Snow Day #9

At this rate the kids will be in school until the end of June!
Summer Vacation is already down to 8 weeks, which feels really short.
It would be an adjustment, but there is merit in full year school.

We did Special Morning Bathies and watched "Fire Rescue Planes".
We'll probably get out an play in the snow, but being outside on March 20th when it's 30 degrees doesn't thrill me.  Hopefully it will be our last opportunity for sledding this year.  :)
Our tulips are coming up.  TBall started this week and soccer starts next week.
We're all ready for spring.  Mother Nature is not, apparently. 

Nate's TBall practice went okay.
There are a lot of kids and a first time coach - so it was pretty much a goat rodeo.  But a fun rodeo with some education.
He has been SO excited.  Nate hasn't been able to sleep and has been carrying around a baseball with him.
In wanting to be everything his older brother is, Nate saw Sam wore a protective cup when playing TBall and wanted one, too.
Problem being, he won't wear it when playing - but has been putting his "Penis Protector" in his pull up to wear at night.  It's pretty funny.
Nate was so tired from being so excited that he fell asleep on his way to practice.

Caroline had her Science Fair this week.
We survived living with Marie Curie for the past 2 months without being irradiated.

The Social Studies Fair was today.  Sam had 3 interviews and they all remarked about how passionate he was about teaching people.  :)  He is very proud of himself and should be.
He did great!

Benjamin has been out of sorts lately.
Very tired and whiny.
He was in rare form at dinner last night.
Best. Pout. Ever.

St Patrick's Day.

2006

2007

2008

2008

2009

2009

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015!!!

Looking at these, our constant state of fatigue seems perfectly justified.

Friday.

Friday afternoons are awesome.
No one  has to go anywhere after 5pm, so it's just all of us.  Together.  Relaxing. 
It's really nice.  
This afternoon is brought to you by the "Walking with Dinosaurs" BBC series and Landshark. 

Grammy and Grandpa sent up a box of hats and mittens this week.  Nate has adopted a hat in the box as his "Adventure Hat"- mostly because I think it's like the hat that Nigel Marven wears.
Either way, it's adorable. 

We're not entirely sure why Benjamin picked the hat he did. 
It takes a confident boy to pull off plaid.

We had a hiking debacle yesterday.  I decided to take advantage of the nice weather and take the kids to hike to the local duck pond. 
It was right after school, so everyone was a little grumpy.  That resolved as soon as we were out and moving in the sunshine. 
About 20 minutes into our hike, Benjamin started complaining that his feet were cold. 
I assumed it was because he was stomping in puddles and carrying on like any two year old should. 
Then I looked down. 
He didn't have any shoes on. 
It was 50 degrees.  No wonder his feet were cold.
*FACEPALM*
I'm glad I have a dumbphone and didn't have my camera so the event couldn't be documented pictorially. 

So, in an effort for redemption, we had some extra kiddos today and decided to adventure at the Blue Blazes Whiskey Trail up at Cactoctin Mountain National Park.
After making sure everyone had their shoes on, we ventured into the forest.
The trail was more snow and less mud, but we were able to find deer, dog, racoon and cross country ski tracks.  The older kids looked for "clues" and the youngers stuck close to me, looking at the creek and making trails with sticks.
I had some anxiety that the kids wouldn't tolerate the cold and that Ben and Timmy were too young to enjoy themselves.  Today, the anxiety turned out to be unfounded.  It's all about adjusting expectations.  We went .6 miles in an hour and had a lovely time.  

Before our adventure started.  Note how clean their shoes are. 

Every so often we had to stop and look at the map to find out where we were.  I didn't have the heart to tell them our location wasn't on the map they were looking at.  According to them, we were hiking in West Virginia.  Or Calabama.  Whichever. 

Not many things are more fun than throwing chunks of snow into the creek. 

Unless, of course, it's throwing snow chunks into the creek from up on the bridge. 

Decidedly more muddy.  I think they will sleep well tonight. 

To Sit.

At this time in my life, sitting is a luxury.
It won't always be, but, for now, it is.  
I enjoy being at home with my kids.  I am very grateful that I have the opportunity. But there's a crap ton of stuff that needs to get done for this house to run efficiently!! 
Sitting is so nice!
The 30 minutes I can sit by myself while the boys are napping somehow refreshes me like no other other time can.
:)

This past weekend, Jim was infected by the crud that we all had when in Rochester.  He is slowly on the mend, but that flu knocks the wind out of you.  Takes a good two weeks to get over it. 
It finally got to the point over the weekend that I could do a long run without lung spasms.  It was 6 slow miles, but miles never-the-less.
 Today was Caroline's first day back at school after missing all of last week.  She was bumming because she was going to have to make up the PARCC testing that she missed.  Fortunately, she has a wonderful teacher that is very in-tune with a little girl wanting to do nothing but her best that sent her an email telling her to not worry about the testing.  :) CJ is almost done with her Marie Curie project.  I need to get to JoAnn's and get a simple pattern for a skirt for her costume.  Hopefully I can whip that up over the weekend. I am loving my sewing machine.  To the point where I wonder how I ever had the patience to sew by hand.  There is much still to learn with it, but I will. Eventually. 

Maybe we'll have a week without a Snow Day?  I don't know that we'll be able to last a whole week!  We've been spoiled with all this time off.

Here is a picture of Sam with his project while it was on display at school:.  He is SO proud of it.

Benjamin received a hand-me-down Miami Dolphins jersey, which he wears almost constantly.  He points out repeatedly throughout the day, "Mama!  I have numbers AND letters on my back!  There are just numbers on my front."
It's so freaking cute.

The REAL Blizzard of 2015

We finally got snow.
About a foot.
Enough for some real fun.
Excuse the Benjamin snot.  It's just how we roll.  

We only had 2 days of school this week.
Actually, Caroline had none.  She and I got the flu when we were in Rochester this past weekend.  Knocked us out. 
I'm still tired!
It was nice to convalesce with the help of Nina & Pops.
Looks like it will be a low key weekend.  Caroline is still trying to get volunteer hours in.  35 hours in a school year for a 3rd grader is a LOT!  She only has 20 or so and only another month and a half to get in the last 15 hours...
The boys are enjoying watching dinosaurs.  Thank goodness.
After being outside today, we all need some rest.  I don't even have dinner made...ugh.  Cereal?
Sounds gourmet enough to me!!