Snow Days and Other Stories...

So, as I'm sure the whole world is aware, what with 49 out of 50 states having some snow coverage, we have had some rather unusual winter weather conditions here in NC over the past week. The snow started falling in the wee hours of Monday morning and kept on coming all through the day! Watching a steady snowfall like that happily reminded me of our many years in the Windy City!

So here is a little look back at our rather unexpected looooong weekend.  We had some fun & spent the rest of the time attempting to stave off boredom!

Leading up to the snow we had a pretty low-key weekend which was needed & very nice.  Sophie was thrilled that it was her turn to bring home the Kindergarten class Bear for the weekend...

 Meet Bosley!

 Sophie & Bosley built a tower

 Drew playing with his Sing-a-ma-jig...all the kids got them for Christmas & they really are hilarious! (If you don't know what they are Google it!)

 Friday night was Movie Night! Bosley was happy to join in on the fun & snuggles. On the big screen...Alvin & the Chipmunks...we laughed & laughed! 

 Saturday was take-down & clean-up day!

 We took down the Christmas Tree & decorations...

 ...and had to do lots of cleaning up of all the needles left behind!

Bosley was a faithful helper! He didn't break a single ornament...which is more than I can say for the rest of us!

Saturday evening we had a lovely time enjoying dinner & fellowship at the home of some good friends. (Again, no pictures, BOO!) 

Then, Sunday passed with the normal flurry of church activities...

Oh look, here are Sophie & Bosley coloring in Sunday School!

While we were home between church services, there were frequent glances out the window to see if any flakes were yet falling. At church, or anywhere we went, everyone was talking about snow...would we really get it, when would it start, how much, would there be bad ice, will we lose power, will the kids miss school??? Living in the South, often there is lots of talk about snow...and very little actual snow...I generally don't believe it until I see it. Thank goodness, we were already stocked up on milk, eggs & bread because several of the local grocery stores ran completely out...I am not joking! Facebook status updates on Sunday evening were a flurry (pun intended ;-) of crazy grocery store stories, and people talking about wearing their PJs inside out to bed, sleeping with a spoon under their pillows & flushing ice cubes down the toilet...all proven ways to bring on the snow...right!

 Well, wonder of wonders...all the ice cube flushing & inside-out pajama sleeping just may have done something because on Monday morning we woke up to dazzling white...and it just kept coming!

 Finally, we got everyone all layered & suited up & we were ready to head outside! Zoe, too!

Bosley felt right at home in the snow!

 This snow was more of a wet snow than last time & since it was still coming down, it was a little stinging on your face. Pretty much right after I took this photo, Drew said "Up, up!" and I spent the rest of our time outside holding him...or listening to him cry "UP! UP! UP!" if I put him down so I could take a picture of one of the other kids!

 Our wonderful neighbors had some great sleds & this snow was good for sledding, so the bigger kids pretty much sledded the afternoon away!

 Here is Jack in his favorite pose, hand out in front of face so that I cannot take a picture!

 Down the hill!

 Darcy getting ready for a turn...

 ...and she's off! She was so light that she could go really far!

 Darcy dragging her sled back up the hill while Sophie is on the way down.

 Drew wondering why I put him down & getting ready to say "UP!"

 A snowy Sophie

 Sophie took a spin on the neighbor's rope swing...

 Jack had a good run from the neighbor's yard, down the hill & waaaay into our front yard! It's a long walk back though!

While lots of sledding was going on, Jeff was bringing logs up to the house & getting a nice fire going. The temps were also much colder this time & so the little kids only lasted outside an hour or so before wanting to come in to warm up...the older kids probably stayed out 2 hours, but then everyone was ready for heat!

The fire is great for warming up & for drying off clothes that got soaked in the snow!

 I had been busy in the kitchen preparing our first batch of Snow Cream! 

(Click here for the recipe!)   

Drew was a bit timid at first...

Jack dug right in!

Drew realized this was some good stuff!

I mean serious, finger-licking good!

Good to the last drop!

The very last drop!

"More pees"

And because Snow Days call for baking something, I also whipped up a batch of cranberry orange muffins from a mix we received as a Christmas gift (thanks Suzy!) The kids all thought they were DE-licious & all dozen were gone in a flash! Later on, we had a cozy dinner of grilled cheese sandwiches & then all snuggled up to pick up where we left off with "Polly & Diggory" which is how the kids refer to The Magician's Nephew...the first book in the wonderful Chronicles of Narnia series. 

The kids find the predicaments Diggory & Polly have gotten into to be quite funny!

Darcy being Darcy!

I love how the kids are glued to the book instead!

And so went our first Snow Day of 2011...

...and then, we had another!

Monday evening, the "Wintry Mix" (snow, ice. sleet) began to coat all of the snow (and roads) with a thick, slick layer of ice...the result was kids home from school again on Tuesday...and yet again on Wednesday! (And in some areas Thursday, too!) One of the main problems here is that it will often get warm enough in the day to start to melt the snow & ice, but then the temps will drop well below freezing at night & everything turns to ice again making the roads quite hazardous with invisible patches of "black ice." Looking out over our white lawn at night was like looking out over an ice skating rink, the yard glistened like wet glass in the glow of the street lamps. (And I failed to take a single picture!) So for our second snow day, we stayed inside all day...playing games, reading books, building towers...there was some TV watched & some Wii played...and so by Wednesday, we were all getting a little stir-crazy & in desperate need of getting out of the house! But I will save our 3rd Snow Day adventures for another post, as this one is quite long already...see, I'm trying to simulate that stir-crazy feeling...so stay tuned for more Snow Day fun!

(I have thanked the Lord many times that my kids were able to go back to school on Wednesday & allow us to *somewhat* get back to a normal routine! But we had fun while it lasted & I have a feeling we have not seen our last Snow Day this winter! Hopefully not...because in reading many friends' blogs, I have discovered that I am not a very good Snow Day Mom...and need to be more creative & crafty & fun...so I'm armed with all sorts of fun ideas for the next one a'la Jenny & Sarah...thanks girls!)