Spoiled Christmas

What should be a joyous time of year, has been spoiled by a White Christmas. If Christmas was today, we'd be enjoying time with our families, however with a winter storm warning for 6 more inches of snow to fall tonight, there is no hope for us to spend Christmas with our families.

While we can always get out of Sudden Valley (hills and gravity takes care of that for us), getting home is the real problem. Unless the winter storm warning passes us by, Christmas is going to have to continue without us.

Domestic Diva

When you're forced to stay home, you find ways of entertaining yourself. Today I decided I'd try to be Martha Stewart and make playdough. Here's your domestic diva at work.


Carley, being only 22 months, likes to eat stuff so I knew that I needed a recipe that was:

1) non-toxic
2) able to be made with the things found in my house.

I had once found a recipe for Kool-Aid playdough, and while cleaning out a cupboard last night (remember..this is our 9th day with snow, and being stuck indoors), I found some packs of Kool-Aid.

I don't even know how long we've had the Kool-Aid. I don't recall ever buying Kool-Aid and I sure don't remember ever drinking it in the last 3 or 4 years, so I'm pretty sure it's very, very old.

I found the recipe again. This is what I used:

What You Need:

• 1 c flour, sifted
• 1/2 c salt
• 3 T cooking oil
• 1 pkg Koolaid (unsweet)
• 1 c boiling water
  

1. Mix to gether flour, salt, oil, and Kool-aid.
2. Add the cup of boiling water. Mix well.
3. Knead the mixture until it forms a soft dough.
4. Have fun!
5. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

Tips:

1. Any other unsweetened, powdered drink mix may be substituted.
2. Expect colored hands :-)
3. Non-toxic... could be eaten, but won't taste very good.

Carley loved the feel of it, and frankly I was surprised at how it turned out. I thought for sure it'd be sticky and messy.We got a few "tools" and Carley got right to playing like a seasoned pro.


She really enjoyed the playdough and it was a good, new thing to break up our monotonous days here indoors.

When hell freezes over...

...this is what it looks like.

And it keeps coming...

What more can I say?

yesterday...

today...

yesterday...



today...

yesterday...
today...the icicles tell me that something is melting, but not enough.



This is level with the floor, so the snow is at least a foot deep - after I walked around in it and made a snowman with it yesterday.

Comfy?

Maybe we were a little early with the toddler bed? This was taken at 2:15 AM...

8 days and counting

We started getting snowed on last Saturday - December 13th. It's now December 21st and it is still snowing. I measured the snow on our deck this morning and it came in at a surprisingly low 8 inches. I think, after shoveling the deck, it was because there was a thick layer of snow compacted under all the fresh stuff. And mother nature has seen fit to keep us stocked with fresh snow on a daily basis.

Yesterday it was damn cold. It got down to 7 degrees. Today it felt downright balmy at a hot 28 degrees.
These are stairs down the side of my house.

For a few hours a day, my roof gets some sun and the snow melts, but apparently freezes on the way down.
My enjoyment of this weather is dependent on where I need to go and how easily I can get around in it. Last week, I hated this weather. I was imposing on my parents and had to go to work so my stress levels were high. This week, it's tempered, but I'm starting to wonder (as it continues to snow on our 9th day) if we'll be able to make it out on Christmas Day.

When I wished for a white Christmas, I guess I should have been more specific. Here are some pictures from our winter wonderland....

My neighborhood the other day at sunrise (sorry for the sun spot).


The top of the garbage can, filled with garbage that hasn't been picked up in 9 days. If it continues to snow, it won't get picked up this week either.

Play ground equipment, shows you how much we have. This is standard everywhere.


Snow falling from a free at the neighbors house.



Want to eat outside?


Chris shoveling for the 5th time, I've shoveled twice so far.


For some reason, Carley was doing a dance while daddy shoveled the snow.

It takes a village...

After nearly an entire week staying at my parents house, I finally made it home. It seemed like it took almost an entire crew to get Carley and I home. My brother came to help, but then "scouted" Sudden Valley for us and our ability to get home. My Uncle Jeff and Dad drove Carley and I all the way to Sudden Valley and helped us get everything in the house.

I am so thankful to everyone who helped get us home.

I am even more thankful to my parents who graciously let us stay at their house, fed us dinner and made us feel like we were home.

It's a good reminder of what Christmas should be about. For some people, it's a religious holiday, for some it's just a day off from work and for me it's about family and the importance of family. I am reminded of how lucky I am that I have the family that I have.

Thank you just doesn't seem to be enough.

Thank you Mom. Thank you Dad. Thank you Renae. Thank you Jason. Thank you Jeff. Thank you, thank you, thank you!