Blizzard Day

Today . . . .

• Bud had a fever and spent much of the time napping . . . 
• except when he was building a Lego (The Tower of Orthanc) from the Magic Trunk;
• Sis also had a Lego (the Corsairs' ship from LOTR);
• but she also spent a ton of time outside with the neighbor girl across the street sledding down neighbor's yard, working on yesterday's fort, building a tunnel in the snowbank, making snowballs, drinking homemade hot chocolate, playing with the other kids from the cul de sac;
• we watched Guardians of the Galaxy, again (we watched it and Maleficent the last couple of nights);
• Bud and Mama played Infinity, then Sis and Mama played Infinity;
• I crocheted using the Crazy Stitch a blanket for the downstairs cats;
• I snuggled with Patron, who slept behind my knees on the couch;
• Mama cleared the driveway and sidewalk with snowblower and cleared off our cars;
• I made chicken stock from yesterday's baked chicken and then made chicken noodle soup;
• we all nibbled on yesterday's ANZAC biscuits (which are delicious but too spread out--something went wonky with the recipe; I'll post it later);
• we talked to Gommie about her injection (for her newly-diagnosed spinal stenosis; it went very well) and then about Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit, which she is studying up on to be ready for her visit in two weeks;
• and we're slowly getting ready to resume a somewhat limited schedule tomorrow--Sis will go to school (which is delayed two hours) and Bud will be home with me trying to get better; only Mama will do her usual work thing.

So, a pretty good blizzard for us.  Besides if there had been a ton more snow, Mama would have had a lot more work and we probably would've gotten stir crazy from more days in the house.  This was just about perfect.

Hibernation

We're all home safe and ready for the storm.  Fully stocked and prepped, we have arts and crafts, movies, Legos, games, and such.  We're actually looking forward to all the accumulation, anywhere from one to two feet, but not to the wind which might gust above 70 mph.  School has been canceled for tomorrow and, eventually I'm guessing, for Wednesday.  I'll keep you posted, unless we lose power.

Something Snowy This Way Comes

When I went to bed, the forecast read 6-12 inches.

When I woke up, it had doubled--one to two feet!!!!

We're having snow!   Probably a blizzard.

I've posted a lot about snow and preparations--how to get ready, what to do in it for fun (and here), and just general tips for novices--and we're checking off our list as we get things done.  Mama is out with the kids at the store; I'm home with a tight back (nothing serious) and a healthy regard for black ice.  The trickiest part for us is if we lose power.  We don't have a generator (we think about it every season and then decide we don't need it.)  But we have a propane stove to use on our easily ventilated porch, if need be.  Otherwise, we have lots of blankets.  (Our chimney is old and not up to code for using--the flue is too narrow for both a fire and the exhaust from the furnace and it would be too expensive to widen it including altering the roof; but, if there's no electricity to run the furnace, I suppose we could light a fire.  That would be last resort.  No worries, we keep the chimney clean and in working order.  And have carbon monoxide monitors on all floors.)

For now, we're just waiting and taking bets on when it comes, how much, and how it affects school. The kids are dreaming of days off and mountains of snow.  I'll be sure to post pictures.

Unless we lose power!

Today

Bud was photographing his own stop-action Lego SW movie

We did some sewing--this started as an owl and became a bear.  Sis and Bud made cloaks and wrist warmers for their stuffies.

Mostly for Pop and Gommie, who will notice that the fence surrounding the mailbox is no longer visible!

Too icy even to make snow angels.

While the kids painted, I did a pen and crayon thing, inspired by Heather Bruggeman's meditative art in her current workshop, Hibernate.

From left to right:  Bud's abstraction, Sis's night forest scene (the moon is covered by Bud's paper), and Sis's "picture of happiness."

GOOEY CAKE!!!!

Gooey Cake

Often served at church, this is Paula Deen's recipe

Cake:
1 18 1/4-ounce package yellow cake mix
1 egg
8 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 tablespoons butter, melted
1 16-ounce box powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well with an electric mixer.  Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13 by 9-inch baking pan.

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth.  Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter and beat together. 

Next, add the powdered sugar and mix well.  Spread over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes.  Make sure not to over bake as the center should be a little gooey.

Big Snow Post

It's another snow day here, with 7" added to our previous 5" all covered with sleet and ice.  It'll be pretty when it freezes overnight, except it will be as slippery as a greased pig.  I'm betting a delay or another cancellation depending.

Between baking, sewing, playing games, building with Legos, shoveling/snow blowing outside, walking on my treadmill, watching Doctor Who, and working from home, we're having a pretty good day.  Even if it means going to school until practically the end of June.  Again.

And so, I thought to compile all of my previous posts with tips on snow days plus some new ones.  Here you go....


Getting ready before the snow:

• Purchase any supplies you need for activities, including unusual items like sweetened condensed milk, water balloons, food coloring, etc.  Don't forget the obligatory milk, eggs, and bread, even if you don't usually eat those!!  Don't forget pet food and batteries. 
• Put the bowl out to collect snow for ice cream.
• Do whatever else you do--re-align cars, put up windshield wipers (if you like that), bring in outside toys, get sleds out of garage for easier reach, check on gas in the snowblower, put shovels nearby so you don't have to crawl through snow to get to them, get propane tank and stove onto porch for cooking if power goes out.
• Hard part:  act like it's a school night unless you know it's not, meaning do homework, pack bags, regular bedtime.  
• also see Adult Prep, for snow novices, with tips about pipes and shoveling etc.

SNOW DAY
Food--one of the big distractions of the day; here are some of our favorites.  I also love a big breakfast then a pot of soup with some homemade bread ready for grazing during the day.  

Snow Cream
1 gallon or big bowl of clean snow (if you like, you can put the bowl outdoors to collect it as it falls)
1 14-oz can of sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Mix the ingredients together and eat the snow ice cream. Yummy!

Chocolate Snow Ice Cream
1 cup of half and half
1/3 cup of sugar
2 tablespoons of dark chocolate syrup.

Stir until mixed and then go outside and add 4-6 cups of snow, a cup at a time, until frozen.

It was tasty. And then we added chocolate chips 
T.F.N.


Maple Syrup Snow Candy
1 cup maple syrup (Grade B tastes better)
½ tablespoon butter

Combine maple syrup and butter. Heat to 260°F (hardball stage). Watch carefully because syrup scorches at this temperature. Remove from heat.
Pour into a ribbon onto snow, lift, and eat. For non-snow areas, pour carefully onto a cookie sheet. Make any pattern you want.
Store candy in a dry and tightly sealed container.

Circle Round

Hot Cocoa

1/2 cup suga

1/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa

Dash salt

1/4-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (my addition)

1/3 cup hot water

4 cups (1 qt.) milk

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Miniature marshmallows or sweetened whipped cream(optional)

1. Stir together sugar, cocoa, cinnamon, and salt in medium saucepan; stir in water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Boil and stir 2 minutes. Add milk; stirring constantly, heat to serving temperature. Do Not Boil.

2 Remove from heat; add vanilla. Beat with rotary beater or whisk until foamy. Serve topped with marshmallows or whipped cream, if desired. Five 8-oz. servings.


MICROWAVE SINGLE SERVING: Coombine 1 heaping teaspoon HERSHEY'S Cocoa, 2 heaping teaspoons sugar and dash salt in microwave-safe cup or mug. Add 2 teaspoons cold milk; stir until smooth. Fill cup with milk. Microwave at HIGH (100%) 1 to 1-1/2 minutes or until hot. Stir to blend; serve.

Hershey's website

Popcorn Balls

5 cups popped popcorn

1-10 oz bag of marshmallows

1/4 cup butter

Melt butter and marshmallows in pot on the stove. Stir in popcorn until coated. Scoop onto waxed paper with ladle. Wait a bit to let them cool some. Shape into balls with hands sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

the back of Buddy's advent calendar

Meringue Snowflakes

4 teaspoons meringue powder

4 tablespoons water

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 cup powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon flavored extract (they chose vanilla)

2 tablespoons colored sugar

Preheat oven to 200F and line baking sheet with parchment paper.

On high speed, beat meringue powder, water, and cream of tartar until frothy (3 minutes) and then until glossy (3 more minutes, approximately.)  Add powdered sugar a tablespoon or so at a time, incorporating each, until mixture is stiff (about 5 minutes).  Add extract and beat until incorporated.

Take large zipper bag (or pastry bag), nip the corner, and fill with meringue.  Pipe designs onto paper-lined baking sheet (we put an outline of a snowflake underneath.)  Sprinkle with sugar, if desired. Bake until dry, about an hour; do not brown.

Carefully move paper to wire rack and allow to cool completely.  Store in airtight container.

adapted from Spoonful (they use 2 egg whites instead)

Outside Activities--get them out early and often!!
Dressing well is the secret to withstanding the wet and cold for longer--snow pants are wonderful for this (I love mine!).  Second in importance--warm and waterproof mittens or gloves. Plus hats, boots, warm socks, heavy coat.  They never seem to want or need scarves.  Best to zip up, pull hoods over hats, and tuck pants in boots and mittens in sleeves to keep snow out of necks, wrists, and ankles.  Be sure to hang everything up to dry afterwards so it'll be ready if you want to go out again.  An advance thin application of Aquaphor prevents chapped lips and painful cheeks.

snow ice cream--1 can sweetened condensed milk in a big bowl (5-10 cups) of fresh snow (leave bowl out overnight). Note: some people add vanilla; another friend just mixes snow with a box of lemon pudding!

snow candy: boil 1 c maple syrup and 1/2 T butter on the stove + pour into clean snow in ribbons (or bring it inside on a cookie sheet if possible) = candy when it cools

ice "eggs":  fill water balloons with colored water; freeze hard; remove balloon--voila!

ice bubbles:  blow bubbles into the deep cold--will freeze, deflate, frost, and break

flake photos:  try photographing snowflakes, best against a sheet of black paper or the sleeve of a dark coat.  See here.

actually, take lots of photos (and when you go inside, email them to people!)

snow slushie: more clean snow + your favorite soda = an icee

snow painting (mix food coloring with water in spray or squeeze bottles)

snowmen (start with a small snowball and roll it across the yard to make it bigger; if you can't make a snowball coalesce, it's not the right snow). And people are just the beginning!

snow forts (just pile up walls, leaving an opening for yourself)

snow angels

snow labyrinth--step out a maze in the snow and follow it around

snow ball fights

snow castles (like sand castles)

snow tunnels (actually, we can't do this one even with 8' mound out front because the snow pockets collapse)

snow furniture--make beds, table, whatever and play house outside

writing/drawing in the snow

build fairie houses in the snow using fallen branches, dead leaves, etc.

put out bird seed for animals or even make little bird feeders (stale bagels with nutbutter/corn syrup and seed)

sledding on cafeteria trays, certain kinds of trash can lids, or the like if you don't have sleds (um, not that there are hills where you are)

identifying animal tracks

identifying people tracks by their shoes

catching snowflakes on your sleeve

taking bowlfuls inside to show/amuse pets or really little ones

Indoors (Or, So it's Your School's 6th Snow Day!):

Some of our favorites (best for elementary aged-kids)

• play games (solitary or group, card or board, even cat's cradle string games)
• bake or cook
• picnic in the living room or on the big bed
• dance party/singalong
• any arts and crafts (think outside the drawing/painting box, with watercolors, yarn, collage, Sculpey, homemade playdough, making a book, flip-book animation, etc)
• science experiments (cornstarch goop, oil and water, baking soda and vinegar)
• favorite toys:  Legos, American Girl, etc.
• circus time:  juggle or magic tricks
• puzzles (jigsaw, "tavern games," Rubik's cube)
• practice piano/strings
• call grandparents and/or email them those outdoor photos you took
• decorate fridge/chalkboard
• write emails/send letters/make cards
• long "play bath" with bubbles and toys
• read, alone or together
• doing hair or painting fingernails
• head, foot, shoulder, and/or back rubs
• dramatic play (used to be hibachi, school, vet; now Doctor Who and Star Wars)
• television/movie
• screen time (Animal Jam, Minecraft, DSi)
• (least favorite:  chores, esp. shoveling!!)

And, truly, bored is okay, too.  It can spark something more.  It won't hurt them.  (It might drive you nuts, though.)

What we don't do:  anything vaguely educational.  No need to do school things or school-like things on a day off; whatever they do is as valuable, albeit differently, as schoolwork.

Plus:  Miscellaneous activities, including coloring flowers, melting colored ice, etc.;

"Surviving a Snow Day with Children" by Dawn Meehan, from Motherlode;
also from Motherlode  comments from readers compiled here. 



Tips for the Staying-At-Home Parent

• You do not have to entertain the kiddos every hour of the day.
• If they get bickery, suggest chores til they figure it out.  They'll figure it out fast. (We have a rule that they can't repeatedly fight/bicker on the same floor where we are!  Which usually means going to their rooms.)
• Take a break from some of the routine--skip cleaning or laundry or the to-do list, so it's a vacation for you, too, unless ... 
• Unless you need a break, and then hide in the laundry room or at the sink--the kids will scatter (of course, if you are too overwhelmed and behind, do your routine if it helps.)
• We relax some of the rules, to make it special--eating in the living room, only jammies (as long as they brush teeth!), more screen time, more snacking, and stranger meal choices (breakfast for dinner; cake for breakfast--whatever!)
• I also like to keep to my treadmill time by myself.
• Make a phone call to a friend.
• Allow yourself some screen time, too.
• Don't worry if it's not a picture-book snow day filled only with beautiful, fun, peaceful memories.  There will be others.  And they're never, ever perfect.

And, finally, some humor.  

More Snow!!

Building the snow fort.  You can't quite see their arsenal.

I miss my neighbor's huge tree, felled in a storm this summer.

The arsenal.  I used the top of my van, even managing to invade the fort before being pushed back.

I love globby snow.

Ice Eggs

'Cos what else are you going to do when it's 1 degree F outside?

We used party balloons from the store but found that they didn't stretch well, hence the small "eggs."  Sis particularly liked coloring the water, even playing with the color--filling blue balloons with red water to make a purple balloon that revealed a reddish egg when opened, etc.  It was hard to remove the balloon, standing outside in the cold at the bus stop without gloves using my keys to rip holes in the rubber (are they rubber?  plastic?)  And despite being frozen solid, the eggs were fragile--the blue one cracked in half when I dropped it in the snow.

So, with different balloons--oooh, like long ones for balloon animals maybe!--that stretch better, this could be more fun.  Especially since we're not really rising above freezing in the next 10 days!

I've got bubbles on standby for later.

Today

Today, in order:

• Bud and I wake up excited that it's a snow day--I didn't even sleep that well waiting for the call, like a mini-Christmas;
• so we go downstairs and play games in the darkness before dawn; he teaches me Shut the Box and Captain's Mistress (like Connect Four) and I practice Mancala;
• we all share hot, homemade sourdough biscuits with honey and butter, plus scrambled eggs and bacon;
• but we can't really clean because the pipe behind the sink/dishwasher has frozen again--only the cold though, so we put the hot fan on it (and 10 hours later, it still hasn't thawed);
• the kids play outside for just a bit--so cold, at 1 degree and -17F windchill;
• Mama works from home with lots of conference calls; in between, she snowblows the drieway;
• the kids and I make thumbprint art;

• 

  Bud's Yoda and Grievous; my Ewoks, and Sis's 10th Doctor with the TARDIS and a Slitheen
• then we clean the magnetic chalk wall and create a TARDIS in the Time Vortex;

• 

  Our TARDIS in the Time Vortex
  

  
  

• we talk to Gommie and Pop, who are "staycationing" at the cabin in central Texas;
• mmmm, Frito chili pie lunch;
• we watch two Doctor Who episodes, including the Shakespeare one (only 2+ months!!!) and the one with the actor from "Merlin";
• Mama takes the kids sledding, cut short by a non-dangerous collision and child upset and embarrassed;
• I get REALLY frustrated at our historic house partners who drive me nuts on average once a tour season and make my blood boil--this time they set the tour dates with the school district without telling me, after I expressly requested a delay of less than week---AGGGGHHHH.  Yeah, let's see what teachers come the f***ing day after spring break, a*******.  What kind of partnership is that?  Where's the respect?  It's just so frustrating!!!!
• Then I receive an email regarding a package I never received, the company concluding it was sent--more hassle.  But I think they're coming around to make good on it, hopefully.
• so, I walk on my treadmill;
• we had some reading time and, now
• it's piano lesson time!

Busy rest of the week--Brownies, maybe hospice, GS training, first aid class, birthday party, Sunday school teaching, Sunday school teacher meeting--whew.

And yes, my arm is still problematic.

Sending love to Mama Teacher, who has the real flu, poor dear.  Get well soon!

Snowy

Yep, it's snowing.  And the kids are on early dismissal.

I love snow.  So pretty, so quiet.

It warms my heart, even though it is so cold.  When I'm tense or in pain, snow is my happy place.  Each snow adds to my repository of mental images--small, dry snow that is barely visible; thick, wet, fluffy stuff that clings to everything; sun on snow the day after; snow so thick and fast that you can't see the houses down the street, all the pretty little flakes with their intricate and unique designs; when it glitters in the light; horizontal snow, tornadic snow, "snow wind," snow that blows up; drifts on windowsills; snow stuck to windowscreens and walls.  Today, it's dry and small, with no real flakes, barely dusting the ground.

But it will pile up soon enough, inches and inches worth.  The snow ice cream bowls are already out.  I have stockpiles of hot chocolate and marshmallows and a new (proprietary) recipe for honey buttered popcorn from Heather Bruggeman's current Hibernate workshop.  And this morning, Sis and I filled little balloons full of colored water.  Oddly, the balloons didn't expand, even with the water pressure, so the frozen colored balls will be small.  And I have bigger bubble bottles and blowers for tomorrow's 5F degree morning and probable school holiday.

Frozen Beauty

I saw the post on FB with all the beautiful pictures of frozen bubbles taken by a mother and son.

And we had bubbles.

And very freezing temperatures (8F with -14F windchill.)

So we tried it.

Our picture isn't as pretty, but it certainly was fun.

See it there on the right edge of the snow, frosted and slightly deflated?

Most of our bubbles popped in the cold, dry air, or upon impact with the cold, dry snow.  Many flew far away.  But a few, a very few, stuck to the house or the snow-filled bowl we were trying to catch them in.  They would slowly frost over and then either deflate or break.  It was fun but too cold outside to last for long.

Next time, a bigger bubble blower--our good ones are away for the winter and all we had was one tiny favor-bottle from a party with a blow hole the size of a tapestry needle's eye.  And maybe some better bubble solution.

Still, fun.

Snow Day!!

It's not the most snow ever, but it is some of the coldest it's been in years--8F with -14F wind chill.  And they've pulled out the big diggers!  We'll be inside all day (that is, three if us; Mama went to work after clearing the driveway--brrrrr!), having had snow ice cream for breakfast.

No-School Dance

That's right, no school tomorrow because of snow.

We danced in celebration--to "Vogue" and "Fame" and "You Can't Stop the Beat" (Hairspray.)  And stayed up late playing Blink (Mama and Sis) and building mini-Lego buildings (Bud) and reading about the kitchens at Hampton Court (me, squealing "We'll be there in three months!")

And now, later than planned, the kiddos are off to bed, as the snow begins to blow and pile up outside.

(Gommie and Pop called to say they just got home and were glad to escape the weather.)

Advent Activities: Snow Day, Again

Yep, another Tuesday, another snow day with no school.  And it is definitely accumulating there, having gotten harder in the last hour or so, having snowed since around 7 a.m.

And we're trying to make the most of it:

• Baking marathon:  Snickerdoodles, Joe Froggers, Benne Wafers, and (maybe later) jam thumbrpints--great names, great cookies;
• Doctor Who:  three episodes so far and imagine we'll watch one more;
• Computer time:  Animal Jam AND Minecraft;
• Craft time:  crochet and maybe some fridge decorating later;
• SNOW ICE CREAM!
• and, of course, actual playing-in-the-snow time.

Frozen (Not the Movie)

For Snow Day

As we look at the weekend forecast of some snow here in Connecticut, I'm reminded of several posts, mine and others, on snow day activities:

• Things to do outside in the snow
• Things to do inside and outside on a snow day
• And two posts on Motherlode on snow days, here and here
• 89 Indoor Activities from Artful Parent

We'll probably be making sugar cookies for our cookie decorating party, making candy cane art (10 minutes at 200F, on parchment, then shape for fun), watching "Doctor Who" and some Christmas shows, writing Christmas cards for teachers and friends, wrapping presents, who knows what else.