Jan 2016 Snow Storm

In late January, we had a really fun & substantial snow storm- 14+ inches in all!

School (& everything else!) was cancelled on a Friday because of the forecast.  Like clockwork, the snow began falling mid morning and the kids were outside right away!  It continued to snow heavily for nearly 48 hours- all day Friday, Saturday, and into Saturday night.  Going into the storm, I tend to get antsy, worried about being stuck inside.  I felt so thankful for the community in our neighborhood during this storm!  The timing of the storm was also so perfect- because if fell on a Friday, workplaces shut down in advance and then we had the whole weekend to play together- Mike ended up working from home on Monday as well.  Having him home for the whole storm makes ALL the difference.  Can I get an AMEN?!

{the facial expression in this picture says SO much.}

This girl is so rambunctious.  She has to cartwheel and handstand everywhere she goes.

The snow fell hard for two days.  Ben's breath is taken!

neighborhood kids in the backyard

We enjoyed neighbors here on Friday eve, and Bingo for the kids at a neighbor's on Saturday.

Mike and I had a date on the second afternoon- we got all three kids to nap and headed outside together- we visited the creek and sledded together :)  

  It snowed into the night and then we woke up to gorgeous sunshine on Sunday morning.  We walked to a neighbor's house for Church with three other families.  The whole neighborhood was out on Sunday, so we enjoyed sledding, sunshine and shoveling! 

The kids were out of school until Thursday, which was a two hour delay.  We fared well mentally with Mike home on Monday.  Lily set up a "banquet lunch"- we did tell her that generally its nice if guests can look at and converse with one another. :)

We had gymnastics for Ben on Tuesday (the cuteness!) & some general craft/activity ideas, but we began to go south by Wednesday so were thrilled to head back to school on Thursday!

The neighborhood squad, plus two boys & two babies who aren't pictured.

So long, snow.  Until next year---

snow week 2015

 Thankfully, our back deck has been a "snow box" for the big kids & provided hours of entertainment, along with neighbor friends (hooray for independent play!).

Suma- baby!

 And remembering that last year this guy was in my belly.
It has been so so great to have proper snow clothes this year, a bigger, warmer house, & more independent kids!

I think I need a new hat.

 We've gotten out and around our neighborhood a fair amount!

(But still, the cabin fever is setting in.)  

Isn't the area behind our house pretty in the snow?!

 Their imagination takes them through the day. They are carrying around the wooden spoons from the deck play as their Wild Kratts "creature power" sticks. 

This guy is so precious.

 There is some "mmmm" babbling coming out of this mouth.

 Here they are sledding in our front yard (not an overly exciting slope but its worked).

Daddy came with us...

We had another great snow storm this week.  I think it helped me mentally that we'd been away for the weekend, so it felt like a bonus, instead of mooore days at home.

And Daddy worked from home so he came sledding with us this time!  He was bummed to have missed our last adventure and had to get in on it this time around.

 It was pretty to be in the snow while it was falling!

 Love these three.

We all had fun!!

SnOw DaY AdVeNtUrEs in SlEdDiNg

We had another snow day today!  (#5)  And another tomorrow.

This time its about 2 1/2 inches and seems more like a legit VA snow.

Mike and the kids put a bowl of water outside last night.  This morning they had an ice bowl.  And they ate some cereal out of it. 

I am not a lover of cold weather.  I turned down an offer to sled with neighbors b/c I am so bah-humbug and was so cold already.  But after an early afternoon movie for the kids and nap for me, the motivation hit me.  I had a talk with the kids before hand.  We went through the order of preparation events (only took nearly an hour and a half) and then that they would carry their sleds the whole time, up the hill, over and over.  I would be watching, not carrying sleds.  They agreed.

(High water snow pants- each wearing a size or two too small.  Peter's snow boots are a size smaller than Lily's!  But he didn't complain once.)

 We hit the jackpot.  Where have we been the last few years?!  Clearly, not at the right sledding spot.  Or maybe just with younger kids who weren't quite ready?  And I don't think we really had a good snow last winter.  We went to one of our favorite parks in the next neighborhood over.  Clearly the whole neighborhood does it.  The street that is usually empty was lined with 15+ SUVs and vans.

And we passed friends on the way in. 

Peter is heading up the hill in the red hat and black coat.

 I feel a little lame about this "dirt" hill for our CO and MN siblings, but it was still fun. The snow was worn off this part but it was still plenty frozen.  :)

 Peter's top front left tooth is loose. See the big gap forming to make room.  Similar to his lower front teeth this time last year.  So handsome!

 I have to say I don't ever claim any mom awards but I was feeling quite proud of myself for taking them out.  They just had a blast.  It was written all over them.  And I really enjoyed it, too!  I even went down a few times with them!  

It was a step back in time for me.  I wore my size large jacket from college that I bought after growing up in Brunswick.  It fits over my belly.  I wore the snow pants that I bought at the A&N in downtown Harrisonburg.  I was really hoping I was incognito there b/c I was surely a sight.

And can I say, maybe first time ever... you know there has, in general, been plenty of complaining about walking up hills and in general, I don't often feel like P can hang with other kids.  But he was rocking it!  Up that hill over and over.  They both kept going and going.  No complaining.  No asking for help.  It was amazing and not overlooked by this mama.  And as I saw lots of mamas there holding babies, I couldn't help but visualize our family as having 3 next year.  :)

The Last Week

First off, TGIF!!!
We had a long weekend for the MLK, Jr holiday.  
After some work around the house, it was warm on Monday so we went to a park in the afternoon.  

{Another kid was wearing a cape so Peter felt like he wanted to use his vest as his cape.}

{Other kids were walking under this hedge along the creek (a path we didn't know about before) so the kids quickly got in on the action- such a fun childhood thing to do- made me remember the fun of doing the same thing as a kid).  They both ended up with wet feet and then Peter eventually slid down onto his butt when he stepped on a slippery rock- so home we went, but with happy hearts.}

We changed clothes and then continued on for a hair cut and a grocery run.

After this pic, Peter slept the whole time in this car and Lily cried the whole time- keeping it real.

And then there was a "prediction" of snow so they cancelled school.  I was pretty bummed...  the temps were then supposed to stay below freezing for days so the snow would surely stick around for days, keeping us out of school longer.  We quick raced to a park with friends to get some outside time before the snow.

 It didn't snow til LATE in the day on the first day out... and only ONE INCH!  Now we are still home 4 days later, without having gone to school at all this week.  They also have this coming Monday off.

Its been a mixed bag.  Now that its Friday, its easier to see the week as just a week off and embrace it more, but in the midst of it, it was challenging.  Struggles with anger mixed with moments of joy.  The beginning and end of things seem easy, its the middle where it gets complicated.  School has been wonderful for Peter.  He loves the stimulation and he needs the structure and does well (I think) with the instruction of others.  So it was hard to adjust back to the less structure and stimulation.  And I worried that when he went back, he'd have forgotten.  So we worked on a few things at home.  He is also making good progress on reading. Hallelujah!
  I really want to embrace it but its the laying aside of (or lack of) my plans and agenda and exchanging that for the need for extra patience and being "on my toes" at all times for guidance and refereeing of squabbles and extra mess in the house.

The kids have thoroughly enjoyed the extra time together.  There is plenty of bickering mixed in but they can get into some pretend.  And in the meantime, pull out everything and jump from one set of things to another.  We've been trying to strike the balance of freedom to play but a conscious effort to clean up one thing before moving on.  And trying to get them to help me with the daily clean up of rooms & a slight sense of responsibility (does that exist?!).  

What has saved our sanity is afternoon activities every day!  Seriously, God's grace to us.

We've done tae kwon do, speech, dance, even "open gym" at church for me to socialize too.  And the weather has been so sunny and bright with snow on the ground!  Just cold. 

You know this mama doesn't play in the snow much... esp with a big belly.  So I've just let them tromp around a little when we are already out.  And Daddy played with them the first morning.

TGIF!!