projects our kids make during the winter months. The trio's kindergarten teacher gets creative with paper, paint, clothespins, pipe cleaners, glue, glitter, googly eyes, cotton balls...

Here we are enjoying our turkey dinner compliments of our local food bank (we are in our 16th month of unemployment). The kids love our "formal" sit down suppers and the conversations with them are priceless. They enjoyed drinking apple cider and toasting one another. "Chink-chink". My Beloved had an interview today with a company up the road from us. He has had more interest recently and we are really hopeful in this new year. He has an interview in Ohio next week. 

Our three cats come out of hiding around 8 PM.
That is when the decibel level in our home goes back to a normal range because the kids are sleeping quietly in bed. Our fireplace is in use. I sit in front of it with our feline companions and blog.

Here's our "Cha-Cha Dove" enjoying the delicious turkey supper.

Grant has become an avid reader and he will read aloud to his younger brothers and sister. The Magic Tree House Series has become his favorite. If he's not reading, he's playing with Lego's or Wii. Also, he has become a Star Wars expert. I think he's getting most of his information from classmates at school. I know very little about Star Wars.

Grandpa Tom is healing after his open heart surgery. Grandma Sonnie and Grandpa Tom usually head out from California to visit every four months or so. They were here in Summer. Hopefully we will be able to see them again in the Spring. Grandpa Tom hasn't been given the okay to fly yet. So, Skype is a wonderful way to keep in touch. They also call us each Sunday night. They've been faithful to call us each week since we married back in 1991. 

Here's a quirky Skype photo of them talking to us.

We are due for more snow tomorrow night. We'll stay warm and cozy inside. What are you and yours doing this winter? Send me a note :) I'd love to hear from you. Yes, you!

winter welcome

The days are short but, getting longer since Solstice. Our little ones are braving the cold and building snowmen, sliding down snowy hills, and asking for hot chocolate when they come in. We have placed towels by entry doors as the snow from boots melt and leave puddles on our wooden floors.

The snow blower has a place of honor in our garage and we have extra gasoline in case another blizzard strikes.

The mittens get lost or stolen by Pup-Pup. It seems each morning we are scrambling for glove and sock pairs before the school bus arrives.

Yesterday, Ben and Charlotte were "paper friends" (paper cut-outs) linked hand to hand as they skipped through our home.

My Beloved cut out paper snowflakes for them tonight.

We are eating comfort food and gaining our winter weight. Is is time to hibernate?

There is good news. My Beloved has some interviews coming up. We wait with hopeful expectation. 2011 is here. A new year. A fresh page. A new journey awaits us.

(photos, except two, taken by our 8 year old son Grant)