Blizzard of 2010

Just how much snow DID we get? Let's just say it's not what I expected. Or what was predicted.

At first, they were predicting 6-8 inches. Last night, we watched the 11:00 news, and they predicted a total of 9-12 inches. An hour later, I went to let the dogs outside, and couldn't even open the door. This is what we saw:




I finally put a yardstick outside, and when I checked it at 1 AM, it was up to 15 inches. An hour later, 16 inches.

And when I woke up this morning, this is what greeted me. HA! 9-12 inches!



25 inches of snow!!!

It was even more of a struggle to open the back door. Keep in mind, there's a 6 inch step up into the sun porch!



Our Great Dane even sunk into the snow! The chihuahua didn't even stand a chance.




The last time we had this much snow was 17 years ago. We normally get a snowstorm of this caliber once every 15 years. It's likely that my kids will be adults before we see another blizzard like this one! That statistic saddens me. I think we need a storm like this every year or two!

It's so rare, that I love it! The kids were amazed by all the snow, and we had so much fun playing in it. It is absolutely beautiful outside. Everything is covered in white!

The kids loved the snow!!!



Poor Lexie could barely walk through it. Here she is in one of the "shallow" spots.



I had to wade through the snow to make paths for the kids to walk on. It was hard to walk through, because it was so deep, and because there was several inches of uneven, packed snow beneath our feet.



Dylan was adventurous and made his own path!



We ended up spending almost 2 hours in the snow! This kind of snow hardly ever happens, so it is really fun and exciting to experience!





















The kids finally ended up getting cold, and wanted to go inside. Grant and I were having a blast tossing them into snow drifts! Once they were happy and warm, I headed back out to help Grant shovel the driveway and take some pictures.




Once we came in, I took a nap while Lexie slept. My legs were so sore from wading through the snow for that long! When I woke up, Dylan conned me into taking him outside again. Luckily, it was getting dark, so we didn't stay out too long!







We watched the sunset before heading inside.



It was a fun day experiencing this rare snow! I'm sure we'll be heading back outside to play tomorrow.

Last night, we were snowed in, due to treacherous roads. We had a great time watching some people try to get up our hill...literally, they attempted it for 45 minutes before parking their car and walking home. Today, some of the roads are drivable. Our road is still snow covered, but not terrible. I was kind of hoping to get snowed in all weekend!

It was really nice to see things slow down for a bit. There weren't many cars on the road, people were walking down the middle of the snow-covered street, and everybody was outside, either playing or shoveling. Tomorrow, we'll get back to the hustle and bustle of everyday life. It was nice while it lasted!

If the statistic holds true, we won't experience another storm like this until 2025! I'm secretly hoping it will happen sooner than that!

Snowed In

Snow? What snow?



Ahhhhh, no worries!



Oh, THAT snow!




Wait...we're getting snowed in?!?



This is so not going to work.



We just may go crazy!



Yes, we're in the midst of a snowstorm! The roads are terrible and it's coming down FAST! I took those pictures over an hour ago, and since then, we got two more inches. It's supposed to snow all night and all day tomorrow. So, we just may end up snowed in.

I decided to run to the grocery store this afternoon and by the time I left the store, the roads were treacherous. I slid all over the place, and ended up sliding off the road and into a yard...I stopped a foot away from hitting a telephone pole. Then, I almost got hit by a fishtailing truck. The drive home was awful, and I was so worried about my precious cargo in the backseat. The weather was fine when I left for the store, and the snow hit earlier than expected. I have never been so relieved to pull into my driveway.

Grant had to go to a viewing tonight for a friend's brother. I felt horrible missing it, but I wasn't taking my kids out again. He made it home safely, but said there were no roads anymore.

It's going to be interesting to see just how much snow we get. Different news reports are calling for different amounts, but it looks like we're going to end up with 6-10 inches!

Before I forget again, the awesome Kmama, from The Daily Dribbles, gave me this blog award last month. Thank you! I love your blog, too! Really. You should go check her out if you haven't already!

I'm supposed to pass this award on to 7 blogs that I love. I'm just going to randomly pick a few of my favorites, because I'm bad at narrowing it down!

1. It's All About Alex

2. The Neff Family

3. 3 kids, a minivan and a lot of love

4. Sevin Family

5. Mama4Real

6. The Courageous O'Connor's

7. Once Upon A Miracle



Okay, back to getting snowed in...

How I Stay Organized-Mornings

I have always been an organized person. Call me OCD, if you must.

This year, I made a goal that I was going to get even more organized, so I don't end up wasting time. That was my big downfall-wasting time! My thought was, if I have an organized routine, I make the most of my time, and don't end up getting frustrated and losing my cool. So far, so good!

When Dylan started school in September, mornings started getting rough for me. I know a lot of moms complain that mornings are their worst time of the day. Let's face it-we're tired and our kids are tired!

Dylan's school is only 5 minutes away, so I've never been late getting him there, but there were many times that I was trying to wrangle the kids into their coats and car seats, and ended up getting frustrated and yelling at them to hurry. I did not like the person I turned into when I felt rushed, so I came up with a few tweaks to make mornings easier.

We are now a month into our new morning routine, and it's going great! I'm not rushing around anymore...which means, I'm a calm, cool, collected mom!

The key to my easier mornings involves preparation the night before. I set out complete outfits for the kids to wear. I check the calendar to see what's happening the following day, and put everything I need on the kitchen counter. I get Dylan's backpack ready. I even have a breakfast in mind, so we don't waste time debating what to eat the following morning.

On days that we don't have to rush out the door in the morning, I still set their clothes out. I don't follow the other steps, unless we have somewhere to be shortly after waking up, but it really helps to have their clothes ready. That way, they can get dressed when they want.

The kids need about an hour to get ready for their day. They usually play for about 15-20 minutes or watch a cartoon before they want to eat. That gives me time to get online for a few minutes! ;)

Right before I make breakfast, I put the kids clothes out for them, and put Dylan's backpack, my purse, and our coats on the counter, so we can just grab and go!

Immediately after breakfast, I brush their teeth, then send the kids off to get dressed.

I put Dylan's clothes on his bed, so he can get himself dressed.



I lay Lexie's clothes on her floor. She's not perfect at getting dressed yet, so I do need to help her, and fix her hair.


The kids end up with an additional 15-20 minutes to play before we have to leave, which they love!

Ten minutes before Dylan starts school, we get our coats on, grab our stuff, and head out. I keep our winter gear in the car, so we can put everything on, as needed, in the school parking lot. We end up arriving at his classroom door with minutes to spare!

I am so glad I kept this goal. Mornings are a breeze compared to what they once were!

What are your favorite morning timesavers? I'm always looking for ways to improve, so please leave a comment and tell me what works best for your family!

Tuesday Tidbits

Tuesday Tidbits is a day to remember all the cute and funny things my kids say and do!

Lexie called me into her room the other night, after she had gone to bed. Her voice sounded urgent, so I figured I should see what was wrong. She informed me, "Mommy, when I grow up, I'm going to be Tinkerbell."

Dylan has always talked in his sleep. I tiptoed into his room to put something on the floor, and heard him pass gas, just like a typical man. The only thing not so typical, was that he whispered, "Excuse me." And then did it again! He's polite even when he's asleep!

Lexie absolutely despises socks. I can not get her to keep socks on her feet. Yesterday, I was fixing the couch cushions, and found her socks buried underneath one of the cushions! Sneaky little girl! And that's the reason why she always wears dresses and tights in the winter!

Dylan was talking to Lexie in the car today. I overheard him say, "When I turn 16, Mommy and Daddy will buy me a phone, and I'll be able to take you places by myself." (I only hope that we can hold off on giving him a phone until then!) Lexie responded with, "Yes, and if I fall, you will pick me up and hug me and smooch me and give me Iced Tea and snacks and milk."

Lexie loves to help me with the dishes every night after dinner. It takes longer with her helping, but I honestly love it. I love to stare at her reflection in the kitchen window and watch her expressions as she works. I love that girl!

Dylan walked in to our room on Sunday and said, "Look! I have a bag of balls!" He did, indeed, have a paper bag filled with bouncy balls. Then he said, "I like my balls! I'm having fun with my balls today!" The second he walked out of the room, Grant and I started laughing. Ahhh, innocence.

Dyl-WHAT?!? True Story Tuesday

I'm finally going to join in on True Story Tuesday at Once Upon a Miracle! Head on over to read more of these if you want a good laugh!

So here goes...

As a mom, you're going to get embarrassed at one time or another. Or many times. It happens to all of us!

I thought that Dylan walking through the store yelling "Douche Bag" because he wanted a juice pouch, when he was 2, was the most embarrassing thing.

It was up until last week.

Lexie calls Dylan Doh. Or Doh Doh. When she first started talking, that's what she called him, and even though she can easily say his name now, the nicknames stuck.

I'm sure you can see where this is going.

Last week, we were shopping at Target. As usual, Lexie was talking non-stop. I kept up with my shopping, nodding and responding to Lexie's running commentary about her brother.

"I love Dyl-Doh!"

I slowly looked up and stared at her in horror. And shock. And embarrassment.

Dylan's cute nickname had morphed into something I never expected to hear.

What's a mom to do?

I glanced around quickly to see who overheard this adorable, little girl say something so X-rated. Nobody was staring at us, but it didn't ease my embarrassment.

I decided that the best thing to do would be to repeat his name back properly, and move on. I figured I would correct her mistake to all those listening in by saying, "Dylan. His name is Dylan." Great plan, Mom!

Maybe it was the shock. Maybe it was the embarrassment. Maybe I was over-thinking this.

The word that came out of my mouth was not the word I planned on saying.

"Dyl-Doh."

Lexie and I stared at each other for a moment, and then I fled. I fled that department. I fled that section of the store. I fled to the cash registers, where I promptly paid, and retreated to my car.

Epic. Fail.



P.S. We've been working on getting her to call him by his actual name, after another flub during Pre-K pickup!

Not Me Monday

It's Monday! A day to air out our dirty laundry. A day to confess. It's refreshing and therapeutic!
Head on over to MckMama's blog to read more posts just like this one!

I am not completely shocked over the fact that it's February 1st. Weren't we just preparing to send Dylan to his first year of school? How is it February already?!?

My mom did not inform me that I better have my third child soon, because I'm getting old. (Really?!? I'm turning 30 in April. I was feeling perfectly young until she said that!) I'm not thinking that she just wants another grandchild. As if 19 weren't enough!

I was not so near my breaking point, that my sister had to pluck my clingy child out of my arms and keep her busy for a while. I am not entirely grateful to her for recognizing my frustration. Sisters can be completely awesome!

I did not ask Lexie, who is allergic to eggs, if she wanted pancakes or eggs for breakfast. She did not look at me like I was losing it.

I also did not place a steak knife at Dylan's table setting. He did not have to inform me in a whisper, "Mommy that knife is too sharp for me, remember?"

My daughter did not discover the cat's hiding spot this week.


I am not a complete wuss when it comes to the cold. 30 degrees is perfectly fine with me. 25 is okay. But anything less is pushing it. The 6.8 degree temp last night did not push me over the edge. I did not have to double layer to keep warm. I was not so cold that I had to take a hot bath at 2 AM to warm up. I am not always freezing!!!!

BRRRRR! Happy February!