Ya'll ready for this? (dah nah nah)

This is craziness!  It is snowing again.  We're on winter advisory storm watch until about 7pm tomorrow night.  We're supposed to get another foot of snow between now and then.  Schools have officially been canceled for the remainder of the week.  There was no school this Friday and this coming Monday anyway, so what would have been a four-day weekend is turning out to be a ten-day staycation (and that's assuming they go back on Tuesday).  Yesterday I took a 2.5 mile jog on the streets.  Once I got out of my immediate neighborhood the main roads were as clear as they were gonna get.  Then I spent about two hours shoveling our driveway and the neighbor's sidewalk.  The plows finally showed up on our street this morning, so I took Owen out for a couple of hours to run some errands.  I was desperate to get out, and now we are re-stocked for a few more days indoors.  I bought some paint, some fabric, and we hit the library for some new indoor adventure.  I tried no fewer than FOUR stores to find snow boots for Soren with no luck.  Dang it.  Oh well.  He doesn't much like the snow anyway.  I'm off to the gym in a bit, gotta hit it while I can, then I will probably be holed up here for another while.  At least the boys are happy.  Owen is thrilled to stay home all day.  He is such a homebody.

you're probably tiring of snow pictures, but I've got to get this down for posterity

 

This is directly across the street from us.  I took the picture standing in my driveway.

  

This is also from my driveway, looking to my left.  You can't even see the street.

  

This is our deck.  The round mound in the right corner is our patio table.

  

Owen loves to shovel snow.  He's got that helping gene.  This is the time I start wishing we had not one but two or three snow shovels.  Right now we have to take turns shoveling and it's taking F-O-R-E-V-E-R.  (Who needs the gym when you can shovel snow?)

  

 

Progress!  I shoveled a good bit of the driveway.  Haven't even started on the sidewalks yet.  Church was canceled today and the schools are all canceled tomorrow.  I'd be surprised if Austin has work.  I've heard even the plows are having trouble.  This could take a while.  And it might snow again on Tuesday and Wednesday!  Lord help us.  

  

 

So far we've made Valentine's, banana-bread muffins, an apron, played lots of video games, read books, slept in, shoveled snow, sanded a little end table, watched a couple of movies, and done more than the usual amount of blogging.  A day or two at home is nice, but pretty soon we'll all get cabin fever and start biting each other's heads off.  Then what?  As long as we don't run out of milk...

snowed in

 

It's still snowing, but we couldn't even open our front door, so we thought it would be a good idea to do a little preliminary shoveling.  We had to go out through the slider off the deck and wade through butt-deep snow to get to the shed.  We had the kids work on the car while I fed the rabbit and Austin shoveled to our door.

  

  

 

Pretty exciting stuff.

snow's a-comin' - again

Looks like we'll be snowed in again.  We're all set, don't you worry.  We've got food, books, flashlights, water, sewing projects...  I'm guessing church will be canceled again, too.  Wish us luck!

Fabulous Four

 

My Baby is Four!

  

Owen was so eager to please his brother on his birthday, he let Soren pick out his clothes. 

  

 He keeps asking, "Mama, how many am I again?"

  

 And it was definitely a snowy day, but not a full-blown, no-school-or-work snow day.  Owen and Austin both had delayed starts, though, so we had plenty of time to make breakfast and open presents in the morning.

(later on...)

  

 He wanted chocolate, of course, but he never eats any cake, only the frosting. 

  

 Make a wish!

  

 Mmmm, chocolatey.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SOREN!

We love you so much.  You light up my life.

Here are some pictures of my fourth birthday.  I remember being so excited about my hair. 

 I'm sure it was my mom's idea, but I felt so cute, I thought I looked like Shirley Temple.  

  

  

One of my grandma's friends crocheted that doll.  I loved wrapping the blanket around the baby, just like a burrito.

  

 

I was tres adorable, if I do say so myself.

Soren looks just like his mama. (I win!)
But those dimples are from Austin.

The Blue Zap

 

Tonight was Owen's first Pinewood Derby.

  

He named his car The Blue Zap.

 

Sadly, our car came in dead last in every race. We did save face in the 'People's Choice' award. Owen had twice as many votes as anyone else. He had a little help in the execution of that fine looking vehicle, but I assure you the design was solely his. The hood ornament is a cabochon from one of my grandmother's Avon rings.

  

Owen was also awarded his Bobcat badge tonight. (Isn't he just so cute in his uniform?)

 

 

 First place winner right here.  His car was first in every single heat, if I'm not mistaken (this one's for you, Eve).

  

 The kids went crazy when the official racing was over and they could race their cars at will.

I had to get this post up immediately because tomorrow is Soren's birthday and likely a snow day, as well.  The schools close here pretty much any time it snows and it's supposed to snow all night.   

snow, snow, and more snow

(and one very cute little boy)

 

  

 

Hard to believe it was 63 degrees on Monday; we've got a good six inches and the snow is still falling.
I put away all the Christmas decorations today, finally.