Snow, Snow, & More Snow

Well the snow just doesn't want to stay away here.  As I type, we are in the beginnings of a second system that is coming through.  And supposedly there is a third one coming through during the weekend.  As I was going out yesterday to make sure our toy box out back was closed well, I noticed our grill cover was missing.  It was there a few days ago but I am guessing it is long gone or we will find it when the snow eventually thaws.  The cold, snowy weather has been restricting.  The twins are stuck inside, at home most of the time.  I know I should try to get them all bundled up and out in the snow, but I just haven't done it.  I guess I am just being a pessimist about one or both of them falling in the snow and then crying as soon as we get out there...plus we don't even have boots for them.  Then their behavior really keeps me from wanting to take them anywhere.  But maybe they are acting out so much because they are tired of being stuck at home :-).  Can you tell I am done with winter?  I did a better job of keeping track what we have been up to this past week...and sometimes the pictures help me remember.  Last Monday while the older two were at school and the younger two were napping, Lincoln and I played with a couple of his new games/toys he got for Christmas that we had not go out yet-Castle Logic and Magnaformers.  Castle Logic comes with just 7 pieces that are used to build a castle.  They give you a book that has different configurations for the castle and you have to figure out how to build it like the picture.  It has different levels so all the kids can be challenged (and they tried it out when they got home).  And the Magnaformers are construction pieces that have magnets that hold them together.  I had to help him quite a bit with this one, but he was excited with what we could build.

That evening Ellie had dance, then we quickly ate a pancake dinner so that Jackson and Ellie could get to basketball practice.  Then Lincoln went back to school on Tuesday.  It was Lutheran Schools Week last week so they had dress up days. He kept his old Batman outfit and his black "church shoes" in his backpack for these days-I don't know.  I sent him with Mickey Mouse ears for Crazy Hat day but he thought he may wear his Batman mask with the Mickey Mouse ears.  Thursday was PJ Day so he was all over that one.  Thankfully we had his Christmas pjs that were just a tad short, but not too bad.  Lincoln generally just has an odd assortment of hand-me down pjs-you never know what he is going to come down in after bath time.  I should probably start taking pictures of that. 

As I mentioned, Andrew's truck was in the repair shop this past week so he took my car quite a bit.  He even had to take it to cut ice.  I would rather he didn't use if for that stuff because I am afraid it will mess it up, but we didn't have much of a choice.  He kind of took over my car with his lovely spit cup, hangers from his suit jackets, and things like his Carhartt coat, leather gloves, and ax that he needed to cut ice.  I think he loved sending me this picture of my car down in one of the ditches. 

Like I said, we have been stuck inside quite a bit.  The kids have found different ways to keep themselves occupied.  We play a lot of trains-in the basement, upstairs, under the kitchen table, wherever.  Lincoln has also been playing with his Lincoln Logs. I helped him build a house one day and he was pretty excited about it.  Lincoln will also find ways to entertain the twins including pushing them around in a laundry basket.  I have been having them all help around the house a little more-even Miles and Bennett.  I now try to get them to help me pick up all of the food they have thrown on the floor during lunch.  So far we have been pretty successful with it, but I know that can quickly change.  Miles even helped me with laundry the other day too.  And I was able to make the twins some Valentine's Day shirts.

They like to pull chairs up to the counter to eat the grapes.

Sometimes they like to help Andrew eat his lunch.

Thursday night we had dinner with my parents.  I'm glad they like cooking for us :-).  I was able to do a quick grocery shopping trip and Ellie and my mom did some more sewing while I was gone.  They made their own version of an infinity scarf with some scrap fabric.  Ellie was very proud.

I met my friend Andrea at the pool Friday morning to help her a bit with her swimming with the TriFAHL.  And I need to get a little more serious about my swimming since I put my time down a little faster than what I am doing now.  I decided that I do want to document my training a little to see if I improve any if I do stick with this for a little while.  I have to admit it has been frustrating though.  I feel like I have been sick more that I have felt well while I have been trying to really get into the training.  I am thinking I am at the end of this cold and it would be great to know how it feels to do all of this without being sick.  The TriFAHL is now less than two months away so I am trying to get more serious about it.  I have done two "brick" training sessions where I rode on the bike around 37 minutes (the time it took me to ride 9 miles the only time I did it back in the fall) and then I went down to the treadmill and ran 2 miles.  I felt pretty good both times so I'm sure I can do it, now it is just improving on it. 

As we were leaving the pool Friday morning, the snow started coming down and it continued through the day.  We were one of the few area schools that did not let out early.  Lincoln and Alex had a fun time playing and sledding out in the snow though.  The Vincent's front yard has become a prime sledding spot and the kids have enjoyed it this winter.

We had a low-key Friday evening.  After dinner, we dropped Ellie and Jackson off at the Vincent's for a sleepover on our way to pick up Andrew's truck.  It was good to have the truck back :-). 

Even though our street still had not been plowed Saturday morning, they still had the basketball games at the YMCA.  We had 9:00 and 10:00 games and I didn't try to take pictures this time.  Jackson's team played a team that was a little more aggressive and it made Jackson's team pick up the pace a bit. They did a good job and it was fun to watch.  Jackson did a great job.  And Ellie did at her game too.  She made her first basket and was very excited.  One girl she was guarding was getting so frustrated that Ellie was staying on her that she just kept running around in circles trying to get away from Ellie.  Again, I love it that they are enjoying it so much.  The twins were okay during Jackson's game, but started to melt down a bit during Ellie's.  They were trying to run their trains along the boundary lines of the court which meant they ended up a little further out in the court than I wanted.  Towards the end of the game, I pulled Miles back and he freaked out.  Just started screaming and throwing himself around and wouldn't stop.  So Andrew took him out to the car and that was the end of that. 

Ellie was supposed to have the Tigerinas Dance clinic after her game, but it was canceled because of the weather.  So she crashed-I don't think she got much sleep at her sleepover.  Jackson and Lincoln went sledding down the street but Ellie wouldn't wake up.  When she did, she snuggled herself in on the couch and got busy with a drawing she has been working on.

Andrew went out to cut ice and then to the office.  Mike plowed half of our driveway with his four wheeler (Andrew's truck was on the other side) so I went out and finished the driveway and did the sidewalk while the twins napped.  It was sad that I had some sore arms and a sore back the next day. That night when I went grocery shopping I encountered three of these "mountains" in the middle of Elson street.  They were like little round-abouts that you had to go around. 

And then I got this picture from Andrew asking if I forgot to close the office door. 

On Sunday, Andrew had to do the communion message and work a booth at church so he just came home in between services to get us and take us to the second one so I didn't have to get both of the  twins in by myself.  I can still hold both of them, but they are definitely getting heavier.  Well I had them both ready to go and was getting ready to do Ellie's hair when I heard running water.  So I ran out to find Miles up on a bar stool with the kitchen faucet on but he had turn the faucet so it was no longer over the sink, just the counter.  Water was all over the counter and on the floor on both sides of the sink.  And he was soaked.  So I took his clothes off and put them in the dryer.  I started working on Ellie's hair again and Andrew quickly got him dressed when he got home.  The next day Lincoln wanted them to play up in his room, so I had him close Ellie and Jackson's doors. But Miles still made his way into their rooms but thankfully didn't do too much.  I think he just moved a couple of Lego pieces in Jackson's room and found a few washable markers in Ellie's room and marked on his shirt and hands.  Then I heard him down in the basement bathroom with the sink on and a cup trying to get water.  I have since locked the office and bathroom in the basement.  They definitely keep me on my toes and they have gotten really good at throwing temper tantrums.  Not to pick on Miles (it just isn't his week) but I put him in time out in his room three times within less than 15 minutes.  Oh, and he did this too trying to get out of his high chair after lunch on Sunday.

So after lunch on Sunday, Andrew thought it would be nice for all of us to go out and check his cows.  So we all piled into the truck (we won't be able to fit all of us in there much longer) and headed out that way.  Ellie and Lincoln were out on the way out there.

Jackson went out to oversee his dad cutting ice.

And then we headed to his parents for a visit.  Jackson got a great surprise.  One of Mary's friends bought a big Ninjago Lego set for a grandson and he already had it.  So she gave it to Mary to give to Jackson.  He was so excited and has worked on it a lot since then.  We are definitely running out of room for all of his Legos.  But while he was working on that, Ellie worked on a few Valentine decorations for Mary while Lincoln and the twins played with the trains.  Then it was time to head home so I could make a quick dessert before we headed over to my parents for our Super Bowl "party".  They had a breakfast dinner which my kids were happy with.  And we enjoyed the dessert I made-Blueberry Lemon Buttermilk Cake.  It was a nice, light dessert that reminds you of summer :-).  Ellie kept informing us of the score of the game, while Jackson suddenly became a Broncos fan and was upset with the way the game was playing out.  We only watch just a little bit of sports around our house and don't really claim any teams but the Cardinals, Tigers, and Razorbacks.

Monday was back to school.  I spent a lot of my morning making sure doors were closed and chairs were put away.  The twins, Lincoln and I had a dance party.  It was mainly to two songs Lincoln really likes right now-"Let it Go" from Frozen and "Best Day of My Life" by American Authors.  He calls it the Disney World song since it is the song that plays on the video Molly made that told the kids they were going to Disney World over Spring Break.  After school is when Jackson finished up his new Lego set and was excited to show it to Andrew.  Andrew was telling Jackson and Ellie how proud he was of them and their creativity-Jackson working on the Legos and Ellie working hard on her special drawing.  So Lincoln piped up and said, "Hey, watch this.  Watch what I can do." And he did a somersault for us with a ninja kick.  So Andrew had to make sure he told Lincoln how proud he was of him too.  Ellie went to dance and Lincoln did a little more sledding.  I took them to basketball practice that night because I needed a couple more things from the store.  Wal-Mart was crazy.  The bread aisle was cleared out.  I thought about getting some donuts as a surprise for the kids (they had already called off school) and they were almost all out of donuts.  I was able to get a few random ones that I thought the kids would still like.

So this morning, Jackson and Lincoln headed out to cut ice with Andrew while Ellie, the twins and I stayed home.  Ellie enjoyed her donut while I did my run.  I funny thought on my workouts...I had heard and seen the advertisements of chocolate milk being a good thing to drink after a workout.  So that is what I do.  It actually kind of motivates me a little bit...I look forward to my drink of chocolate milk after I am done.  I keep it in the basement fridge so the kids don't get into it and I only drink it after a workout so it is like a treat to me. 

I have a bunch of Dollar Tree crafts stored up for random times, so I brought some of them out for the kids this morning.  They did keep them entertained for a bit.  Jackson also worked on some homework.  His teacher assumed they wouldn't have school today and sent them with extra homework on Monday.  So Jackson decided on his own to start working on it this morning.  The snow didn't really start until around 11 today and it is still coming down but I wonder if we are going to get as much as they said we would.  The kids have spent the rest of the day sledding and going from one house to the next.  I'm so grateful we live in a neighborhood with such great friends. 

And one last picture of Miles' last act before nap time today.  He found Ellie's Kindle behind a chair so I put it up on the stairs.  He then proceeded to climb up the outside of the stairs (we have a gate up) to try and get it.  Bennett joined him too, but didn't get as high.