I wish I was in Virginia Beach about now

You know that it is a crappy winter when Virginia Beach and coastal North Carolina get over or suppose to get over 6 inches of snow. Virginia Beach is suppose to get 6-10 inches of snow.  Good grief, it has been at least 3 years since we have seen that kind of snow and we use to get snow every winter.  Now here in Central Virginia, we don't get lake effect snow like New England or Michigan, but we usually get a few good snowfalls in, this here. We have had 0.56 inches (though I think that was being generous) and now a coating. I guess more could be added tonight, but I am not holding my breath. We still have February and March to get through, but I would really like warm weather, this high in the 20's and lows in the teens and single digits is for the birds. I am sitting here in the my living room and I can feel the cold air seeping in from our side door even with the gas log fireplace going. I realize how spoiled we are, we have indoor plumbing and heat and replacement windows that have made a big difference. I can't imagine what winters were like during the 1910's and 1920's  especially in the Midwest. I don't think I could have survived. I recently finished the book, The Orphan Train  and in it the main character wakes up to frost on her cheeks because it is so cold in the house.  She describes the house she was living in, in Minnesota as being dark and extremely drafty due to the spaces between the boards and the lack of warm clothes and blankets. I can't imagine surviving the winter in Minnesota in a house that is so primitive or even having to go outside to use an outhouse during the cold winter. I don't even like going to my car, I could imagine having to use the bathroom outside.  So basically I shouldn't complain because I have it pretty darn good, probably better than most, but I get terribly grumpy when I am cold.

the snow that never came

The national weather service predicted 3-5 inches. 
Local news said 2-4. 
An amateur meteorologist I followed said 1-2. 
What happened?
A half an inch if you round up.

The ground is somewhat covered, the sidewalks 50/50, and the roads are wet, but there's no school tomorrow for the kids.
It is suppose to get cold tonight, 4 degrees Fahrenheit and the wet will freeze and it will be nasty in the morning, but two hours delayed sounds appropriate.
Wednesday is my cleaning day and I will have kids at home, not good.
It has been a very disappointing day.
When the weather people predict snow a week out it never turns into anything.
When they decide it is going to snow a day or two ahead of a storm it usually does, except for days like today when it doesn't.
It was suppose to start at 6 am, at 6, nothing.
Then they said mid-morning, still nothing.
Then it was 1-2, and it continued to do nothing.
Finally a little before 3pm some very fine wintery stuff fell and kept falling, but it was so fine and dry that it really didn't accumulate.

Overall today was a total snow bust.
What makes things even worse, it isn't suppose to get anywhere close to 50 degrees in the next 10 days.
Ahhhhhhh!  I want my global warming back.

we have fire!

So after several phone calls, two weeks of waiting, and an accumulation of parts, we have working gas logs!  So the part that the company sent me was not going to help with our current problem, but it may be useful in the future if the thermocouple or pilot light piece goes bad (especially since the part costs about a hundred dollars).    The thermocouple, the pilot light, the oxygen sensor, nor the gas line was the problem.  The part that our installer had pointed to was the problem it is just he didn't have the name right, the thermocouple attaches to it, it is just a temperature sensor and it was malfunctioning or maybe loose.  Our installer tweaked it, showed me how to reset it, started the logs and they have been working great ever since.  Jeff tried calling the company again to get a new part, but they wouldn't help him out and so he has to wait and see if they malfunction again since they seem to be working fine now.  So I kept them on all afternoon and we were able to turn them off and back on again after dinner.   I am thankful we didn't try and fix it ourselves because we could have messed things up, I am also glad we didn't buy a replacement part, but most of all I am thankful they finally work. 
So today we just hung out in the house all day long, it was all good until about 5 o'clock, you know that time when I can't referee because I am trying to make dinner.  I made a new recipe I found on Pinterest for dinner tonight.  I am a little hesitant to try and make new things because I am afraid we won't like it and the food will go to waste, but I stepped out of my safe zone and tried a new recipe for macaroni and cheese.  I was a little afraid because it used evaporated milk and eggs and A LOT of cheese and did I mention it was a Martha Stewart recipe which can be scary in of itself since she is not known for safe and easy.  Lily my macaroni and cheese lover gave it a thumbs down, but Jeff and Lance really liked it.  It was like a quiche with macaroni noodles instead of a crust, it was good, not my favorite.  Next time I think I would only make half a recipe because we barely ate half of it.  One benefit to this recipe over my standard is that the whole wheat noodles weren't as noticeable. I usually use half whole wheat and half regular noodles and we can usually tell the difference, but in this recipe we couldn't. 
So it has been one week and we have kept with our meal planning, tomorrow will be the real test.  The Chicken Alfredo shells for tomorrow are good, but they are a pain to make and you can't really make them ahead of time so we will see if I can stick with my schedule or if I will wimp out.
I failed my walking outside everyday streak today, even though saying I walked Sunday was a stretch, today I only opened my door to get the mail, no walking outside, maybe tomorrow, it is suppose to be close to 30 (twice as warm as today).  Or maybe I will just wait until the weekend. . .
So tonight I am grateful for a working gas log fireplace, that we survived a inside all day, for friends who will come over for a playdate on a moments notice, for working at a community college that starts a week after my kids, and for Mars Hill podcasts, but that is a post for another day.

polar vortex

As I am sitting here in my cheery and warm yellow room I can hear the wind howling outside.  It is currently 15 degrees with a windchill of 3.  Now for those people in (and from) the Midwest  and north, this was more than their high temperature was today, but for Virginia this is like being at the North Pole.  Those of us below the Mason Dixon line aren't use to this weather.  We like the occasional dip into the upper twenties, but we aren't use to seeing single digits on the thermometer which we will experience tonight.  In fact, according to the local news, the normal high is 45 and normal low is 25 and the possibility of breaking the record low from 1912 could happen tonight is kind of crazy to think about.  Tomorrow the high is suppose to be in the teens.  I can't wrap my head around this considering at 4 this afternoon I was taking a walk to get some exercise and it was 35 degrees and tomorrow it will be half that.  What makes things even more mind blowing, it is suppose to be close to 60 degrees on Sunday.  I love warm weather, but sometimes the constant up and down of temperatures make adjusting to the cold weather extremely difficult.  I am finally use to mid 30's.  I can take a walk and not get all stiff and miserable and too whiny when I have to step outside.  Well this weekend is going to be warm and all next week it is suppose to be in the 50's which I will enjoy, but at the same time the following week it will probably get cold again and I will have to readjust and be miserable for a couple of days.  The roller coaster of temperatures is also causing havoc on my sinuses.  So back to the polar vortex, it almost seems like something from the movie "The Day After Tomorrow."  When I taught high school, I always showed this to my students before break because it kind of dealt with the topic of climate change and explained how climate change doesn't just bring warm temperatures, it can cause extreme cold because you will only warm up to a point and then plunge into an potential ice age.  Now I don't know exactly what has caused this event and if it can be tied to climate change, or just sensationalized media and weathermen who like to name everything these days.  Regardless, I am hoping and praying the strong winds blowing outside don't knock out our power since our gas logs are still not working and that none of our pipes freeze.  So hopefully we can survive unscathed and enjoy our day home tomorrow since there is no school because you can't risk having the students get frostbitten while standing out at the bus stop.  So tonight I am thankful for a warm home, that I live in an area that this kind of cold only occurs every century, and for indoor plumbing and furnaces, I don't know how people survived the winters centuries ago. I am also thankful for a brisk walk this afternoon that I was able to take by myself, it was quite invigorating and I  look forward to getting out more in a couple of days when everything thaws out.

embracing the winter

The high today was 30 degrees and I went outside with the kids.  This is huge for me, I absolutely hate the cold, I would love to move to Florida.  For me 55 is cold, well actually 60 if I am really honest.  I can handle hot much better than cold, but today I handled the cold better than expected.  The kids and I took a walk, they played on a church playground, and they rode their scooters all over the church parking lot, basically I stayed outside for at least 30 minutes.  I know if I lived above the Michigan or Canada or anywhere north of me 30 degrees would be warm, but I don't,  I don't like winter and I don't like cold temperatures.  I should also note I have two kids who don't seem affected by cold weather and can be perfectly happy in jeans, a long sleeve tee, gloves, and hat where as I have one a long sleeve tee, sweatshirt, down jacket, long johns, jeans, gloves, hat, and scarf.  Maybe I am cold natured, my fingers and toes are always freezing, but maybe I can change that. 
So today I am thankful that I didn't let the cold weather keep me from going outside for a little bit of exercise and fresh air.  We are on a roll, 5 days, it takes 21 days to start a habit so let's see I have 6 more days to go. 

what a week

Saturday there was this:

walk in the woods on a warm day

The weather was sunny and the high was 60.
We went for a walk on the trail and enjoyed the warm, spring like weather.

it is amazing how plants will grow anywhere

 We saw signs on spring, we looked forward to continued warmer temperatures and everything turning green and beautiful.

Then on Sunday, we had this:

as soon as the snow started accumulating lily was out and playing

It started snowing around noon and didn't stop until 10pm that night.

all cozy beneath a blanket of snow

It took awhile for it to stick since it had been so warm the day before.

the yard toys covered with snow

But eventually everything including the roads were covered. We got about 8 inches of snow.
It was crazy, my kids loved it though:

lily loved the snow

Despite running a low grade fever and a bad cough Lily had played outside in the snow, she probably shouldn't have being sick and all, but this is our one and only snow this winter and I couldn't let her miss out.
Monday morning my classes were cancelled so we headed down the street for some fun in the snow before it melted. 

enjoying the sun after a very dreary Sunday snow day

We went out about 9:30 and it is a good thing, by the time we headed in around 11 the snow had melted substantially.

getting ready to head down the hill

It was amazing how 8 inches of snow could disappear so quickly.

lance enjoying the sunny snow day

By late afternoon you won't have known we had gotten more than an inch of snow on the ground.

Then yesterday, Wednesday we had this:

62 degrees 2-3 days after an 8 inch snowfall

and today it is suppose to be 70, it isn't a surprise that everyone is all congested, this weather is quite a roller coaster, we even had a thunderstorm last night, which was quite a surprise.
There are still a few piles of snow hiding out in the shade, somehow surviving the 60 degree weather, it seems weird to see a pile of snow when it is warm enough to be without a jacket.

the remains of our snowman

So it went from warm, spring to snowy winter, back to spring in five days.  Our one and only snow for the winter has come and gone and I am ready for spring and summer, but thankful for our one snowfall because it would be sad if we went a whole winter without one.

On totally unrelated news, to add to this crazy week: our washing machine is broken.  I normally do laundry on Thursdays and the bedsheets on Saturdays but in preparation for Disney and some extra motivation I did a load of laundry last night.  Shortly after starting the load, I realized that the washing machine wasn't not  emptying and spinning.  Upon investigation we discovered a part had broken, the door open sensor. Thanks to the Internet and Google we figured out what was broken with the machine and how to take the washing machine apart to get the broken part.  So today on my laundry day this is what my machine looks like:

Hopefully a local store in town will have the part we need so we don't have to order it.  I am thankful we found the problem and it isn't too big of a problem, but a little disappointed because I would love a front loading machine, I just don't want to spend the money on one especially if I have a working machine.

weekend

This was a birthday weekend.
Lance was invited to a friend's birthday party.  It was at the skating rink that also has an indoor climbing/jungle gym apparatus/contraption as well as an arcade.  Lance only knew the birthday boy and at age 5/6 in a huge place like we were in everyone kind of did their own thing, so Lance and I had some time to hang out together minus Lily, it was fun.
We played in the arcade first and I got to teach Lance how to play Skee-ball.  After we used up all our tokens we redeemed his tickets for some junk then he played in the indoor whatever then it was time in the party room.
The party room was crazy, it had moving lights on the wall.

the glow party room

  The kids had glow bracelets and necklaces, and they had cups that had lights that looked like they could induce seizures. 

the glow cup

After pizza, soda, and cupcakes we headed back out and Lance got to try roller skating. I wanted to skate myself to see if I could still do it, but it took all my concentration to keep Lance on his feet so I held him around the rink a few time before calling it quits.  We played a little more in the arcade which was kind of lame, most of the games were winning tickets by luck not skill, I say this as though skee-ball requires skill, but it is more than just putting in a token and pulling a handle.
So Lance and I had fun, me being the germ freak would not have chosen to spend the afternoon there, but we went and had fun.

trying out skating

We headed home and had a few hours to rest before our second birthday party, it was my sister birthday. Fortunately, this party was low key and we just enjoyed pizza and cake and the kids helped Amy open her presents.
Yesterday, we "worshipped" at the house of Panera. 

a moment of sweetness

We are looking for a church, but it has been difficult and the last couple of weeks we have spent time together as a family.  After breakfast and a trip to Target which involved finding some good deals since I visited every sale rack and endcap we headed home. 

breakfast

I prepped for lecture today and then we all headed outside to play.  We try and play outside everyday, it is easy in the spring and summer, but in the winter I hate it, especially when it is cold.  I put on a pair of leggings under my jeans and braved the 36 degrees to play outside.  I felt quite energized after being outside, it was the cure to a blah, cold, overcast day.  I got all my work done for this week (yay!) and did a little grocery shopping.  After fixing dinner, we watched Beauty and the Beast as a family and played with glow sticks. 

glow stick and camera fun

So for a cold, snow-free weekend, it was fun and the cold wasn't so bad.

the third snow storm

a peek at the snow fun from the 3rd snowstorm we've had this winter, we haven't had this much snow in YEARS, since I was in high school, and now with the accumulation standard set so high, a few inches (the normal winter snow amount) will seem like nothing
Friday: when the storm hit, we only got 6 inches, but that was on top of the 12 we had accumulated the weekend before and 2 inches from tuesday night

can you just tell how desperate we are for spring?  playing on the swing set in the snow

One of Lance's mittens was still damp and I could only find one matching, dry pair of mittens so both kids had mismatched mittens, it looks quite funny on Lil' since one is so much bigger than the other, as you can see, she still isn't much of a fan of the snow

Saturday: 

we went to my mother's house for sledding since she had a hill Lance could sled down by himself, he had a blast and Lily could stay inside and play since she still doesn't like snow which allowed Lance and I to spend a little quality time together

still has the mismatched gloves!  he was so proud of himself going down the hill by himself and carrying his sled back up, he kept shouting "no help!"

 

preparing to take the plunge, yes those are pink snownboots- they were free (hand-me-downs for Lil') and they fit him and when fall came I didn't think we would get enough snow to warrant buying snow boots, I was wrong, but he loves them and they work

Sunday:

it was warm and there was a crust on the snow so Lance was able to try out snowboarding and Lily tolerated the snow since she could walk on to so we got some outside time in while I aired out the house- I opened up all the windows to get all the germs out! it may not help, but makes me feel better

So despite the cold, sickness, and all the precip we have had some fun outdoors, I am so ready for spring or at least for the snow to go away, or at least for a week or two

12 inches of snow, are we still in Virginia?

 

this is the second large snowfall of the winter, in fact, it has only snowed twice this year and both times we have gotten dumped on, all this snow makes me feel like we live up north and not below the Mason-Dixon line

 

after this, a few inches (the old lots of snow standard) is going to seem like nothing

 

Lily was not a fan of the snow, this is one of the few times she was actually smiling while out in the cold

 

I hate the cold, but I love snow and had a good time making snow angels, forts, and snowmen with Lance

 

lance even got to try out snowboarding for the first time, it was kind of hard for him because there was so much snow and it was so light and powdery

 

so the last two days have been a winter wonderland and we have been enjoying every second

there is something just magical about snow and I hope this won't be the snowstorm of the season, hopefully February will bring even more, but after a week of cold temps and lingering snow, I might change my mind

month old snow

In the middle of December, the 18th and 19th to be specific we got snow.
We got the every 10 years big dump of snow, 12.5 inches a record for December around here.
So much snow that there is still snow around which is very rare, most snow only lasts a few days around here, but it has been frigid here and the snow has stuck around.
Since my children broke my camera in November I didn't have my own camera to document the historic snow.  Jeff did, but he uploaded the photos onto the store computer and I haven't had a chance to access the photos and post them.
So a month late, but here is a glimpse of our snow fun.

our house

sitting on the car to demonstrate how much snow there was

sledding

all bundled up and enjoying the snow

so ready for spring

we need spring or warmer temperatures desperately around here because we are going stir crazy and here's the proof:

 we have been wearing sunglasses in the house

and taken to wearing only 1 slipper

worked on circus tricks

do you think cirque du soleil would consider toddler balancing as an act?

and then there is couch/ ottoman jumping, the kids favorite evening activity

lily is getting better at her jumps, she use to just step down, but as you can see she is learning to let it all go

today it was suppose to snow, but unfortunately at last minute the weather people said nevermind and now we are getting nothing- not even a dusting, grr, they get our hopes up and then we get nothing- so frustrating.  So tomorrow is going to be another cold day when we are stuck inside.

Can't wait for spring.

unbelievable

where to begin.  .
we got 12.5 inches of snow Friday night and Saturday, that is the most we have had in like 10 years.
It was fun and now I want the snow to go away and spring to come.
Saturday we noticed Lance's eyes were watery and swollen.
Sunday they didn't look much better and I concluded he had pink eye.
Monday, took him to the doctor, sure enough, pink eye.
Tuesday morning, Lily woke up and one of her eyes looked goopy.
Wednesday afternoon Lance would no take a nap and started screaming and crying and was inconsolable, took him the to doctor, ear infection.
This morning, got Lily out of her bed and she was burning up, she has a fever.  She doesn't seem to be in any pain, but she has a cold.
It has been just one thing after another and I am ready for spring.

the new addition to our family

weekend update:
lance and lily playing while mommy is working hard- I love/hate my kitchen so this weekend I tried to get back to loving it by rearranging it. I hadn't really organizing and rearranged since we moved in and of course since that happened almost 5 years ago I have acquired lots more kitchen gadgets and I was at the point where there was no more room and I could never find anything. So yesterday I emptied out the kitchen and today I reorganized and I have found a home for everything and tons more room. I can get more! yeah right!

I did it! I didn't spend my last paycheck on bills or anything practical, I broke it down and got the DYSON!!!!

he
It is wonderful!
Why I Love it?
1- it is works, it really, really works
2- it is lightweight
3- it is quiet
4- it is small so we can tuck in in a corner
5- it has washable filters and bagless, so I don't have to buy anything additional
6- it is quiet and lance isn't afraid of it
7- it only weighs 11 lbs
8- it is cool looking
9- did i mention it actually works? it sucks!!!!!
10- also my husband likes it, maybe he will vacuum too

so since it is a rainy/sleety/snowy afternoon we did what anyone bored would do, take pictures while playing with our new toy! note how microscopic our kitchen is, i have to say it does have plenty of counter space, but it is small. In our next house, I want a big kitchen.
see even lance likes it and he would never touch any other vacuum, heck, he doesn't walk into a room alone with other vacuums.

starting him young! he is going to be a fine husband one day.

to give you a size perspective- it is the same size as Lily! So life is good and we are having a little too much fun cleaning!

So we have been vacuuming like crazy, i had been putting off vacuuming for a week or two so now I am going all out, my floors will be crumb free!