Snowy and Spicy

Well, it happened: an entire week off from school (plus last Friday)!  It's another Winter Break!   We shoulda left town after our road got plowed Tuesday-- we coulda had a vacay somewhere!

I had sometime ago scheduled well-checks for our January babies to be yesterday morning.  It worked out, therefore, that B-man didn't have to miss any school for his appt AND the BG got to experience the whole doctor's visit thing.  Pretty sure in a combined 8 years of children needing well-checks, he went maybe to one.   So now we're up to two!

All went well.  Shockingly, the kids are both very tall and very not-heavy.  Their BMIs are both pretty much under the entire curve.  JUST LIKE MINE.  ;-)

Our agenda for the day:  clean up this mess!   (We'll see if it happens.)  I got up and spent some time reserving books on the library website for the preschool class (February topics: Valentine's Day, Presidents/First Ladies, American Sign Language) and was getting a little testy that so many of the picture books on the "Best of " lists were NOT coming up in the library database search.   Grr.   Thank goodness that experience was ameliorated by taking advantage of a great deal this weekend at Penzey's Spices:  if you spend $20, you automatically get free shipping AND code "49050C" gets you a 1/2 C jar of dried shallots AND a 1/4 C jar of minced garlic FREE!!!   I mean, we have a Penzey's store not too far away but I totally placed an order because I needed some things (Bold Taco Seasoning most notably) and this saves me a trip!

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Thursday Thoughts

I didn't take any pics yesterday.  I did finally leave the house (first time since last Thursday) to go stay with some kids of a friend so she could get to a long-ago scheduled appointment without 3 children in tow.  That all went fine--though I had to take a circuitous route both ways due to backed-up traffic all over--but left me without much to show for my Wednesday.   It also left me asleep at 8:30 pm....and awake, therefore, by 4:00am because, well, that's still a lot of sleep.  So I retired to the living room couch where I completed (re)watching the first season of Downton Abbey.  (It's fun to go back and watch the beginning now that it's almost over!)  The BG appeared around 5 and then the kids both popped up right at 7...and I made a photo happen so I could have something to post after all:

Yep, it's a beaut.

In case you're wondering why the BG was home at 7:00am-- why yes, we DO have another day off from school!!

I'm not sure if they've gotten all 200 (!!!) school parking lots plowed yet but another big problem is the safety of kids waiting at bus stops as well as walking to school.   There are HUGE piles of snow at every corner making visibility difficult.  There are still driving lanes that disappear, too, leading to all kinds of snarled traffic even without the return of thousands of children to schools.   We're curious to see what happens for tomorrow-- will they just go ahead and call off the whole week?

Stay tuned!

You Will Be Singing Country Lyrics in 3...2...1...

The B-man triumphantly proclaimed to me on Monday:  "I went skydiving!"

(...I went Rocky Mountain climbing...I went 2.7 seconds on a bull named Fumanchu.*  ANYONE?)

Anyway-- Skydiving. (Perhaps Grammie should not watch.)



Not to be outdone...



In other news, we finally saw a plow just before noon yesterday but there is still no school today!

*Confession:  up until now when I looked up those lyrics, I honestly have been singing "I went 2.7 seconds on a full-man Fumanchu" which I totally thought referred to his daringness to have that particular facial hair configuration.  HA HA HA HA.

Birthday Recap

Let me just say, first of all, that it's Tuesday morning and we still haven't seen a plow on this street!!  Some neighbors spent Sunday afternoon digging out two tire tracks from their house up to the top of the road so they could escape, but nothing below that has been touched except by people trying to clear it slowly with shovels and snowblowers.  It's so bizarre to see THAT much white stuff still in the road.

We spent a chunk of the day yesterday shoveling across the street because those neighbors have been away for 3 weeks and were due to arrive home last eve.  We wanted to make sure they had a place to park and a walkway to get up to their house.  At one point later in the afternoon, a car trying to bring someone home got stuck in front of our house and that rescue mission ended up taking about 5 different neighbors coming together--and, seriously, like an hour--to get the car back up to the main road.  Our neighbors did make it home and were headed to a grocery store upon return-- right before I read on FB from a different friend that stores were out of milk, bread, and eggs. I hadn't really thought about the fact that the grocery-stocking trucks wouldn't have been able to make their deliveries, either.  It's great if one can be sprung from one's neighborhood to go shopping but not so great if there's nothing there to buy!

ANYWAY.

Even with all these outdoor snow-clearing pursuits, Miss C managed to have a wonderful birthday.  First up?  Pancakes with sprinkles:

Then a FaceTime sesh with her bestie:

Presents unveiled at different points during the day-- and her first "big" Lego set (thank goodness for Amazon and pre-blizzard planning):

Since we will reschedule the "cupcake playtime" with a couple of preschool friends, we decided to go the "full cake" route for this day.  The BG had the fabulous idea to make it two-tiered like a fancy wedding cake. (I had the idea to make cream cheese frosting and, um, I probably will never make anything else ever!):

One of her other gifts was an entire "Birthday Surprise" accessory set for her doll (who has been named Elsa...sigh) and look!  She matched the cake!

We shall see what transpires today!  It's supposed to be warmer but I still don't think 2+ feet of snow is just going to disappear...

FIVE.

You know, there aren't many people who get 2+ feet of snow for their birthday!   This girl may not be able to have friends over after preschool as planned (since school has already been cancelled for today and tomorrow) but we're still going to have lots of fun.

She was quite surprised by the balloon decor her daddy arranged around her door while she slept!

New Shoveling Technique (Update 22)

(and some children shenanigans)


It took a few minutes to find that boot, too!

(And YES, there are a few split seconds missing to allow dignity to be maintained!)  ;-)

Finally Opened The Back Door (Update 21)

Keep in mind there's an overhang above the door, so this is blown snow:

Everybody had to check it out...and freeze!

Calm and Bright (Update 20)

Not much to report.  Snow stick still shows right at 2 feet, and our skepticism has been confirmed: apparently, proper measurement requires "clearing" the snow every so often and then adding up those incremental accumulations rather then letting it keep building and building.  That's when compacting occurs and the results skew low.  We're going with 27-28" instead!

All the white is bright, but it's still dark outside.  Might update with snow pics later but the storm itself is over.  Time to try another version of the crusty bread-- here's the batch with orange peel and dried cranberries resting before its early morning bake:

A Cinematic Tangent (Update 19)

It's still snowing but I just don't know that I trust the marking stick anymore-- I swear it was higher the last time I looked than it is now.  Suffice it to say we have at least 2' and I'll check it out again in the morning.

Just so you can feel like you're right here with us (in our cluttered kitchen and everything!), here's a little snippet of a post-dinner performance.  "Unfortunately," I ran out of storage space on my phone and couldn't record any more...


We're pretty tired around here.  I did the one round of shoveling and then the BG did at least 3.  Be back in the morning unless something noteworthy happens tonight!

Blizzard For Real (Update 18)

This just posted by the local weather team:

5:00 p.m. update: BLIZZARD!  [This storm] has officially met the criteria for a blizzard: Three straight hours with winds gusting over 35 mph, visibility of 0.25 miles or less and snow and blowing snow.

Crazy!   And I didn't take a pic because it's not THAT much more than the previous one, but we've officially hit the 2 feet mark on the measurement stick!!!!  And it is STILL snowing.

22 at 2 (Update 17)

Up to 1' 10" at 2pm!

All the windows are just covered with blown snow!

How Prescient (Update 16)

Thank goodness I made B save one birthday Lego set from being built right away!  Perfect snow day entertainment!

(You'll see I contributed my sorting skills to this endeavor!!)

In other news, our measuring stake doesn't seem to be showing as much accumulation as makes sense with the constant snowfall. We are currently trying to figure out the snow is packing as it gets heavier and thus isn't showing accurate amounts.  But we're def over 20 inches.  

Back Inside (Update 15)

The kids were soooo whiny about wanting to go outside in the snow!  I was trying to tell them that they should wait since it's still really blowy and snowy but alas, we finally gave in.  To their credit, they stayed outside for longer than I expected.

I didn't manage to get a pic while they were outside but here they are back in the garage getting their winter clothes off (well, he's a little farther in the process):

And, in case anyone is wondering, I did make sure to have appropriate reading material on hand!

(not that we've read any of them yet.....)

Now I Can Eat ALL THE FOOD! (Update 14)

The wind is blowing like crazy and it's still snowing so it makes absolutely no sense to shovel now.

Buuuut--- I really wanted to get some exercise so I could eat without guilt today!  So I shoveled all the way down to the end of the driveway, and then walked back up to get my phone to take back down for a pic.  (It woulda been soaked if I'd had it with me!)

About 20" now:

Well....That's A New Perspective (Update 13)

Up to 19" (1' 7")!!!!!

Good Morning (Update 12)

First of all, I'm really proud of us for sleeping in until 6am!   The BG did get out of bed at 3:30 to go check the snow (13" at that point) but then was able to go back to sleep.

When I got up, I walked into the bathroom and was mentally thinking through what I'd write in this morning update.  No joke, I had just "said" something about how we still had power...when there was a blinding flash.  The window blinds were angled in such a way that the light hit my eyes JUST right to be really alarming.   Oh my goodness!  What was that?  And then--- THUNDER!   Yes, it was thundersnow!

I then came into the living room and this was my first sight:

And then I opened the door:

We're at 16" (1' 4" per the markings):

And there's still a 100% chance of snow through the afternoon!

During the time it's taken me to upload & edit photos and then write this post, the BG has gotten quite a fire cracklin'!   Check in again soon!

Finally Took That Nap (Update 11)

And....about to head to bed for real.  (Lovely nap on the couch, though!  And I fell asleep to the BG getting the kids ready for bed and woke up to find all the dishes washed.  Pretty sweet deal for me.)

If the forecast is right, first light should reveal snow up MUCH higher on the stick, but for now...

(That's just about the 6" mark.)

I'll be back in the morning!

Let's Be Honest (Update 10)

Brownies make everything better.  About to go in oven...

And, btw, the crusty bread was so so so good.  You would be scandalized to see how little is left so here's a fresh-from-the-oven pic:

Up to 3" of snow now...

Checking It Out (Update 9)

The grass poking through is throwing us for a loop but indeed, the sign says 2 inches!

It looks much fluffier on back deck railing!

And thanks for helping the Argentinian vino come in first, my friends!  Cheers!

[Audience Participation!!!] Pressing International Question

Please see the VIP (VERY IMPORTANT POLL) on right sidebar:

The View at 3pm (Update 8)

I don't know that I'll keep up this posting pace but had to capture this pic. (Balloon photobomb courtesy of BK.)

My View (Update 7.5)

Just sat up to take the previous pic and then realized I should capture my actual vantage point:

We still have our kids play in their rooms for 2 hours of "quiet time" on weekends/days home.  So I'm here reading, and I think I hear (adult) snores from our bedroom.  I should prob go to sleep since I got up at 3:30am!  We'll see.

And yes, Stormtrooper has lost some weight!  ;-)  (At least someone has!!  I can't stop carb-loading!!!!)

It Has Begun! (Update 7)

The street is white!

Lemony Goodness (Update 6)

Well, the Lemon Pudding Cake turned out to be pretty tasty!

B-man declared it "too sour" because of course.  But it was truly super easy to make-- recommend!

We just read online that the first flakes have been seen in the near vicinity!!   IT IS COMING.

Open Gym (Update 5)

The Athletic Director and his "Triumvirate" (aka the Head Football, Basketball, and Baseball Coaches) met up at the high school gym earlier this morning to let the kids (seven of them, 8 and under) run around for awhile.  Or scoot, as the case was:

They have just returned home.  I don't think any of us have plans to leave the house before Monday.  BRING IT ON!   (Still no snow yet, although two different FB friends in Tennessee have posted that the storm arrived there earlier this morning and was heavier than expected.)

Culinary Happenings (Update 4)

Hopefully, it'll all taste better than this pic makes it look.

The muffins def did-- made those last night with my fave banana bread recipe (and adding in blueberries for some of them).

Front left is this Lemon Pudding Cake about to go in the oven. I came across the recipe recently and thought it looked intriguing. 

On the right is some still-rising no-knead Crusty Bread which has a cup of shredded gruyere and some Italian seasonings mixed in, too!!!  

Will report back on baking outcomes later!

Then There Was a "Machine" Noise From Downstairs (Update 3)

I should have never doubted the BG's resourcefulness:

News From The Outside (Update 2)

Sailors (and all area residents) TAKE WARNING:

The BG alerted me to this red sky upon returning home from the grocery store.  Which happens to be next to a Burger King.  Where we haven't eaten in I don't even know how long (we're more MickeyDs people) but where once they did have some cinnamon roll treats...

BEHOLD MY STORM SURPRISE of a gooey cinnamon roll-- and a Croissan'wich for him!

Early Morning Tostitos Run (Update 1)

(The first in a series of storm updates.  See previous post for explanation.)

It was determined we didn't have enough chips.  Finding empty store shelves, BG had to settle for Cantina-style (rather than Restaurant-style)!!  #thestruggleisreal

And then this:

He's gonna have to rig up a measuring device sans yardstick!!

I got back in bed around 5:45 but am still awake.  I imagine kiddies will be popping up in a few minutes...

Announcement!

This is the only kind of exercise we'll be getting today:  a-ROBE-ics!!!

(Thanks to BG for the pun!)

But seriously.  It's about to get crazy up in here.  School has already been cancelled. They've upped the forecasted snow totals twice since yesterday's post.  Some of last night's "weather model runs" showed that up to 40 inches is possible.  What the WHAT?

Which leads me to the ANNOUNCEMENT:

We here at headquarters have been inspired by all the weather sites to do a LIVE BLOG of this potentially historic storm.  I realize that probably applies to/interests maybe a handful of you, but hey-- that handful of you is gonna get some UPDATES over the course of the weekend.

Until we lose power and/or internet connection, that is....

STAY TUNED!

PS:  And yes, I'm just gonna go ahead and hit "publish" on this post even though it's not even 5am.  I've been awake since 3:30.  Did I mention things are gonna get CRAZY?  (And what else do I have to do later but nap??!!)

Painted Lady (and small wooden man)

Christy and Olive came over last evening for a little while and brought some fun nail polish to try.  Miss C was thrilled to get her nails painted for the first time:

We went out to get some dinner and it started snowing while we were there.  It was such a pretty snowfall and we didn't have too much trouble getting home.  Unfortunately, however, the roads all over the general area became icy messes and people spent hours and hours trying to get home from work.  At one point, pretty much every major road was "red" on a traffic map.  My Facebook feed was full of posts about accidents and even people abandoning their cars and walking home.  It was really bad-- and only like an inch of snow.

Have I mentioned we're supposed to have a historic blizzard this weekend that dumps 1-2 FEET of snow?  Um, yeah.   We have today and maybe tomorrow morning to get things done and then we expect to be housebound for days on end.

Oh, and last night's icy mess created a 2-hr school delay this morning so things are moving a little slow today.  C decided to continue the painting party by diving into this "paint your own Nutcracker" thing that Christy brought over.  She's going to be all ready for Christmas 2016!

Post-Birthday Sugar

Saturday, we ventured over to a local shopping area where B could spend some birthday money at Target and also have lunch at Potbelly, one of his fave food spots.

We also hit up the candy shop where each kid selected a treat.   (Excuse the reeeealllly poor picture quality!)

One of his two large gummi bears:

And a marshmallow pinwheel!

(Health & Safety Note: No sugary treat was consumed in its entirety!!!)

Partying It Up!

As some of you saw on Facebook, I procured a giant friend to help celebrate the Big 8 on Friday:

He was quite the hit!   (He's also been really good at scaring us into thinking there is someone in the house!)

The table, prepared for young gents to arrive home from school.  Thanks to Kathy for the loan of the colorful Lego garland!

Since this was the first year in pretty much ever that B had a birthday gathering, I planned to order a decorated cake for funsies. Was thinking he'd get a kick out of some Super Mario decor, so I went to the local grocery store to order the giant balloon and then wandered over to the bakery to learn that they had exactly 3 "licensed character" cake options available:  Monsters, Inc., Dora, and Justin Bieber.  I'm so not even kidding.

At that point, I decided I was making my own cake.  I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out:

(I took the above pic before I filled the outer space of the platter with a ring of the gummi Legos.  Also-- poll time:  would you have put "HAPPY" in the back and "BIRTHDAY" in front?  I couldn't decide!)

Two of the boys came home on the bus with B and the other one went home on his own bus and then was brought over by his mom.  While waiting for him, all the other kids entertained themselves outside:

Once all 3 guests had arrived, it was time for the Scavenger Hunt!   The B-man really wanted to search for prezzies per my rhyming clues so I turned it into a game for all of them!  I hid 9 sets of gifties around the house so they basically built their own goodie bags.  Here's a look at the hunt prep:

The first stop had those Star Wars cups (on left) so they could then put everything else into them as they went along.  I opened up anything that was packaged, and took advantage of all the empty Birchbox boxes (thanks, Geoff, for the last 12 months of that fun subscription!) for hiding the mustaches/masks/light-up balls/growing insects/sour candy/bouncy balls/Lego mixels/medals!!

Along the way:

Miss C modeling some of the other goodies after it was over:

Everybody seemed to have lots of fun!

But, let's be honest, there was also plenty of time devoted to video games:

And outdoor play while waiting for the pizza delivery man:

And.....then he was EIGHT!