Snow!

Today is the final day of February, and we have not received much in the way of snow this winter!  I don't know if March is going to come in and make up for it, or if we are really and truly through winter.  The forecast is promising the latter with a 70F degree day in the forecast!

1-13-24 

This was the absolute worst shoveling that I have ever done!  The underlayer was solid ice.  It came off easily in some places, but under the trees (where water had melted down) we had to use copious amounts of salt to melt it and scrape it off!  It was a team effort for sure, and I would have been out there hours and hours had I been working alone!

1-14-24

This Sunday snow was a breeze to move after the ice the previous day.  

Squirrel tracks!

1-16-24 & 1-17-24

AEW had school cancelled, not because of snow but because of the cold.  The heaters in the school couldn't keep up with the constant low temperatures, so they were home.

1-20-24

The snow actually came on 1-19-24, but I was so busy shovelling twice (! once before school and once in the afternoon) because we had so much snow come down between 7&12! 

2-15-24

Not a huge amount of snow, but just enough to need shovelling. = /

I will not complain if this is my final snow post of the year!  We have already enjoyed our first 70F day of the year, and it was glorious!  I'm really pulling for spring*.

later days

*and probably tempted fate by putting two tomato seeds in my indoor planter, hoping for an early spring. = 0

Outside, in February!

Near the end of February, the big kids got a 5 day weekend, and the twins got an entire week off of school! There were several days in a row with pretty weather, and the twins were all about getting outside to ride their bikes and chalk up the sidewalk!

Emily joined them when she could, but they did much of the art alone.

After adding air to all the bike tires*, we found that Grace's bike needed a new tube, so we made a quick trip to the bike shop to get it replaced.  She said it was much easier to ride. = )

They took some pictures as it grew dark one night, and this art looked like it was glowing!

I was going to Carl's, and since it was so pretty, thought I would take my bike there.  The twins wanted to come along too.  Sadly, they didn't have the red curry powder that I was after, but I did get the twins a treat to share with their siblings.

And on Tuesday, it was above 50F before school, which is the criteria I set forth for the twins to ride to school.  So, we rode our bikes!  We had to dismount to cross the bridge and in front of the storefronts, but rode the rest of the way.  

My trip home was much faster, as I was able to stay on the road most of the trip, and didn't have to dismount. My return trip to retrieve them was also fast, but slow going on the way home. = )

We've had a high number of 70 degree days this year so far, and I'm really happy about it!  The extended forecast isn't looking as promising though.

later days

 *no good deed goes unpunished.  On my final tire, on the final bike, Emily's, the cap had rusted onto the tube.  It took two pairs of pliers and a knife to break off the cap so that I could fill it.  = (

3-1-24 edit: backdated for continuity.

Not the Rodeo

We made plans to go visit the Spartan Stampede with the Cornishes a few weeks ago.  The morning of, Natalie sent me a message that it was bleacher seating, and to bring seats if we have them.  Well, I most certainly did not, but I used some foam and a rag to make myself an ugly one!

We enjoyed a leisurely lunch at the Peanut Barrel, then headed for the rodeo, only to find it sold out. = (

This year must have been very popular, because the entire weekend was booked!   Defeated, we went back to the car to make a plan.

Ultimately, we decided to go to their house and play an escape room game.  Sadly, one of the components wasn't working, so we played a different escape room game.  We won! 

All of this playing inspired us to go to a real escape room with props and a guide!  Natalie found and booked it for us, then off we went!

It was vampire themed, which was pretty cool.  I liked most of the puzzles, it was really well done.  

I felt slightly mislead by the guide at the start, so we avoided a few things that maybe we wouldn't have, but we failed to escape within the hour. = (  Our guide did let us stay on to finish the room, which was much appreciated!

It was a very fun day, and I felt like we salvaged the day, despite not getting into the rodeo. = )

later days

3-1-24 edit: backdated for continuity.

Valentine's Day 2024

My Valentine from Billy came a while before the actual day.  Sometime in mid-January I found a flour mill!!! It was $8, but considering how expensive they are new, I was not sad at all.

I was really excited to get it home and use it.  I washed it, and dried it, then fed through some dried rice to clean it out.  Sadly, it was only putting out ground sized grains.  I tightened it several times, and then called Billy over to help me.  Sadly, when he used a tool to get it even tighter, the metal frame snapped in two. = ((((((

Well, once that happened, I finally knew what I wanted for Valentine's Day!  So, Billy spent time researching and reading reviews, and finally settled on this lovely flour mill, and it was even red!  So, Happy Valentine's Day to me! = )

Grace decided to make her own Valentine cards this year, so she painted some rocks (seriously, rocks are perfect for every occasion!) and added each student's first initial. = )  She then added some kisses into a black foam container. I'm going to try to recreate it next week, so that I can include a picture here, but if I forget, just know that it was cute!

{{edit 3-27-24:  She recreated it!!!  Super cute. = )

}}

Juliet also gave out kisses, but used some of the cards from the stash I've been collecting since Alice's preschool years!

For Billy's Valentine, I used some cardboard and box board that was in the recycling cart at Aldi to make a large heart box.  I ordered some Valentine Reeses from BJs, but they gave me Easter eggs instead. = (

At least they taste the same!

I ended up using quite a bit of tape, but made some good headway in my audio book Happy-Go-Lucky while creating it!  At the time of writing this, I've stashed it away in the Valentine's Day tub to use again next year. = )

Grace and Juliet received some sweet Valentine wishes from their Sunday School Class.

I signed up to bring some 'simple' treats for the twins' class celebration: Cute little tic-tac-toe boards, and smiley face pancakes!

Breaking the graham crackers went well!

But the icing claimed one of my whisks, by pulling out the tines. = (  It was a little thick, so my hands and arms were really tired by the time I finished the lines, and completely done when it was time to stick on the hearts!

But, they came out really, really cute!

The pancakes were easy peasy, 

but the oreos kept crumbling when I tried to cut the mouths. = (

After fighting the oreos for 30 minutes or so, and destroying more than ones that I could use, I thought I'd try to soften them by using some bread.

It worked really well!  I was able to fill my container, and then some!  

I assembled two samples at the top of the pan*, so that the students would know what to do with the candies and cookies, but sent the candies and semi-circular cookie pieces separately.

On Valentine's morning, which fell on a Wednesday this year, everyone had a box** of Aldi Chocolates, a roblox card, and a McDonald's squishmallow from us, and a card with duck or slinky from Avia. = )

When Sarah sent a picture of her Valentine, Archie, I of course had to recreate the photo with my Valentine! = )

And all of my cute handmade Valentines from the kids. = )

It was a fairly lowkey day, but we missed having my mom around, since historically she is with me (wherever that may be!)  Maybe we'll have her again next year.

later days

 *I was really excited to get a second life out of the cake walk pans the kids got at the snowball dance!

**I also kept these boxes to refill next year!

3-2-24 edit: backdated for continuity.