winter

Wow, if I don't blog today, the month of February will pass by without a single blog entry! The horrors! I don't think that's ever happened to me in the eight and a half years of blogging.

January was a month of snow. Enough to keep our world magical and white, but not too much to overwhelm us and make us cry. In January we got rid of TV. We have plenty of other screens, but we watch a lot less. A LOT less. The TV corner is now a reading corner. Ellis sounded out his first words: "I am Sam. Sam, I am." And I became obsessed with knitting. I suppose it was only a matter of time. Look for me on Ravelry.

February was a month of friends. Friends visiting, visiting friends. Went down to DC to say goodbye to TulipGirl before their next international adventure. And my college buddy Joanna came for a week with twins and hubby. We played and her hubby conferenced. So much fun.

February was a month of waiting. I finished the last of my grad school applications in January. In February, I got my one accept and the reject that broke my heart. In March, I will move on and see what the next door holds for me, for all of us.

Yes, I knit their hats.

I'm cheating a little since I took this pic over a week ago. But I had to share the snowflake project of 2010. It's not Christmas without snowflakes. Lots of them. Creating a magical wonderland. I crossed ribbon over the dining room table around the hanging lamp. So walking through the dining room is walking under a canopy of snowflakes.

It warmed this mama's heart to have Ellis really join in for the first time in snowflake making this year.

Last night we went to get the Christmas Tree. It's a bit early for us, and impulsive. But we went ahead and did it. Got a huge Douglas Fir from a fire dept tree sale. It's gorgeous and full. Ellis wanted a BIG one, and we got a big one. His grin shines brightly in the dim light of streetlights illuminating the early darkened December evening.

And today, I got our Wreath o' Fun fully established (which has got to be a first), and we put the tree up and let the kids toss some ornaments. I splurged and got LED lights for the tree. Freaking out over the 30% raise in rates from the electric company.

December Photo Project

It's really been hard to blog anything, because for the past several weeks, it's basically been about one thing: snow.

I'm getting tired of it. I think we've had well over 80 inches total snow fall this season, which is beyond record-breaking for our region. So it's a bother. Roads aren't cleared well. People just don't know how to handle this much snow. Not to mention being in the city and not really having anywhere to put it.

This past weekend I was supposed to go to Boston for a little conference. I was really looking forward to the fellowship of some good friends, as well as getting to go somewhere by myself over (one) night for the first time since becoming a mother almost five years ago. But, wouldn't ya know, we got a nor'easter. It snowed without accumulating all day on Thurs, blew terribly and accumulated on Friday. Perhaps it wasn't as bad for us as predicted, but still, more snow. (and Amtrak was prohibitively expensive, don't think I didn't check that option!) So I was pretty disappointed. Majorly disappointed, actually. My mom, who was going to come help with the kids while I was gone, came anyway. It was nice to have the company. Maybe I was a little less mopey.

Our previous residence was basically on a state park, so when it snowed we had a wonderland all to ourselves complete with hill for sledding. Now we're city dwellers. We've spent some time on the front sidewalk, while the parent shovels. But yesterday we ventured out to the backyard, which is a postage stamp. I've been reticent to go out there with Marlowe, because every time it snows we seem to get multiple feet, and you know, M is a little guy. At first, M couldn't leave the bottom step, but eventually, the snow got packed down enough, that we were all able to have a really good play time out there, and M could walk around.

Ellis enjoyed jumping off the steps into the snow, and Marlowe basically ate snow the whole time we were out there.

CHEESE!

The backyard worked out great. And I got some time to sit and look at it, and mentally scheme about spring. (We don't have good windows looking out on it, so I don't have the opportunity to gaze out into the backyard much.)

There is nothing so simultaneously soothing and invigorating as taking a walk. Ellis had school again today, for the first time since last Tuesday. It's snowing out, but only about an inch or so. Not feet. I forgot to send along something he needed, so Marlowe and I decided to take a wintry walk up to school. M loves to be outside.

And he loves his snow boots. The mere mention of outside, and he runs to get his boots. He says, "Yaaaay!" Then he says, "Hat?" And I say, "Yes, you can wear your hat." And he gets his hat out. He tolerates his arms being shoved down puffy coat sleeves, and flat out refuses mittens. I don't force the issue unless he is going to play in the snow. It's actually pretty warm out. Around 30F, just cold enough to snow.

We didn't see any dogs. Marlowe knows where they all live, which yards may house those barking wonders. We did see dog pawprints in the snow. We didn't see any airplanes either. We heard them though, over (or in?) the cloud cover that is so graciously bestowing us with more snow.

The sidewalks are not fit for strollers, so i wore M in the front in my Beco. He is getting to be a bit big for the front carry. But the back carry would've been awkward with that whole wearing a coat thing. And clearly M was comfy enough.

In February I'm blogging things I love. Join me if you like and I'll link you.
For more love visit:
Gentle Home
Through a Glass, Darkly

I had to think hard about this. Do I really love snow? But, then, I decided that, yes, i do love snow. What I don't like is the occasional inconvenient side effects of snow. But snow itself? i love it. It's so beautiful and magical...all 25 inches of it. Again. My favorite kind of snow is waking up to inch in the morning. Enough to make the world pretty without the inconvenient side effects. However, we have been blessed twice now this season with snowstorms that have dumped colossal amounts of snow on our ill-equipped city. It is like a natural wonder of the world on top of us, temporarily. It is so amazing and awesome. So much snow!!

In February I'm blogging things I love. Join me if you like and I'll link you.
For more love visit:
Gentle Home
Through a Glass, Darkly

Eek I'm getting a little behind here. Well, the snow finally stopped on Sunday morning. We were so snowed that the morning service at our church was cancelled. So they bumped the evening service up an hour and then we were able to have our Christmas concert that had to be postponed from the night due to much swirling snow. I'm glad, because we've been working hard, and at our dress rehearsal on Friday night I think that we hit that sweet spot, where you're ready, but not over-ready. I love our little church choir. We have a phenomenal conductor, so it doesn't sound too churchy. Just like a nice, little choir. And she picks great music that's fun to sing.

So now we've been digging out of snow on snow, snow on snow. And, no, our street didn't get plowed. There's so much snow everywhere. Somewhere around 20 inches, plus or minus.

Today's december photo project is brought to you by Snowpocalypse '09. It's been snowing for about 15 hours with another 15 hours predicted. There's a lot of snow out there.

I love the reflection of the Christmas tree in the window.

Our backyard.

I sure am glad I ventured forth to get the boys new coats on Thursday, because our walk to school on Friday was COLD!! When we got home from school in the afternoon, I brought chairs to sit around my kitchen table and made hot cocoa for Ellis and me. No one needs to teach a child to drink hot cocoa from a spoon. They just know.

watching our first snow