Home Alone, Day Five

Boy, it's amazing that we're already on day five! Crazy. It's been a little more exciting around here today than it was yesterday. In fact, it's been a GREAT day. :-)

I woke up this morning and was shocked at the amount of snow outside. I saw that there were snowflakes on my little weather icon for the next three days, but didn't really expect anything to come of it. I don't watch the news (too depressing) and even if I would have heard somebody forecast big snow I wouldn't have believed them--they're always wrong. Anyway, it has snowed off and on all day long, but it's tough to tell exactly how much there is because it's been blowing all over the place. In some places it looks like only about three inches, but in other places it looks like nearly a foot. It seems like every time I post snow pictures it's of the same thing--but that's because I take pictures of what will best show the amount of snow. Besides, these are the shots I can take through the windows. Ha! There's more snow now (I notice it especially on the steps to James' office) than when I took this picture, but it'll give you an idea anyway.

I talked to James this morning and he was just a wee bit concerned when he learned how cold it's supposed to be here over the next few days. Tomorrow the high is 5 and the low is -8. That's as cold as it's ever been here, I think--at least since we've lived here. James was a little disturbed as well to learn that we have less than a gallon of milk and only eight slices of bread. "Bec, when most people hear that a storm is coming they sort of get prepared ahead of time..." Ha! Of course, we're not like all of the weird-o's who totally freak out at the sight of snow. It always cracks me up when Mom tells me about how panicked people get in Tennessee if there's ever actually snow in the forecast--rushing to the store in droves and stocking up on all of the essentials so they can be prepared to be locked in their house for the next month, just in case. Ha!

Since we were low on milk and bread I told the kids we'd have to be selective with what we eat the next few days. No cereal, for sure. So while I took a shower Katie threw some frozen biscuits in the oven (first time in my life I've ever had frozen biscuits on hand--nice, hu?!), Joe scrambled some eggs, and Sam made some hot chocolate. What good kids I have. :-)

After breakfast the kids bundled up and headed out to play in the snow. Charlie, too.

Katie worked long and hard on this fort, using the kindlin' bucket to make her bricks.
It's so hard to see because everything is so WHITE, but there are actually two sections to the fort; the one she's sitting in, and the one she had to walk through to get there.
Ha! Ah, yes. Joe had gone to help her with the fort and they began building the second section and trying to decide what it was. The decided that they would build it up real tall and then use sticks for a roof (good luck finding some) and it could be their bathroom so they wouldn't have to come in the house. What is wrong with kids' brains?! I forbid them from doing such a thing and explained how moronic it was to consider taking all of their clothes off in the sub-zero temperatures (when you're wearing a snow suit, everything has to come off!)--besides the nastiness factor. ~sigh~ I was disgusted, but laughing pretty hard by the time I was finished telling them all of the reasons they were NOT allowed to have, make, or use a bathroom outside. Ever. Dummies.

I came inside and grabbed by Betty Crocker book to look up a recipe for bread. I knew we'd run out of that in quick order and figured surely I could make some homemade stuff to tide us over. Well, if the kids' initial response to it lasts, we may never buy store bread again! They LOVED it. They loved the smell of it every time they came in the house and they just kept on scarfing it down like it was candy and going on and on about how good it was. Besides, it felt so wintry and old-fashioned and domestic to make my own bread! (Though it was a joke about not ever buying store bread again--I'm not making this all the time! Ha!)

While we were waiting for the bread to rise we sat down for a very late devotion. Then the kids headed right back out to play in the snow. Katie stayed out there forever--even the wind chill was -18 according to my computer. Joe never lasts that long. Sam had a rough day, not getting along with anybody for very long at a time. Hopefully tomorrow will be better for him (and me!) in that regard.

In the afternoon I got out the Coca-Cola puzzle I received for Christmas and put a video on for the kids--one I'd picked up at the library last week. Joe was devastated about not being able to go to the library today. He even tried to shovel the driveway so we could get out. I kept telling him there was no chance--the snow was too deep and we couldn't take a chance of getting stuck since we were home alone with nobody to call for help. He was determined, however, until I finally called the library to inquire about something and got a message saying that they--and all of the branches in Albuquerque--were closed due to the weather. Joe finally settled down after that and I was finally able to stop feeling like a cruel and heartless killjoy. Ha! Anyway, back to the puzzle... I only THOUGHT the last one I did was hard. This one is going to be so much worse. The whole thing is red and white and black. I was happy to just get the border put together today. Ha!

I threw together a hamburger stroganoff (something James hates but the rest of us enjoy) this afternoon. I put it in the oven, then Katie and Joe walked down to the mailbox with me while Sam stayed home with Charlie. It takes nearly 20 minutes to make it there and back and I was wondering why in the world I had decided to do such a thing--and I was wondering it when we were about a quarter of the way to the box! Ha! It was SO COLD. When the wind would blow it just hurt your face almost like it was burning. How can cold make you burn?!

I had grabbed Grandmother's old Dallas Cowboys coat to wear on our walk. I saw it and thought, "Wow, I wonder how long it's been since I've even worn that..." I knew it had been ages, but I had no idea how long. While we were walking I felt something in the pocket. I pulled out $12 and a receipt. When I looked at it I had to laugh. It was from Bethel, Alaska! Last time we were in Bethel, Alaska, was exactly (to the day) 8 years ago. I remember because it's the last time we flew as a family, just before Katie turned 2 and wouldn't be able to fly for free anymore. Joe wasn't quite 1 and Sam hadn't been thought of yet. Wild. We had paid ridiculous prices for juice, according to the receipt. But then, it's Bethel--everything is crazy expensive!

When we got home I whipped up some oatmeal butterscotch cookies. Yum. :-) They taste great, though they look horrible. I hadn't set any butter out to soften, so I did that dumb thing where you try to "soften" it in the microwave but you just melt most of it instead... then your cookies sort of ooze out wide on the pan and get flat and sort of oily-like. That's how I used to make ALL of my cookies. Ha! The kids liked 'em this way, so I guess it's all good.

This evening I put a Cathedrals video on and worked on my puzzle some more. The kids watched the video and read books and played with toys. ~sigh~ It's been such a great day. I have all of the kids sleeping in Katie's room tonight. I'd have to keep the heater on in the den all night to have any chance of keeping the boys' room warm enough, but I know it would still be a little chilly as cold as it will be outside. I'd rather just shut the door to their room and not worry about heating it. So the boys are camping out with Katie. They've been wanting to do that anyway.

In other words, it's been a wonderful and wintry puzzle day around here today--no school, just playing in the snow, working puzzles, loafing around, enjoying homemade food... ~Aaaaahhhh~ Love it. :-)

Hhmmm. One more picture and a video clip before I go. I know Katie took this picture, but I don't know when. Charlie prefers to sleep on your head, but he'll settle for your pillow if you won't go for the head thing. Crazy dog.



And this is my favorite thing that he does, though it's usually much, much better what he did this time. Still, he's so fun. :-)



And that's it for the night! I was a good girl and proofread almost half of my packet last night. I'd love to finish up tonight, but I think I've waited to late to do that. Maybe I'll get close, anyway. You can look forward to next quarter's Sunday School literature. It going to be very, very good. :-)