Saturday, February 28, 2015

Highs and Lows

This past week was our first full week without a snow day in almost two months! The last time this happened was the week right after winter break. As a result, I think we are all pretty wiped out. Five days isn't a lot, but it sure feels like it when you've grown accustomed to having every Monday off! But I will happily get up early five times a week if it means that spring is drawing nearer. Time for this snow to melt!

Anyway, last night was the Pinewood Derby. It's a Cub Scout tradition-- the boys and their parents all make little cars out of blocks of wood, and then they race them. It's a lot of fun, and some people can get really competitive. Niko decided that he wanted his car to look like a penguin sliding on its belly. So he sketched it out for us, and then Gus helped him shape the block of wood appropriately. I was in charge of the paint job (under Niko's direction). And Gus did the wheels. It was designed for appearance rather than for speed, and I think this ended up upsetting our boy. His car was one of the slower ones, and he was getting upset about it (though he held it together well).
On the way home, his voice was raspy and the tears started to fall. He was mad that he lost, mad that his car wasn't fast enough, and upset that he didn't get a trophy. And tired, to top it all off, since it was hours past his normal bedtime. We came home, got the kids in their jammies, and tucked everyone in bed. We followed suit not long after.

At around 11, I heard loud coughing, followed by crying. Niko was sitting up in his bed, coughing, with tears streaming down his face. He told me that Maya was in his room (she wasn't). His nose was running like crazy and his cough sounded awful, so I bumbled around and found the humidifier and got it set up for him. This continued all night, and he was a mess when he got up this morning. I was snuggling him in my lap when I noticed he was burning up! So I got him some ibuprofen and started looking into after-hours medical options. Fortunately, there's a place not too far away that is open on weekends, and you just pay your regular doctor's office co-pay! It was fantastic. The doctor there didn't even want to do the flu swab, because she said it would take hours and she would be surprised if this wasn't the flu. He had pretty much every symptom. My poor guy! She prescribed him Tamiflu, which we have since picked up from the pharmacy and started using. Our guy is a little ragdoll today. He is camped out on a cot in front of the pellet stove, dozing in and out of sleep. He still has a fever. And he has thrown up a few times. And he's talking in his sleep! Earlier, before I got the cot set up, he fell asleep building with a brand-new Minecraft Lego set. That alone should tell you how sick he is!! Healthy Niko would never stop mid-Lego-building!
Anyway, poor fella. Let's hope this Tamiflu starts working quickly, because I hate seeing him like this!

Sunday, February 22, 2015

Friday, February 20, 2015

Another Video of the Sled Runs

Why? Because I spent hours and shoveled thousands of pounds of snow, that's why! :) Niko's buddy Jack begged to go out and sled, so we went out for a bit. Don't let that sunshine deceive you... it was a whopping ten degrees outside! We didn't last long, but it WAS fun!

That One Time I Lost My Mind...

So there was that one time I posted an open invitation on Facebook for local friends to come sled at my house... and that time was yesterday, ha! I started by throwing out an invitation to my closest friends, but figured, "Why not invite everyone?" It's school vacation week... I worked really hard on making not one but TWO sled runs (yes, I dug another), and yesterday was the last day of the week where it would be warm enough to play out there (the high was 20 degrees... today's high is supposed to be 5). So I went for it! And, since it's vacation week, a lot of people were out of town or had preexisting plans, so it wasn't that crazy. In all, we had eleven kids outside sledding for three hours! And the kids were fine because they were running around, but I couldn't feel my fingers or toes by the end (hot cocoa was a necessity, which I thankfully had the foresight to realize!). But it was the sort of thing I've wanted to do ever since we moved here and knew we had a great sledding hill. So I was happy that it worked out!
Now we have cleaned the house yet again for yet another playdate... Niko has a friend coming over after lunch. Maya really wanted to have a friend over, too, but the ones she requested are all out of town today. So she and I will bake brownies and have some girl time. It has been an entire week of playdates... We have literally had one every single day. The kids have been thrilled, but I am TIRED! I am looking forward to getting back into my home improvement routine once school starts up again next week!
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This is totally unrelated to the rest of this post, but I love this picture I took this morning. This is what they have been doing EVERY morning! They both squeeze into the same chair and do totally separate things. They just like to be near each other, even if they sometimes drive each other nuts...

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Every Day I'm Shovelin'...

I saw a funny picture someone shared... It was of a guy shoveling, with the caption "Every day I'm shovelin'." It's a parody of the song "Party Rock" by LMFAO, where they sing "Every day I'm shuffling..." But I think shoveling is a much better fit. And now I totally get that song stuck in my head whenever I shovel (which is, you know, pretty much every day)!

Anyway... today was 26 degrees, sunny, and the kids are on vacation from school all week... so it was finally the PERFECT time to try out the sled run I made. And they loved it! Niko had a friend over this morning, and the two boys were out there for hours (Maya was actually off bowling and getting lunch with one of her friends... busy week!). And as soon as Maya got home, she and Niko spent several more hours out there. I am so glad I made this for them (for all of us!). It was nice to be outside in the sunshine and the comparatively warm weather, having fun together. I made a quick video showing how the sled run works:
Then, while I was out there, I dug a snow cave! I had thought about doing it the other day when I was being the human mole, digging my way around the yard, but I ran out of steam. Today was a good day for it, though. I didn't dig it too deep, just in case it collapses (which I highly doubt). Any guesses on how long this mountain of snow will be in our back yard for? I am guessing it will still be there in June, possibly July. Because it's THAT big and it doesn't get much sun. Place your bets now!
And those are my epic shoveling feats of the week! The kids also got haircuts today, and we have had play dates every day this week... But I am most proud of my snow accomplishments, haha! :)

Sunday, February 15, 2015

Sled Run, Phase 1

So the storm ended pretty much right as I was posting this morning, and then the sun came out! It was gorgeous! After lunch, Gus went out to clear the driveway, and I went into the backyard and became a human mole. Just kidding! (sort of...) The truth is, I went out onto the deck with plans of digging an awesome sled run for the kids. Except as soon as I stepped off the deck, I promptly sunk into the waist-deep snow. And if I was having trouble moving around in it, there was no way the kids would be able to do it! So I started digging paths. First out from the deck. Then up to the top of the hill. Then down and around to the screened-in porch (which is how we access the mudroom). Then I retraced my steps and dug another trail across the front of the chicken area. And then went to the top of the hill, where I began the arduous, back-breaking process of clearing a sled run wide enough for any of the various sleds we own. I wanted to make some curves and things, but I had to think ahead so that the run would end near the path I planned to shovel back up the hill. Anyway, it took a few hours, but I did it! And it works, though I need to fine-tune it tomorrow. I need to smooth some spots out and bank the turns better. But I did it! I am so tired, and in so much pain, but I did it!!!

First, a picture taken from our bedroom window. It doesn't show the slope well at all, but the uphill end is on the left. The green thing is the sled run, and the pink lines are all the trails I dug.
And then a quick video. We have a lot of snow. A LOT. But at least the kids should be able to play out there tomorrow!

MORE Blizzard Blogging...

Because what's another blizzard, really? Worcester has officially claimed the title as the snowiest city in the United States, passing Erie, PA and Buffalo, NY (and, you know, all the cities in ALASKA...). Worcester has gotten over 90 inches, and will very likely break 100 inches by the end of our current blizzard. Fun! And you know what? That means WE'VE gotten even more, living in the foothills around Worcester (also referred to as "the snow belt" of Massachusetts). Life is an adventure... haha!

Anyway, I never posted this picture from our last storm. That one was called Marcus. We weren't supposed to get over 2 feet, and we probably got around that if you average it out... but we had closer to three and a half feet on our front walkway, thanks to the drifts. And it was HEAVY. That was serious, back-breaking shoveling. Took me well over an hour just to clear a path to the door!
I also shoveled off the deck and cleared the path to the chickens. Again. It really is a good workout.

Anyway... because of the snow, we had no school on Monday and then there was a delay on Tuesday (which meant no school for Maya). Tuesday evening, we all went to a high school basketball game. Gus needed to bring his Cub Scout den to a "local sporting event" to earn a bead. But it was fun! And I'd never been inside the high school-- it's really nice! We want to go back in the fall to see some evening football games.
Wednesday was uneventful, other than the usual running-all-over-the-place-to-various-activities. Thursday, Maya was invited to a little Valentine's Day party at a friend's house. Such a nice group of little girls-- she had a great time!
When she came home, she begged me to let her eat some conversation hearts. But then she pulled this one out, and said, "Mom, LOOK! I found the perfect one for you and me!" She is the BEST!! :) :)
Oh and we got more snow on Thursday. About 2 inches, but who's counting? We were just glad it ended up being a small amount, because Friday was the day they were celebrating Valentine's Day at school, and a snow day would have wrecked it! Maya was very excited for her class party. Niko thinks love is "gross." So, there you go.
They both ended up having fun at school, though, and brought cute Valentines home for us. Niko was in for a huge surprise, though. Shortly after he got home from school, Gus came home and whisked him off to go see Monster Jam! He had no idea! But he had a lot of fun. And he came home with a Grave Digger pennant that he carries around with him pretty much everywhere...
And then yesterday was Valentine's Day! Niko slept in until almost 8!!! This is shockingly late for him, haha! But we still managed to get out the door in time to make it to basketball practice. The snow had started by that point, but it was light. And shortly after we got back, a friend texted me and then showed up in my driveway. Three of us ended up driving down to Dunkin' Donuts and having coffee, which was a very unexpected but nice time! And a fourth friend also happened to show up while we were there, so she sat with us for a while, too. Small town life. haha! Not long after I got home, these beautiful tulips were delivered. I can't wait for them to open up!
I also baked cupcakes for the kids. They had a heart-shaped pizza for dinner, and then Gus and I had an awesome meal by the fire after they went to bed. Seriously, we had the best steaks I have ever made, and the sides were fantastic, too! SO GOOD! It was a very nice day, when it was all said and done. And much better than going out somewhere, especially in a blizzard!

Now the snow is slowing down, and I might even see the sun trying to peek through the clouds. Looks like winter storm Neptune is coming to an end! Time to dig out! Hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine's Day! :)

Sunday, February 8, 2015

Snow, Snow, and More Snow

We've been getting slammed with snow these past few weeks! Normally when it snows here, we get a little downtime between storms. To the point where the snow will sometimes melt completely before the next batch arrives. Lately? Not so much. We have been getting only a few days between storms, which means the piles are just getting higher and higher. I have shoveled over seventy inches of snow off the back deck in the past ten days! 3 feet the first time (Juno), 2 feet the second time (Linus), and then a bonus 8 or so inches yesterday morning. For the record, the forecast for yesterday's snow varied based on which weather report you looked at, but was either going to be "a coating to an inch of snow" or "1-3 inches." HA!!!!! Needless to say, everyone was caught off guard by the eight inches we got. But at least it keeps us on our toes, I suppose! I've also done something new: I raked the snow off of the roof! Not on the whole thing, just the lower bits where it has piled up more. And let me tell you, that is an upper body workout. Even with a high-quality roof rake, it is brutal!

So with all this fun snow, the kids only went to school two days last week. And Friday was the first day they actually went together. There was no school on Monday or Tuesday because of winter storm Linus. Wednesday we DID have school, and Maya went, but Niko had pinkeye (hooray). So he stayed home with me and the pediatrician called in the prescription for the eyedrops for us. Then, on Thursday, there was a two-hour delay, which meant that there was no morning kindergarten. So Niko went, but not Maya. And Friday, everyone was healthy and the sun was shining... school for all! Including me, because Niko's teacher desperately needed someone to make all the copies (since nobody had been able to come in all week). So it was nice to get back into the routine, even if just for a day, haha!!

Anyway, before I move on... Here are some pictures from our storms... these first few are from Winter Storm Linus:
And let it be noted that this giant mountain of snow, one of FOUR very large piles, is entirely from me shoveling off the back deck. That's a lot of snow.
So then we got the "surprise" storm that didn't even get a name (poor storm!). But it dropped a good eight inches of heavy, wet snow on us. Even more fun to shovel. And because of the timing, I was the one who had to clear the driveway this time. It's normally Gus' thing, but I did a pretty good job! Even Maya's kindergarten teacher commented on how impressed she was that we were still keeping our driveway so nice a wide. It's hard work with all this snow!
And now, we are in the early stages of Winter Storm Marcus, which is expected to dump another 1-2 FEET on us. Hooray! haha. I am just thankful that we have a big front yard and a powerful snowblower. Plenty of places for us to throw this stuff and get it out of the way. Though really, it's getting to be a bit much! We're well on our way to being the snowiest metropolitan area (Worcester, MA) in the United States. Go us?

In other news... I forgot to mention Family Skate Day, which was last weekend! It was a town event, and both kids were eager to try out the ice skates they got for Christmas (that I finally got sharpened!). They loved it! It had been a while, but Niko was speeding along by the end, and Maya was making good progress on her own, too. Plus we got to hang out with friends-- everybody won!
And then last night... It was the night Maya has been waiting for for TWO YEARS! The town-sponsored Daddy-Daughter Dance! She and Gus went two years ago, but then the event didn't happen last year. She was very sad about that. But this year, it was back and better than ever before! The theme was "Frozen" (very appropriate in many ways!), and it was held at the local upper-elementary school. Here they were before they left for dinner:
And here's the official photo from the dance... Cute, though I don't think I will buy it. The photographer is my friend's husband.
Anyway, they both had a lot of fun! They enjoyed a fine meal at Friendly's, then headed to the dance itself. Maya was all about the snacks, as always! Cupcakes, water, veggies, the works-- she ate it all! And she danced! Gus took this very short, very dark video with his phone, but you get the general idea. She was a happy girl. And no, they weren't the only ones there-- there were about sixty "couples" total. Very, very sweet. Maya loves spending time with her daddy, and he loves spending time with her!
(for those who haven't watched the movie "Tangled" as much as we have, that song happens to be the one that plays over the closing credits. And Maya knows it very, VERY well, haha!! I'm sure she was excited that they played it!)

And that brings us to today! I raked the roof and took Niko to a birthday party. It wasn't snowing at all until the party ended, which meant that I had to drive 20+ miles in the snow, in the dark, on back roads. But having snow tires has changed my life. We are all home safe and sound, and school has already been canceled again for tomorrow. So now we just hunker down and see what this storm will bring... we have big plans to stay in our jammies and bake cupcakes tomorrow! :)