Snowpocalypse

Judging by the excitement around here, you'd think New Englanders had never weathered a blizzard!  But when you're hearing predictions of three feet of snow and 60mph wind, well, it does send you to the store for some milk, bread and eggs (I usually pride myself in not engaging in the pre-snow grocery run.  After all, the streets are cleared in < 24hrs!).  Anyway, it *has* been quite a dump, with at least 6-8 inches having fallen just a couple of days prior.  It's really fun to have everyone home, and the whole day in front of us to enjoy the snow.  The kids bounded out of bed, squealing as if it were Christmas morning.  I barely got a half-breakfast in them before they were suiting up. (Incidentally, the three year old can put on her own snow pants, and Owen needs no help at all with anything, including gloves!  We have arrived!!)  We have managed to rear some genuine winter-lovers...this year we've already been sledding and ice skating more than a handful of times, and they never tire (including Eden...she is tough!  She rolls down the sledding hill and climbs back up for more!).  Eden goes skiing for her first time next week and I'm betting it will be a hit, too.

Snowman from the snow a few days ago:

Our bedroom windows!  That's snow!  (There's a roof below the windows)

Reuel gave the kids spoons and poured snow cone syrup on the yard snow.  They were beyond pleased with this invention :)

And it's still going...through end of today, so we hear.  Reuel did the first round of snowblowing and will have to redo after it's over!  We are grateful we still have electricity (some coastal areas didn't fare as well) and a warm house from which to enjoy living in a snow globe.

Minecraft

True-to-my-memory conversation:

O:  MOM I HAVE TO TELL YOU SOMETHING!!!!
Me:  Yeeesss?
O:  You will NEVER believe it.
Me:  Try me.
O:  I figured out how to do something and I cannot even believe it.  I made a sword and it was diamond and then I put EVERY enchantment on it that is possible.  OK, well at least every enchantment you can get with an enchanting table.  There are like 5 more but I don't know how to do those, but still it is SUPER enchanted and it is amazing.  It has like 1,354 damage power.  CAN YOU EVEN BELIEVE THAT???
Me:  Wow. [Mind began to wander on about word 3 of that paragraph]
O:  Do you understand Mom?  Do you know how much damage power that is?  Usually it takes a lot of hits to kill a cow but I super-enchanted a sword and you can kill a cow with ONE HIT.  And you don't just kill it, because the sword has the throw back enchantment and the cow gets launched back when you hit it.  And then it burns up in fire!!  [Laughs with glee!]
Me:  Oh, wow.  [Attempts to care about what child cares about for good of relationship.  Hard work.]  Why do you kill cows anyway?  Why can't you just play without killing them?
O:  MOM, of course, you get leather and meat from them.  But with a super-enchanted sword the meat you get is COOKED MEAT!!!  That is so cool.  And usually you get one to two leather from a cow.  But with this special sword you get zero to four leather!!  [Pause.  Switch to serious tone.]  Mom.  If you had to pick between getting definitely one or two leather, or zero to four leather which would you get?
Me:  [What am I making for supper tonight?  How can I go grocery shopping constantly and never feel like I have something to make for supper?]
O:  MOM!
Me: [I am a highly educated maid.  A robot maid.  I walk around all day picking up after people.  It feels like nearly all I do.  And try to train these children to pick up after themselves, which doesn't seem to stick.  If real robot maids came on the market and I could afford one, would I get one?  Would it ruin the already declining character of the average human being to never have to pick up after themselves?  Or would it just allow me to have a better attitude?  I mean, I don't choose to use a washboard to scrub my clothes even though I would have better tricep tone if I did.  Where is that line between using conveniences and being lazy?  I have to decide this before robot maids come on the market because right now, I want one.]
O:  MOM!  That is so hard to decide isn't it?  I mean you could KNOW you'll get two or three pieces of leather, or you MIGHT get four, but you might get zero.  WHICH WOULD YOU CHOOSE?
Me:  Oh buddy, I don't know, that's a hard decision.
O:  But mom, WHICH would you choose, you have to answer!!
Me:  Oh I see, a bird in the hand or two in the bush.
O:  What???
Me:  I think I would just keep the cow.
O:  NO!!!!  You're not answering my question.
Me:  I guess that enchanted sword is pretty cool and I would take a risk to get 4 leather just so I'd get to use it, because I figured out how to make it and that's pretty exciting.
O:  Yeah, me too.

We're all asking the same questions, eh?

What could be better?

What could be better than math with a view, and with a cookie snack to boot?  (I'm sure the boys could choose something...without hesitation...)  Enjoying these precious days and the adventures they bring.

"Asher, give me a fierce face" :

Tgiving 2014

It was a rare solitary Thanksgiving here with just the 5 of us!  But we had a great time.  Thanksgiving games, placemats to color, everyone helping with the food (Eden rolled out the same blob of dough for an hour!  Excellent diversion technique!!), a walk in the snowy woods, a feast for 5 kings, a family movie (in which my 2 year old laid on me and we both fell asleep...blissful tryptophan!), dessert and more games, reading and bedtime.  It was a great day.  "Poor Reuel", though, as my mom would say.  Mom-in-law's everlasting rolls are to die for...except they are a tad too sweet for my taste (not that I'm not happy to eat them that way!  Oh, to be a pickier eater :}.  Today, I picked one up fresh from the oven and said, 'Wow, these are even better than I remember!"  Reuel replied, "Yes, well, you left out the sugar."  I didn't mean to, I promise, my dear!!  Really!  Luckily, I made his family's stuffing recipe instead of my family's, so I think I was mostly forgiven ;)

This year's menu:

Homemade cinnamon applesauce
Pomegranate seeds
Green beans with bacon or mushroom sauce, according to your preference (Owen spent an hour with his nose pinched between his fingers after the mushrooms had sauteed, and Reuel was barely restraining his pinchers).
Mashed russets
Cornbread and biscuit stuffing
Rotisserie-grilled turkey
Everlasting rolls, sans sugar

Fresh pumpkin pie
Crumble-top apple pie
Mint choc-chip ice cream pie in oreo crust

Judging by quantities of the leftovers in the fridge, we ate like mice.  Even so, tomorrow I eat celery!!

Happy Thanksgiving and Thanks Be to God!

Thanksgiving Eve snow!

Excited children!  Now why can't I get them into coats and shoes that quickly?  A dusting of snow and there is no lack of self-motivation :)

Who knows what those boys are scheming but it's always something unexpected.

Eden prayer

You've been warned!  If you don't want a mention of a potty function in your life, turn away!  Eden was in such a cute state tonight at bedtime and this is where I record the memorable moments...I'm gonna record it for myself :)

Me:  OK, time to talk to God.  Are you going to pray or me?
Eden:  ME.
Me:  OK...Dear God,
Eden:  [folds hands, squeezes closed eyes]
Dear God.
FANK you for [pause] WOBSTERS.
[opens eyes, looks over at me, whispers] You can say fank you for wobsters.

Me:  Yes, yes you can.

Eden:  [eyes closed]
FANK you for [pause]  monsters.
[opens eyes, same as before] You can say fank you for monsters.

Me:  I suppose so...

Eden: [closed again]
FANK you for GIANT BIKES!
[same routine]  You can say fank you for big bikes you wike to ride.

Me:  Mmm-hmm.

Eden:  FANK you for poop.
[opens eyes]  NOPE.  You don't say fank you for siwwy fings.  NOPE.  You don't say fank you for dat!
Me:  Well, no, that's not really what we talk to God about, you're right.  We talk to Him about things that we are really thankful for and care about, we don't just want to be silly when we pray.
Eden: [looking a bit inquisitive]  Even we don't say I'm a big girl going poop on the potty?
Me: Well, if you are saying thank you that I'm a big girl, I think that's not silly.
Eden:  FANK YOU GOD dat I'm a big girl and I do poops on da potty!
AMEN.

And Amen!

More Drawing

We are having a little burst of drawing creativity.  Eden has progressed to adding arms and leg lines on her faces, and Asher has moved from abstract designs to more detailed figures.  Compare mid-June (preschool picture from previous post) to this from today.    He is just recently figuring out how to put down what he sees in his mind's eye.  He is a fairly laid-back personality compared to other family members, but wow, is he an artistic perfectionist!!  For so long he has been unwilling to draw much because he just can't make it look like he imagines it...to the point of tears most times he tries.  He has gotten a few things down lately that he likes and is gaining some confidence and not getting so upset.  He was proud enough of this that he asked me to sign his name in cursive on it, like I do mine on my drawings :)