"Don't we have a late start or something?"

I went to wake the kids up for school this morning and Alex was already awake. I told him it was time to come down and get dressed. He said "Can't I wait a while?". I reply "No, you have to leave for school in less than an hour, come down now". He looked at me slightly annoyed and asked "Don't we have a late start?" I asked why he thought we would have a late start and he said "I don't know, but it has been a few days and it was melty yesterday, so it probabbly froze into a sheet of ice so we have a late start to let the busses have more time on the country roads"

Wow, I guess we have had alot of mornings in front of the t.v. waiting to see if it's a late start, or if the late start turns into a snow day.

I just came back in the house from shoveling up some more chuncks of ice as they start melting. however it is still far to deep in areas even for my ice pick to break. I am sooo looking forward to our next 2 days in the 40's. Even if it is going to end in yet more snow. We could really use a thaw, even if it is just the top of the snow, it will boost our spirits and make our streets safer. This has been a year for the record books! a couple more inches in the DesMoines area and they will be in the top ten snowiest winters ever. We have had more snow than they have by a ways. The good thing is, we don't hear the kids complain about no snow. The bad thing is, we do hear them complain about to much snow!

Well, Ethan is yelling for me to come save him. "Up pease! Up!" Have a great leap day!

Another snow day

We are starting to expect these every week now. Adam has only missed about 4 days of work due to snow in 4 years. 3 of those have been this year. The kids enjoyed another lowkey day at home, just hanging out. This weekend they say we could hit the mid 40's. That will be sooo nice!

It's been a whole week.

I have sat down to blog a lot of times in this past week, however as I looked at my blog today, I see I never finished any of those times.

Today, we have yet another snow storm heading toward us. It looks like it is starting with rain however. The good thing about rain when you have had 5 feet of snow is that it helps melt the snow mountains in your front yeard. The bad thing about snow is that it is followed by sleet and it will turn to ice either in the air, or on the ground. So we now wait. Wait to see how long it takes for the temps to drop, how long it takes to switch over from the rain. We watch the weather on TV we watch our computers for the school closings. lol That page and I have gotten to be good friends this year.

While we wait for all of that, the kids at home get to pick-up! Our house is somehow trashed after us not being here much the last 2 days. I don't understand how being home for 2 hours means that our house looks like a tornado went through. I guess when you have 4 little wirl winds they add up. Ethan is full of spunk today. He is running from place to place making this fussy "uhhu" sound every time he doesn't get his way. He learned quick that when he does that with other kids, he gets his way. He doesn't do that to Adam and I thought very much. He doesn't get his way with us. Ethan wants to help with the floors (the boy loves to vacuum!) So I better go help with the toy pick up.

I'm blessed today with a good nights sleep last night and a happy one year old today! His nights have been short and his naps messed up do to picking up and dropping off kids at school. But last night he had a great sleep!

Snow... what a winter we have had!

It looks like it has caught up to us. Every year we talk about how when we were kids it snowed so much more. Well, this year, we got all that snow and then some! Yesterday we got about 8 inches of snow on top of 2 inches of sleet on top of rain. Last night I shoveled and I'm sure the people accross the street turned off their T.V.s and watched me for entertainment. When I talked to Adam, I told him it was like I was on an ice rink that was on a hill. I was sliding along. As I slid down the driveway in the first strip, I was shoveling as fast as I could to keep up with me sliding. Then when I got near the bottom I would pick some up, and kinda scoot over the the side and heft it up over the mountain that is now on the sides of our driveway more than shoulder high. Then I would work my way back to the other side to pick up another shover of snow.

As I worked away, I started feeling sorry for myself.(Hard to believe that I do that, I know) Thinking about how we are one of the few people without a snow blower and how I used to always shovel the sidewalks on both sides of us as well as the bottom of the driveway attached to us. There were times I would shovel the sidewalk over to my parents house 4 houses over. And how they all have teenagers now that could easily help out and they know we have 4 young kids, it wouldn't hurt them to help us out from time to time. Then I was reminded that It was good exersize for me, and I really need to focus on me and not on others. Then someone pulled up in a run down car with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth and a young child in the back seat and he asked if I needed help shoveling. ... Boy, I didn't want to do it, but I didn't have the money to pay someone else. I thanked him, and told him I could finish it.

As he pulled away I felt like I had been slapped accross the face. I don't know his situation, but I could tell it wasn't great. Here I am complaining about stuff that so isn't important, and then I get a reminder that it can be so much worse.So I thought about in the next few years when our kids will all be out there and it will go fast. Then we will be able to help out by shoveling the sidewalks around us again. So I happily work away.

I got the bottom finished (the heavy stuff) and moved on to the sidewalk before finishing the driveway. I thought I could use some level ground for a while. I got about half way finished with one strip of the sidewalk when I notice a man with a large snowblower that is heading my way.(on clean sidewalk) He gets over to me and asks "Can I get this for you?". Wow, sure, thank you. So I go start working on the hill again. Then he tells me he is going to take a few quick swipes over the drive and get the part on the worst incline. I started on the sidewalk from the house to the public sidewalk and by the time I was half way finished he was done and heading away. I waved and called out thanks again, but he didn't even look up. He didn't do it for the thanks, he simply did it.

Wow, I was glad I had to finish the steps and around the car. I really needed the time to reflect on the leasson God had just taught me...

I am so blessed, If I only look outward, I will see them far more clearly then when I look inwardly.

Cleaning

I just had to say this, because I was so shocked.

Today I was doing some cleaning and I am working at clearing out the clutter etc. So I tossed out some flowrs with a heart basket that used to hang above the doorway to our kitchen. It is up very high, and I didn't think anyone would notice it. I put up a sign that I had bought to go some other place, just to fill the space, and to get it on the wall for now.

Not 5 minutes later Chloe walks in and stops and just looks up with a shocked look on her face. Then she looks at me and says "Mom, what happened to my flowers!?!?" I am just amazed that she would notice it. Adam didn't even notice it till had walked past it a few times.

Happy Valentines Day!!!

The kids and I were very happy about it being "Party Day". Chloe was a little mad that we hadn't invited everyone we know. She said that "Everyone should get to come clebrate the special day, not just us alone".

I made T-Bone steaks(Daddy, and Alex's favorite) I made a beautiful centerpiece of flowers with six roses, one for each of us. We had a special cake and lots of fun opening up all the stuff they got at their parties. Ethan got a cute little tin with some cookies that he loves to carry around the house dropping the cookies and adding candy when the other kids aren't looking.(He snuck alot of candy from them) Daddy got a HUGE heart of chocolates that the kids can't wait to dig into tomorrow night. We had a wonderful night!!! It was one of the first nights in a long time that we were all home.

Oh, Donna told me that the reason we make a cake for Valentines day is to "thank God for making love, right mom?" So very sweet!

Thank you Lord for my family!!!

Flu shots

They are yet again being pushed in Iowa as our flu season has hit full force. We never get them adn I refuse them for the kids. This explains a bit on why I refuse them. http://www.kcci.com/news/15272751/detail.html As of now, they are not mercury free. I just don't understand why we allow them to use a mercury-based preservative in flu shots when we have banned it in vaccines. I'm so very thankful that it is banned in the vaccines though. I was just thinking about the dates... Alex would have gotten all of his by the time they banned it. However Donna is the only other child we have that had a chance at any with mercury in them. Also, the odd thing is that I have always been very much for vaccines, but due to changing doctors and insurance issues, most of her vaccines (including the one everyone feels is the problem) untill after the ban. I can't help but think that was possibly God keeping Donna safe.

Anyway, I will be keeping my eye on this to see if they do ban mercury from flu shots.

More Snow...

We have had such bitter cold this past weekend, now more snow today. We know so many people that are going/have just come back from Hawaii. I am now very much wanting to take a trip to Hawaii!! Anything for a break from the cold and snow!

On a good note, it looks like we are only in for about 3 inches... but we have heard that before. We have been a snow magnent this year. hehe

Well, Ethan is stuck, so I have to go free him. (He can get into anything, however getting back out isn't as easy)

to much snow! Anyone needs some?

I just put a meassuering tape down the the front step, it is up to 14 inches and we still have another couple hours of snow to go. I know I need to get out there and shovel, but I don't want to. If anyone would like some snow, you can have all you want. hehe

So, we are having a snow day. I'm not upset at all. Chloe got up around midnight and Ethan was up around 4. I got them both back to sleep around 7, and Donna came down the stairs not 5 minutes after I got Chloe back to sleep. Now I have a migraine also, so It's a good day to stay home. I just need to go out and shovel so we can get the healthy kids out side to play later. Right now I can't get the doors open more and a few inches.

snow, ice, hail, thunder & lightning, sleet... How long till spring?

Today we have had all of those!! I know everyone says Iowa has strange weather, but this is nuts!

We had school delayed 2 hours. Every other school in the county was cancled. I think they are a bit scared that we will be missing at least one day later int eh week and don't want to have any make-up days if we don't have to. I was all for no school, but now I am glad that they will get it over with today.

I got home and sat had Chloe, Reed, and Ethan play in the house while I attempted to shovel some of the thick, heavy slushy stuff off the drive-way. Once I had gotten most of it, I started on the side walk. That is when the white SUV went speeding past.(to fast in normaly weather) and I got hit head to foot with slushy ice. It sure would have been nice if the cop pulling up accross the street would have been paying attention! I went in the house to change my clothes and found some fun messes... not a shock. I got cleaned up and started the laundry athen went to clean up the messes that had now multiplied.

That has been my day. As soon as I clean up one mess, I go the the one that was made while I cleaned up the one before it. Ethan can really move also, I forget how young he really is. He acts so much older! I was very upset with him at one point. He went to sit in the middle of the room telling the world how mean I am. The poor boy looked so pitiful that I almost for got about the fact that he dumpped out a full (extra large) box of lucky charms on the floor as soon as I finished cleaning it up from the bowl of Chloe's that he had dumped.

Honestly, how do single parents do it??? So days I think I am going insane. Other days I know I am already there. Well, I better get going so I can try to get more slush off our driveway. We have another large system heading right for us! This is by far the most snow we have had in years!