Baby it's Cold Outside!

Brr...winter is upon us!  It's cold and cold, and cold.

I don't like cold.

Jaron doesn't care if it's cold or not.

He loves snow, he is praying for snow and heading out to play in it as much as possible whenever it does snow.

We got Jaron a sled for Christmas this year...and between our little hill at the house and the big hills nearby he is going to have a lot of fun....provided I take him and don't freeze to death!

It's going to be an interesting Winter!

It's a Beautiful Day

It was near 70 degrees today here!

 It was windy, warm and gorgeous!

 It was perfect park weather!

The Big Kids, the Toddler and I all went to park this afternoon!  We had a lot of fun sliding down slides, climbing steps, swinging and going through tunnels!  So thankful for this wonderful day!

Winter

This winter I have been emotionally at war with the weather.

I have stressed, freaked out and gotten angry at the snow.

I have watched a blizzard hit, gotten excuse notes from my doctor so I don't have to drive in snow, and wondered how I would make it to work with the kids being off for snow days.

Well, it snowed last night and today I am fine with it. The kids are on Spring Break this week, I am done working and we can just be home. And it's been warm enough recently that the roads are merely wet...but I am not going anywhere so it's all good.

Spring is just around the corner! Guess I will enjoy the last hurrah of winter!

What a Week!

In case you live under a rock or in a Sunny warm area where snow is a non issue let me tell you...I just lived through my second blizzard! The weather this week has been interesting to say the least and I am so looking forward to Spring...here's a look at our week.

MONDAY:
I took the kiddos to school...there was some slight freezing drizzle, the roads weren't bad but there were slick spots so you had to be careful. I came home and did a few things since I wasn't going into work until later due to an OB appointment for my 28th week of pregnancy. Dan made it to work with no problems and all in all it was a normal day for us. I get to the doctor, get all the stuff done that I need to do and have my glucose test....hate the stuff they make you drink for this test...ick! My doctor says something about making sure I'm careful and everything and that I should probably just stay home since there is a 100% chance of snow for the next day and a blizzard warning. Well, I spoke up and said that it would help if I had a doctor's note excusing me from work since pregnancy and driving are not the best combo and my company would be more understanding if I had doctor's recommendation to stay home...and he wrote it. The kids ended up with a early dismissal and then Dan worked later than normal...let me just say that our Babysitter in the afternoon is totally awesome! I get home and then learn that the kids school is being cancelled for the next day which I was totally expecting and I get ready to plan for a quiet day at home watching the snow fall....Dan prepares to leave for work earlier and we have a contingency plan set up for him to possibly stay near his work for the evening if the roads are bad.

TUESDAY:
Dan and I wake up early...Dan leaves early for work and makes it before it really starts snowing. The kids and I prepare to be home. By 8:30 we can't see the road pavement...it's snowing steadily and I am thankful to not be driving in the weather. At 10:45 I get a call from Dan saying that they have closed his company for the day and that he is on his way home. He gets home by 12:30 and we enjoy a nice lunch together...it was a lazy afternoon watching the blizzard blow in and seeing the weather and wind change....we were kinda mean parents and sent Jaron for the trash cans in the middle of a heavy patch of snow! Dan and I got naps...that evening Dan and I call his company and find out that we all have a snow day for the next day...in fact my work closed on Wednesday as well. We enjoy a family movie night that night and look forward to sleeping in.

WEDNESDAY:
We start the process of digging out. Our house has a super long driveway that runs the length of the house to a cement pad in the back where the garages are and so it takes a LONG time to shovel...so long in fact that we techincally haven't totally finished. Both cars were in the garage too so we had to clear enough room to get the cars out of the garages. We worked for many hours and still didn't finish the job...we get a call that the kids don't have school for Thursday too. This starts the great debate of who stays home with the kids and what to do..Dan decides its his turn and that he will drive me to work after getting the van out.

THURSDAY:
Dan gets the curb clear and gets the van out so he can take me to work. Then he and the kids spend the afternoon clearing the walk and enough room in the driveway to park the two cars. I went to work and found out that I had no kids on Tuesday so I totally felt better for not being at work...the conditions were really bad...Dan picks me up from work and we enjoy a pizza dinner at Pizza Hut.

FRIDAY:
School is back on and it's a normal day. Dan goes to work and then gets a flat tire. So on my lunch break I have to head to the bank and do a balance transfer so Dan can get four new tires for the van. Again very thankful for the babysitter who was able to watch the kids longer than normal. I get home totally exhausted. The week really hit mehard and the baby was very active all day causing me pain. Add to the pain uncomfortable chairs and hard floors and I feel like I am totally done.

Only 5 more weeks of work....I really hope there are no more snow days....I'm beyond exhausted from all the planning and detail arranging. Being 29 weeks pregnant makes for slower movements and added tiredness...plus I'm often starving.

Looking forward to a less busy weekend and couponing grocery trip...and some good naps!

Winter's Last Stand (hopefully)

These are the sights I woke up to yesterday morning. We had a full on SNOW storm on the FIRST day of SPRING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Between 6-10 inches fell in our immediate area with more to the south of us. It's already starting to melt, but Friday afternoon Dan and I went for a lunchdate and it was nice and warm and SPRINGlike. I guess WINTER wanted to make sure that it got it's last HURRAH!!!!

I'm hoping once again for warm temperatures and NO MORE SNOW!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sunshine

I am so thankful that God created Sunshine and Light.

Sunshine is wonderful, even the coldest day doesn't seem as cold when the sun in shining. Today was cold with temperatures below 40 degrees, and yet I didn't really need the heater on in my car and my mood was good. I think it all had to do with the sunshine.

We have had sun for several days this week and it has helped me to maintain a more positive outlook on life!

I'm also enjoying that the sun is staying out longer during the day and that when I leave for work in the morning the sun is starting to peek out...guess I'll be needing some new sunglasses soon!

Snowy Friday

Another winter storm is working its way across the area.

It's going to snow for most of the day.

Another 2-4 inches are expected.

No snow day but a snowy day.

I guess the groundhog saw it's SHADOW!

Fog

Our area of Missouri has had fog every morning for 10 days!

Fog can be both beautiful and dangerous. It's gorgeous to see the low lying clouds and when it freezes on trees and poles it's reflective quality is truly unique. It's dangerous to drive in especially when your car is the same color!

I'm looking forward to seeing the sun...for bright days rather then the gray and fog. I'm craving Spring right now.

Fog is also good for lazy days around the house. After cleaning this morning I spent a well deserved afternoon curled in my chair with a blanket. I had yummy hot chocolate and 2 good books!(I'm sad to say that I read 2 full books today) It was a wonderfully relaxing and battery recharging afternoon. I'm looking forward to maybe getting to some of the same tomorrow!

Wow...

January is half gone!

This year is already starting to fly by. I can't believe it. The kids are back to school, I am back to school, Dan is working and we are all trying to start having better habits.

The kids have been spending lots of quality time with their Dad and the Wii. My aunt had sent Christmas money for the kids and we used it towards another Wii remote. So now we have 3. All three of them can play together! It's a good and noisy thing! The game of choice is Super Mario Bros for Wii...it's a lot of fun but they can be rather rowdy with it.

I'm starting to build better habits for myself. Please check out my cleaning blog for my progress and successes and failures.

My sister called me today from her vacation in Puerto Rico...I'm so jealous of her getting to go to a warm climate! I am wishing for some warm weather right about now! However, she really needed a vacation and so I am happy that she has gotten this break!

We are thinking of taking a mini vacation during the kids Spring Break...if they get a full week...snow days may have interfered. So we are waiting and debating about what to do. Dan will take some time regardless since he doesn't get the holidays the kids and I do. So we have things to look forward to in the near future!

This year is off to a good start!

How Do you Spell Relief???

Remember that old commercial where they ask "How do you spell Relief?" And people would answer and say...R.O.L.A.I.D.S. well if you were to ask me how I spell Relief...it would be R.O.U.T.I.N.E.

School looks to be on for tomorrow! WAHOO!

No more being cooped up from the frigid cold and snow days!

Don't get me wrong...I enjoy a good snow day...but we had 3...about 1 more than I like...and the kids got an extra week of break.

I am looking forward to being back on a routine, to knowing what to except during a week, and having less "free" time on our hands.

I know many people aren't looking forward to going back to school but I am!

Safe and Warm

Dan is home safe...got home around 4 this morning. Had trouble getting into the driveway due to the layer of thick ice from the snow plow but he is home. Safe and Warm...he's asleep now, the kids are still asleep, I wish I was asleep but I woke up when Dan got home and was unable to go back to sleep.

I think I'll make some hot chocolate, curl up with a book or a taped show on the DVR and wait for the kiddos to make their appearance.

It's going to be a cold one today...glad for a snow day and a warm house.

A Storm is Brewing

We are about to get another big dose of winter weather.

I'm home today since my school, the kids school, and about every other school district I know of cancelled school for today.

We're supposed to get snow and then an Arctic Blast will move through with gusting winds and brutally cold wind chills. That will happen tonight and there is a chance of blizzard like conditions over night...when Dan is driving home....so I will be in watching and praying mode tonight as I askGod for safety for my husband as he drives home from work. He's a good driver and careful but the weather is so yucky and I am worried about visibility for him.

I haven't seen weather like this in many years and it's a good thing we don't have them every year, cuz, I might lose my sanity...

The Never Ending Winter

Okay, I will admit that I am probably exaggerating...but seriously, it feels like this winter is never going to end. We are only technically 15 days into "WINTER" but for the past 15 days we have had ice, snow, cold, snow, brutal cold, wind chills below zero, snow, and tonight we are bracing for another round of SNOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The kids have another snow day tomorrow. I may have a snow day tomorrow, or I may not, being a small private school we don't have the same issues as other schools and so we don't as readily cancel, but we may, I'm not in charge of the decision. The weather people are predicting Blizzard like conditions for Wednesday Night/Thursday morning...so some worrisome nights for Dan.

I'm just not enjoying this winter at all. It's full of things that make me tired...so I am off to snuggle up with a good book...or just sleep.

Snow, Snow, Snow, Snow, SNOW...

Since I watched White Christmas about 4 times on Christmas Eve I have lots of the songs stuck in my head.

One of my favorite songs is the SNOW song...where they sing about how wonderful it will be to be in snow in Vermont. But that's the song...I really don't like snow....in fact it could be said that I almost hate snow.

Don't get me wrong, I like SNOW days, I appreciate that as a teacher I get these days from school. I just don't like SNOW....it's cold, its wet, its cold, its wet, it's slippery, have I mentioned it's COLD...I hate cold. I hate that feeling of being cold, and wet. It's no fun in my book. I love fall and cool weather, I enjoy Spring...I LOVE SUMMER! I would much rather be hot than cold.

It's snowed so much recently. I'm tired of it...if we didn't see another snowflake this winter I would satisfied with the snow we have gotten. However, it looks like there may be alot of snow this winter, and a lot of cold that comes with it....I will have to deal with it. It may be a LONG WINTER!

One could get used to this

I had a very low key day!

I chilled, napped, ate, read, shopped, and relaxed.

It was just what I needed!

I get another low key day tomorrow!

I could get used to this!

Countdown to Christmas Vacation

Wahoo...only one for day!

One more day!

Then I get 2 delicious weeks off of school!

My house needs me at home for longer than 2 days!

My kids need me home too and they need a break from school!

The kids have 3 days of school...so I am going to help with their parties next week. It'll be nice to be the mom rather than the teacher!

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Excited!

Baby It's Cold Outside

We are in a cold snap right now....it was 3 degrees when I left the house this morning.

It took at least 10 minutes for my car to warm up today and I was glad that I have a heater in my car....it was so cold!

I had a bad case of Mama guilt as I instructed the kiddos on what to wear to the bus and what time to leave the house so they were not standing in the freezing cold too long this morning. I am thankful we live right across the street from the bus stop but oh it was so cold this morning.

I am so thankful that it will be warming up soon...and that at least at night we are nice and warm in our cozy home. There are cold parts but thankfully I don't have to be in those constantly, like closets, and the laundry room. The back door had ice on the inside window but I have another door that keeps that cold air from coming in the house. So thankful for the warmth of my home!

I am also thankful for my little furnace that gives off the heat and that it is working! Wouldn't want to revist this scenario.

The Saga of the Heat

This is my furnace, my wonderful furnace that brings us the heat in the little ol house of the Jonathan's..This is the furnace the really sad furnace that stopped working one week during the cold and stopped providing the heat for the little ol house of the Jonathan's....
This is the Thermostate our brand new thermostat which can handle the signal which comes from the furnace to help give us heat in the little Ol house of the Jonathan's...

This is the snow, the really cold snow that gave me such stress, when the thermostat and furnace were giving no heat, for the little ol house of the Jonathan's...

This is the ice that fell before the snow, that coated the trees and the roads, and made it much more difficult for the man that was coming to fix the furnace that gives us the heat for the little ol house of the Jonathan's....

This is the snow, the beautiful snow that I can appreciate so much more, when the furnace has been fixed and is again providing the heat for the little ol house of the Jonathan's!

The END.

Round Two

The heater stopped working around 4 am last night....now I am waiting to call the emergency number to let our landlord know. I don't like calling people really early on a Saturday...I'm not sure if they will get someone out to look at it...so we are using our bathroom space heater and I am planning on using the oven today to keep the main family areas warm.

On a side note...we live in Kansas City which is notorious for not knowing what the weather is going to do..so the question really is ...Will it Snow today or not?

Brrr...Brrrr....Brrrrr

It's in the single digits and the temperature just keeps on dropping. I'm dreading the bus stop in the morning...it's so cold! It's nights like this I am thankful for a warm bed, comfy jammies and thick blankets. It's nights like these that I am glad that Dan and I have so many comforters on our bed...since he isn't here until the wee hours of the morning I can keep as many as I want all to my self and be warm in my nice cocoon.