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.

seven

Kiddo's birthday was last week.  He's seven.  Seven!

Last time I blinked, he was this big (with a tired, tired, tired mommy):

And now he is this big.

So big that, in this picture, I am actually wearing his spare hat.  And I am not nearly as tired as I was back then.

He is not my snuggly little peanut anymore.  Well, he is still snuggly (I am savoring every moment while I can!), but not so little.

I briefly posted about the crazy day that was his birthday.  The weather was unpredictable, with very poor timing.  The snow had just started coming down that morning, so there was no delay for school.  I drove Kiddo to school through the increasingly heavy snow, took some pictures on my way home...

...and shoveled the driveway.

Schools all over the area started closing even before noon, so I headed back out to pick up Kiddo.  He was a little discombobulated by the utter lack of routine, but once home, he eagerly helped with his birthday cake.

We used Meg's rainbow cake recipe.  Easy-peasy.  And from a box.  We heart Betty Crocker.

Only, Meg has five kids and used two boxes of cake mix.  I have one kid, so we used half a box of cake mix.  Itty bitty cake, but that's all we need.

While the cake was cooling, we were getting cool, too.

When our cheeks were nice and rosy (and our mittens were soggy), we came back in to decorate the cake.  Kiddo was in charge.

We will not win any awards, but Kiddo was tickled by, and proud of, his creation.

(Erm...  Need to work on candle-blowing-picture-taking skills)

Pretty cake.  I did not get layers like Meg.  I got swirls.  Which are still cool.

It was a cars and Legos birthday.

And, oh by the way, check out his momma who was stylin' while he unwrapped his gifts: 

I was more focused on being warm than on fashion, apparently.  Ouch.

It was a quiet, but good day.  We are not a big birthday bash family.  We try to make each other feel special on birthdays, but there are no big piles of presents, no parties with swarms of kids.  We are, however, having cake and ice cream with cousins and uncles and aunts and grandparents this weekend.  We will need more than half a box of cake mix.

snow

We are playing in the snow today.

Lots to post, but not enough time.  Hopefully I can get to it soon.  But in the meantime, there are hills to sled down and snow forts to build!