It Snowed Here Too

Yesterday there was all sorts of hoo-hah and related panic over possible snow in New York.  Well we got some here too.  Not so much that the city was closed down but enough to stop me doing the grocery shopping or taking the kids to swimming lessons and enough to have to shovel the driveway 3 times.

This is how deep it was when it stopped at about 5pm.

 The kids declared that it was too cold to play out last night after school but they went in the garden for a muck about this morning.

The only time you could call her an angel

Jacob is becoming an expert at either avoiding cameras completely or managing to look away just in time to never have his face in a photo but I do my best.

He's kneeling down, it's not that deep

Icicles

No posts last week as although it was very busy it was definitely not very interesting or photogenic.  Tax forms, waiting in for insurance people to call and servicing the Rav don't make for riveting reading.  I did make new pyjama pants for Jacob and another neck warmer for Rose (first one already missing in action) while I was waiting by the phone but both the kids declined to be photographed.

The weekend was quiet but we decided to visit Shell Park again, partly because the kids needed to get the crazies out...

And also because it has been so cold that I was sure there would be some good pack ice on the lake.  As you can see I was wrong about that but there were some really neat icicle formations.

Ooh, a Beaver Dam

This week I got very excited when I read that some beavers have built a dam in Paletta Park right here in the middle of Burlington, so as temperatures had risen to a moderate -6 I dragged the family out to have a look.

There was some minor confusion about which bridge it was built next to and a lot of extra walking during which we discovered where all the ducks go in winter.

But in the end we found it conveniently located right next to the car park that we had left 15 minutes previously.  The kids and Tom were not impressed and even I was slightly underwhelmed, can you spot it in this photo?

I'm not at all sure what I expected (had got confused between 'dam' and 'lodge' for one thing) but the little pile of snow covered leaves that we found was not it.  Still, the gnawed off pencil trees were pretty cool.  Maybe I'll come down when things have thawed out and see if it looks any more Narnia like.

 

Attention Video Game Players

This is a pre-announcement as I think there's a link problem, but you should still visit Jacob's website, Bonegaming (click here).  He and his friend Ian have been busy building games with a view to making their first million but at the moment you can download them for free.  Or you will be able to when he sorts the link to the games page out after school.

And for photographic purposes here is Rose with this year's Amaryllis.

Tidy Room = 'New' Stationery

At the weekend we had an enormous clear out and tidy up in Jacob's room.  Now you can see the (newly cleaned) floor and here is Jacob passed out on it with shock.

 As part of the process A LOT of bits of paper went into the recycling, filling up the box so that I couldn't get anything else in.  Yesterday morning I did some garbage management and found enough GOOS (good on one side) paper to make these notebooks.

 You'd think I had better things to do.

And finally here's what Rose wore to school yesterday.

Beating the Baltic Weather

It's been very cold out here this week.  It was worst on Wednesday (I think) at -16 and I have been forced to unearth my snow pants for the school run despite looking like a depressed Teletubby, so much for glamorous Apres-ski style.

Yesterday I got fed up of constant complaints about cold chins and abandoned all non-essential jobs to make neck warmers for the kids.  Not very exciting as they are made from leftovers, Jacob's from his dressing gown and Rose's from a pair of socks I knitted Tom a few years ago, but I think they'll do the job.

Look, even Rose is having problems with style in this weather.

Some Sewing History

While I was on blogging holiday I did a considerable amount of sewing.  Here are 2 pillows I made to try to save us from drowning in a sea of beige.

I also made the rather fine dressing gown that Jacob is sporting.

And here is a sneak peek of a secret for the time being project.

Which coincidentally is a great view of all Rose's new gaps.  She wrenched out her first 3 teeth in the past few weeks, I'm not sure if they were even loose so I hope some more grow in there soon.

Christmas Cooking

I've just been downloading the few photos I took over the past couple of months with Jacob's camera.  I'm afraid there are pitifully few but I did snap these of the kids making gingerbread houses a week or so before Christmas.

They both have new haircuts here and are somehow contriving to look both cute and (even more alarming) clean.  I don't suppose either state lasted for long.

Happy 2015

Or

An Utterly Stupid Post to Start the Year

Or even

A Fruity Dr Who Moment

We inherited a large stack of Christmas napkins a couple of years ago and in the name of sustainability and reducing waste etc etc we have been diligently using them up.  Last night we delicately wiped our fingers on these.

'EXTERMINATE!!!!'

Anyway, I have lots of resolutions for this year, blogging again and buying a new camera being top of the list but I'll talk about that in another post.  For now, hope you had a lovely Christmas and Best wishes for 2015.