the wall

The chalkboard wall was worth it.

It is a hit...Kiddo loves it!

His uncle and cousins like it, too.  :)
 

hooray

The sun was out today.  Hooray!
Everything was sparkly.

My book came today.  Hooray!
My husband stole it and started reading it before I had even cracked it open.  He opened it up to somewhere in the middle.  It happened to be a scene where they were preg-testing cattle.  He laughed and laughed and laughed. 

We finished our chalkboard wall tonight.  Hooray!
Kiddo is already planning what to draw on it tomorrow after it cures.  I am starting to get used to it now.  I have no pictures.  Yet.  Maybe tomorrow?

I have a day to myself tomorrow.  Hooray!
I am spending it cleaning house.  Not hooray, but I will be so pleased with the results of my labor.  A clean house makes me happy.  Not that it happens very often...

We are having our birthday party tomorrow night.  Hooray!
Our driveway is half-covered in ice and snow, leaving no room for our guests to park.  Uh oh.
At least it's pretty!

Looks like we're not the only ones dealing with snow and ice...check out this satellite picture of the U.S.

Source:  NOAA

Isn't that amazing?!? 

Kiddo and I were busy today while the ice accumulated outside.  We hung a BIG world map in the living room (it will take some getting used to), painted our hallway with black chalkboard paint (also will take some getting used to), played and played and played with Legos, and got a good start on his Valentines.

While we played, we listened to the branches rattle and the ice snapping and cracking outside.  It is a fascinating sound.  I was just telling someone that ice storms are exciting for me - growing up in Seattle, we had no clue what ice storms were.  The concept of freezing rain was foreign to me.  I just didn't get it.  There was rain, snow, or hail.  That's it.  So now that I live in a place that occasionally gets ice, I have to run outside every time and marvel at the way the world changes overnight.

As the sun came out and the snow started to melt, you needed a hard hat to venture out the door - the ice was falling out of the trees by the bucket-full!

Now most of the ice has melted and the roads are bare - life as usual resumes tomorrow!  Speaking of tomorrow, my copy of Black Heels is supposed to arrive in the mail tomorrow.  Woohoo!  I expect to have my nose in a book after Kiddo goes to bed (and maybe even before).

ice day

It is icy outside.  Again.

No school.  Again.

Kiddo and I are warm and dry and cozy, and the plan is to work on Valentines today.  Hoping to post details later.  Hope you all are warm and dry and cozy, too!

playing in the snow

And...more snow pics!
We had a blast playing outside together this weekend.  Sledding, tunnels, caves and mountains of snow.

Yours truly - with snowy hair and rosy cheeks.  And a zit on my chin.

P.S. Cathryn, I put my contacts in just to confuse you further.

P.P.S. When did those wrinkles appear?!?  There should be a law against wrinkles and zits occurring simultaneously.

He's a keeper!

Kiddo's favorite thing was to climb up on top of the piles of snow that Hubby made while shoveling off the driveway.

"I'm king of the hill!"

Kiddo was trying to shovel "roads" through almost two feet of snow - he fell down a lot.  

And then slept REALLY well that night.

Sitting on our "snow bench" that Kiddo made.

Winter is so much happier with snow.  Everything is brighter and prettier.  There is something fun to do outside.  The kids get giddy.  Now, if we could just avoid shoveling it and driving in it...

white stuff

Here are some more pics from the snow storm on Kiddo's birthday. The world is so pretty and quiet when it snows!

(this one was taken through the windshield, so the color is different from the others - but I still like it)

legos

While Kiddo builds...

Mommy amuses herself.