Cabin Fever

While the rest of Atlanta is suffering from cabin fever, I am simply loving this snowed in lifestyle. That is, of course, until we run out of food!

Hubby has stayed home from work all week, and after hearing the news reports this evening, for that I am very thankful! It turns out that main drags right outside of our neighborhood were apparently impassable. The high today was 28 degrees according to the news report. Fortunately, the sun and wind did make their appearance, but it wasn't enough to melt the ice in our neighborhood.

Of course, there are always those crazy northerners who now live in Atlanta and think they know how to drive in this. (Nana Janet and Papa Bill: If you are reading this, we love you guys and you are exempt from the "crazy northerner" phrase as you aren't living here and crazy enough to drive in the non-deiced roads). I suspect they are the ones we are all watching on the news sliding around on the ice. The natives know to stay home! People fail to realize that we don't have the equipment here in Atlanta to maintain these conditions nor is it feasible to invest the money in the equipment for the winter storm that comes once every decade or more. I was actually quite surprised that our New York friend and neighbor brought up the point himself that it doesn't make sense for the Department of Transportation to invest in this type of equipment that will only be used once every decade. I was surprised only because he is a northerner. I think I like that guy!

So I really am loving this. We've ventured outside for a few hours every day to enjoy the ice and snow. It is becoming a bit more dangerous day after day, but hubby managed to squeeze in one more day of sledding by tramping down snow in our front yard. That was until the sled we were using was taken back to its rightful owner. Have I mentioned that the sled we were originally using was a gift from Nonnie? Do you want to know what happened to that one? Long story! That is for another post! Confiscated! That is all I need to say.

While being snowed in (since Sunday evening), we have enjoyed ham and carrot souffle, ham and potato soup with our awesome neighbors, baked and decorated Christmas tree and present shaped cupcakes (discounted at 75% off on New Year's Eve), built block towers, realized that our neighborhood is being redistricted into a not so great elementary school from a pretty reputable school (there goes the property value), commented that we really need to take our Christmas tree down every evening (and it has yet to happen), read books, played Monopoly after the kiddos were asleep, enjoyed homemade pretzels baked by our awesome neighbors and are realizing quickly that our food supplies are quickly diminishing. Thank goodness for eggs, peanut butter and crackers!

Okay, so maybe it hasn't all been good based on the above, but I just had to throw in everything that has made this week memorable.

But, honestly, I am truly loving this! Despite our daily routines being off kilter by hubby's existence at home (I love you hubby, but you really mess up our routines), we have truly had an awesome few days! It has been wonderful to truly realize that we can enjoy life without venturing out and without meals cooked by someone else. And if you know me, you know I'm always happy when we save money! And if you cannot leave your house, you cannot spend money!

But this time I will remember to not turn the heat on full force in our 4 Runner to thaw the ice and snow on the windshield. Thanks to the lady on Clark Howard who used to live in Alaska for the tip (a week too late)! Of course, she didn't mention the impact of running the heat full force in the car for 2 HOURS STRAIGHT! Yes, I am a moron with a newly cracked windshield! How much is that going to cost us out of pocket? And I don't even have hubby to blame this time.

Perhaps now I'll go top the evening off with a homemade cup of hot chocolate! Thank you Mollie! Annabelle and I have really been enjoying your homemade hot chocolate! I refuse to share with hubby!

Snow Day!

Today was absolutely awesome! I normally cringe at the thought of spending all day in the snow because it is oh so very cold, and Annabelle cannot seem to get enough until she sets foot in the door. And, then, "Waaahhhh! My toes! My toes hurt Mommy! Waaahhh! Noooooo! Don't touch them! That makes them hurt more!" And just minutes before I would ask her, "Are you ready to go inside?" "No," she would reply. "I think we need to go inside and warm up for a little while," I replied. "Okay," she would finally agree.

But with 4.5 - 5 inches of snow and ice, let the games begin! We actually measured 4.5 inches when we measured around 4:30 p.m. We apparently set a record with the most amount of snow in metro Atlanta since 1953! How about that? Our first white Christmas since the 1800's and a record amount of snow since the 1950's. We all have celebrated firsts together as a family.

It was so much fun to be a kid again! We sled down the big hill at the top of our street numerous times because the roads were also covered in snow and ice! How much fun is that? And Annabelle tromped her own little self all the way to the top and rode down with us. She wasn't scared at all! I couldn't believe it as there were a few times I thought we were going to knock down a mailbox or two or run head on into a parked car. It is an absolute perfect hill for sledding!

We only saw one vehicle leave our neighborhood today, so the streets were completely empty, so we had no fear of running into a moving vehicle.

Hubby said, "Do you want to move to Minneapolis?" Ummm. Let me think about that for a minute. Nope! He thinks he's all big and bad now since he pretty much lived in Minneapolis back in the fall of 2008. I think he actually believes he knows how to drive in this stuff now.

And we ended the day enjoying homemade snow ice cream with our neighbors at our house followed by homemade chili and homemade pizza at their house. It takes a snow day to finally follow through with that "we need to have you guys over for dinner" when they moved in almost 6 years ago. Too bad they treated first, and we're the ones who made the original offer. We are serving up ham and potato soup at our house tomorrow night for everyone. So much fun!

Sophia napped most of the snow day. But she got her fill when I plopped her down on top of the ice which was on top of the snow. Before that though, she got to watch her sissy, Mommy and Daddy all sled down the big hill.

Three Times is a Charm

Or is it?

Annabelle and I have literally spent 2 weeks away sleeping either at my parents' or my mother-in-law's house. The day we are free to finally come home, we get snowed in at Nonnie's. She is on the edge of the Fulton/Forsyth line, and we apparently got a lot more snow here than we did at our house. I guess we weren't technically "snowed in," but I get antsy driving in the rain, so I figure it is best to stay put when it snows if I can help it.

And, just for the record, we have spent 2 weeks away from home for hubby to paint, paint and paint some more. The fumes were pretty much intolerable to me, and we didn't want to harm Annabelle or Beebo, so off we went in hopes that he'd accomplish all of the inside painting before the baby makes its arrival in a few short weeks! Oh my!

Fortunately, I had packed all of Annabelle's winter gear. It was completely by chance though. I had her Hello Kitty rain boots because she loves them, so she's allowed to wear them any time it rains, and this past weekend, I had happened to grab her warm hat and gloves still inside the dirty clothes bag to wash all of her clothes at Grandmama's house. I, on the other hand, desperately needed some boots! Tennis shoes and gallon size Ziploc bags did not do the trick!

This blog post is for you hubby! Since I know you miss her (and hopefully me) like crazy, and you said you've been checking my blog all week, I thought I'd post some pictures of our fun in the snow for the third time this year! We are so looking forward to spending our nights at home with you starting tomorrow, hopefully!!!

As for this first picture, what happened to my baby? She looks so grown up! I think it is the new coat that she didn't start wearing until this weekend. I found it while sorting through "junk" stored in the shed. "Junk" I've been hauling around town for a week because I am determined to get something accomplished while away from home. I bought it at a garage sale (along with a bunch of other clothes) probably 18 mos - 2 years ago, packed it away, and promptly forgot about it. Great use of space, huh?

And here she is building her snowman. I asked her if she wanted to build a snowman. She did, but she wasn't ready right away because she first needed to make "soup" out of snow. This girl loves to cook! I just wish she'd start preparing the meals for us daily.

However, when she was ready to build her snowman, she got the ball rolling all on her own! Literally! No joke! I didn't even have to tell her how to start. I asked her, "who taught you how to build a snowman?" "My Daddy," she said. I just wish her Daddy was there to help her build it! She wanted to make a big, big snowman like Daddy did last time, but I somehow, after much persuasion, was able to talk her into the smaller one. My feet were freezing, and I didn't know how much more I could take. Not to mention, I don't think I needed to be lifting the pieces to the snowman as big as she wanted to make them.

Isn't he cute though? With pinecones for ears, grapes for eyes, a stick for a nose and a carrot for hair! Yet again, all Annabelle's ideas!

And, she had to "make my rivers" yet again (see below). Yes, I have one strange, but very creative child. Last time it snowed, she tromped through the snow making what appeared to us to be trails. We were informed that she was "making my rivers." We had to help her make her rivers by following behind her. And, then, she filled in the river beds that she had made with additional snow. All completely her idea! Don't ask because I don't understand this strange child I have, but it makes for some good laughs.


And then after we had finished playing for the day, we had to go back out one more time to get some snow in a bowl to make snow cream. Yummy! Annabelle, of course, had to dress herself accordingly. The light pink snow hat was already on her head. But, she finished her attire with the purple "pimp" hat, the pink "pimp" hat and the fireman's hat.


And, these pictures were not taken on August 16th, 2003. That is what happens when you leave your camera at home and have to borrow Nonnie's camera. I wish there was a way to remove that date from those pictures easily. Oh well! I guess it is pretty obvious that it didn't snow in August!

As for the cold and the snow, I've had my fill of it for this year! Annabelle, on the other hand, thanked God for the snow to build her snowman during the blessing before dinner this evening.

Too Much Snow!

Too much snow? Is there really a such thing in Georgia?

Well, Annabelle had apparently had enough of it! It didn't help that this was the first day that I denied her apple juice until snack time in the late afternoon, and she, as usual, barely ate anything for breakfast. She made that choice not to eat though!

I really do love this picture though. It shows the side of a toddler that you rarely see in pictures since we always try to get them to smile. She was worn out, cold and hungry!

And, another thing I really love about this picture is it shows her squeezing her teddy bear's foot for comfort. She has done this for a very long time, but I couldn't tell you when it started. And, I keep meaning to watch and see if it is the same foot on teddy bear every time. She'll tell you, "You skeeze it like dis. You move it up and down." She squeezes Teddy's foot like this when she's tired, and I love to watch it because it reminds me that she's not all grown up just yet and she still needs her Teddy (and Mommy) for comfort.

While looking through these pictures later in the day, I asked Annabelle why she was so upset in this picture. She said, "My toes were cold, and I was hungee!"

And, the very cute purple sweatshirt, her Nana Janet and Papa Bill gave that to her for Christmas. Oddly enough, a few days after Christmas, my best friend, Miss Kelley, asked Annabelle over the phone what her favorite Christmas gifts were. She rattled off her "high chair dat her Daddy made" and her "bunk beds from Santa," but one of the next things she said was "my cute shirt with da shoes on it." I was racking my brain trying to think about what she was talking about because I knew that Santa and Mommy and Daddy didn't bring her clothes. I didn't realize until later when I was putting the Christmas gifts away that she was referring to this little sweatshirt. Very cute!

Snowman 2010

The consistency of the snow this time around was quite different. The snow just would not form together very well to make a snowball or snowman. I've heard this is common in the North, or at least in New York for that matter.

Annabelle was determined that she was going to make another snowman like we did together last year. Can anyone say stubborn?

She was on the verge of meltdown when hubby and I refused to go inside to get raisins to use for the snowman's eyes, but I gave in and fortunately was able to find some raisins.

Annabelle used a shovel to gather the snow. This snowman was never packed together during formation.


Hubby helped Annabelle add the raisin eyes which he apparently had a hard time getting them to stick.

And, of course, we cannot forget the final touch, a Tennessee hat (the same hat we used on our Tennessee snowman last year)! She did realize after we had gotten inside that Mommy was still wearing the snowman's Tennessee scarf, and she wasn't very happy about that, but she got over it fairly quickly.

And for the record, Annabelle designed this snowman all on her own. Hubby and I basically told her that a snowman couldn't be built this year, but she was determined. I'm not sure if she was more determined to build it or prove us wrong, but whatever the case, she got her snowman!

Snowfall 2010

Annabelle's first run through the snow in 2010!

We got approximately 1/2 inch, but it was still beautiful! The roads were icy, and those Yankees (and that is not meant in any derogatory way as I love all of my Yankee friends) from the North still think they can drive in our southern icy conditions despite the fact that we don't have the equipment down here to clear the roads. Most people who live in the Atlanta area are not natives. Most of them are transplants from the North because they learned quickly that Atlanta is an awesome and not so cold and snowy place to live.

And, a few months living in Minnesota last year for work has turned hubby into one of them. Thankfully, he made it to and from work safely.

Redneck Boots

If no one else from the South makes their own boots using Ziplock bags upon the first and probably only snow storm of the winter, then hubby and I are definitely a match only made in heaven! Because apparently, both of our parents Ziplocked us up to keep our toes and feet warm before sending us out to play in the snow. Hubby added his own touch using elastic pants bands that he used to tuck his uniform pants into his boots while attending North Georgia College & State University as a cadet.

When you live in the South, and you are lucky to get even a dusting once every three years, you just don't waste the money on boots. Unless, of course, you find a brand new, rarely or never worn, pair from Goodwill for $2.50. That was the case for Annabelle last year.

This year, we weren't so lucky! However, she did remember those boots from last year, and she put in a request yesterday for some new ones. I meant to have hubby check at Target on the way home yesterday, but I forgot. Instead, he comes to me this morning and says, "Annabelle has asked me to go out and get her a pair of boots. Do you want me to go to Target?" Ummm, no!

(a) It is still early in the morning, and the streets are covered in ice.

(b) She can deal with our makeshift version yet again this year.