The Winter of '15

It was a winter to remember.  (Still is, actually.  Although a 38 degree day yesterday--which felt like shorts weather--did a little damage to the piles.)

When your kids can stand on top of the piles after the 38 degree day and still tower over you, you know you've gotten 100" of snow in a month.

When you take your life in your hands every time you turn out of your driveway (not *really* being sure that oncoming traffic is absent, seeing as the drifts at the curb are too high to permit visibility), you know it's been storming.

When you hold your breath passing by oncoming cars on a road that was way too narrow *before* snow was encasing it, you are ready for spring.

When you live in the 'burbs rather than the city and your city friends actually have nowhere else to physically put the snow and have to shovel what they can well over their own height, well, you're more content with that long commute you make to church every week.

There is a swingset under there...and that is not trick angle photography...

The mail comes...sometimes.

Owen has taking to sliding down the sides of these...there's a tall rhododendron bush under this pile!

Ice dams are a problem.  We haven't had leaking yet, but many have.

The boys go into their cave under the patio table.

"Where's Eden???"  says mom.  Oh, there she is; just shinnied up the snow mountain!

Even the littles can climb trees with a snow stool!

Double decker yard

Science

Earthworm observation in science class

Owen working on his model combustion engine!

Paintress

Still loves to paint!

Christmas 2014

Christmas Eve meal

Owen with his 'Red Remote Control Helicopter'  (Oh for a nickel for each time I heard that phrase before Christmas morning!)

 Asher with his fave gift the gem excavation kit

Eden inspecting her glow-in-the-dark Crazy Aaron's Thinking Putty

A warm Christmas!

Wagon rides

60 degrees on Christmas?!  The snow was a little late... :)

Catchup

I just experienced a horrific evening with my children; the kind that makes you wonder if you've done anything right as a parent at all, and fear that the entire rest of the world knows something you don't about children and how to care for them and love them properly.  A truly rough debacle.  Anyway, rather than lay a major guilt trip on them (which is really just my frustration at my own parental ineptitude), I am hitting the photos and reminding myself of better moments, while catching up on unrecorded moments.  Hope it takes the edge off!

3rd bday breakfast

Princess for a day

Birthday supper

Cake!

Gifts.  If the amount of Hello Kitty items that the child received were lined up edge to edge, they might reach to California...ugh!  Probably not good.  But boy, was she PLEASED!

Xmas Eve and back from church

Eden 3yrs

37"
30lb 10oz.
No fan of needles!  Repeat of 1 yr. inability to draw blood.  Repeat of phlebotomist outcry, "Wow, she is a STRONG twister!"

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.