Snow Day!

I have my seasonal list of things that need to be done.  Swimming in the summer, raking leaves in the fall, sledding and snowman making in the winter.  It's pretty basic.  Well we finally got to check one off our list when we got the perfect snowman snow this last week, and plenty of it!

 This was not the snowman we made, but the treat for FHE from a few weeks ago.  I had to take a picture because they were so labor intensive, and un-delicious, that I do not plan on ever making them again.

 Every chance I got this week I sent the girls out to play. We've been cooped up for so long that I had to take advantage of the good weather and make it worth the hour worth of getting snow clothes on an off each time they went out.

 These were the first of 3 snow outfits that day.  Those mittens lasted about 2 minutes and I think Heidi lost a boot or something after about 5.  Daddy ran out in barefeet and shorts to save her.  Now that is love.

 It snowed all day long for nearly 2 days!  The girls were thrilled to go back out and help Daddy shovel a few driveways.  Heidi was a bit less than helpful with her rake.  She seemed to be trying to cover up all that pesky sidewalk by raking snow onto it.

We have a duck pond nearby with about a million ducks.  They used to get fed by a generous neighbor who would stop by the Hostess outlet for animal bread.  Then Hostess went out of business and the poor ducks have since been wandering the neighborhood begging for food like stray cats.  I humored them once and have since found them or their tracks all over the yard everyday.

 Heidi was climbing the mountains of snow and swimming through the piles and refusing to come inside even though a good 6 inches of leg was showing between her boot and snow pants.  I conned her into the house but first she had to grab a ball of snow so I could take a picture of it.

 Snow week was also Grandma's birthday week and we had an early family dinner to celebrate!  I usually go all out for these things but we were snowed in and I was feeling under the weather so we had to pull things together the best we could.  Alex did all the decorating, and made me proud!  She wanted streamers everywhere and balloons, balloons, balloons!  We did our best with what we had and I think everyone had fun.

 The best part of the week was when the whole family made it outside together!  Heidi loves to swing and the girls could and do spend hours on the set.  I'm afraid Tyler won't let me take it with us to PA and if we have a yard and I have a say- it's coming.

 This is the punishment for throwing snowballs at Mommy.

 Tyler made the coolest snow fort complete with second story and stairs!  The snow has no contrast so you can't really see the walls or other sweet features, but it was fantastic! In the background you can see Alex punishing Daddy again for throwing snow at Mommy.  Nice to know someone has my back.

 The girls made snowball soup, snow sandwiches and of course took off their mittens.

 Wish I could remember why Heidi was yelling at me here.  Probably something to do with me insisting she put her gloves back on or she would have to go inside.

 This is what happens when you don't wear gloves and trip into the snow.

 I swore I would document myself this pregnancy as I have about 6 pictures total of myself from the last 2 kids.  So far I've done terribly.  So here is my unmade face, you can imagine the baby bump.

We finished the day with a few snow couches, a snowman and an attempt to shovel the driveway again.  By then Daddy's had gone back inside and Mommy's back was about to give out- but the kids could have stayed out and played all day.  This is also a pretty good shot of my first successful attempt at cutting the girls bangs.  It was a terrible experience, but now I have an idea how to do it and you can once again see their eyes.