can you say, "cabin fever"?

Jon just let the dogs out and shouted, "Oh Mom, there IS a lot of snow!" The sun is shining here now, the skies a lovely blue against the whiteness of the snow. The DEEP whiteness of the snow. It is only 3 degrees (-16C)....too cold to bundle them up and send them out. The boots these days...they are not warm enough, and their faces would be exposed, and if they take their mittens off....maybe I will go with them, just for ten or fifteen minutes....

I had to cancel on taking my brother to an appointment this morning, and I felt bad. Paul called me from his way to work to let me know the roads were really bad....plus we got more snow last night, and the driveway was iffy. When it is -4 (-20C), and windy, the snow blows onto the road, and turns to ice. You can't get traction, and salt/sand doesn't help.

So I got up, got dressed, and chickened out.

Sorry, Bob. Maybe next week....

After today, the temperatures should moderate a bit.

It's hard right now to even imagine that springtime will ever come, where will all this snow go?

Our door was snowed shut this morning. Paul had to push it really hard, then squeeze out and shovel it open...I would have been stuck:)

Today is a day of silliness. The kids have been having a Monopoly marathon. My niece's little boy is here...Will is five years old. He came on Wednesday, spent the night, then the roads were awful last evening, so he got to spend another night. He is very grown up for his age, he is well-adjusted, and just happy to be here. He has a quick sense of humor, and fits in well here. He's one of those kids who isn't shy, and can talk to the kids and the older kids and adults, no problem. Anyway, today the Monopoly game: Margaret 18, Sonja K. 12, Jonathan 10, Charlotte Claire 8, and Camille 7, and William 5. There is bickering and fooling around, but there haven't been any real fights yet. I keep suggesting that perhaps they just finish before that happens, but they are really into it.

Evelyn left with Emily to go shopping, Joseph and Kathryn and Suzanne are here too. I am thinking of heading out soon to get some groceries...if I head to the small city down south of here, the roads are better, I have heard.

Tomorrow, another basketball game, three for me in one week.

We moved the furniture in the living room and swept/vacuumed under and behind...picked up the matchbox cars and Nerf bullets and hair ponies and bobby pins, and pennies. There isn't nearly as much stuff as there used to be, but why on earth was there a butter knife?

They are doing the slappy-party thing, where they jokingly hit each other...those inevitably end with someone hitting someone too hard and crying ensues. Margaret's tea hasn't spilled yet...she deserves a prize, btw. My patience is being tried and I am not even playing.

Paul leaves again on Sunday for Florida, which is TOTALLY fair. I am thinking of taking the kids on a one night get away...I found a hotel that includes breakfast, and can accommodate all who want to go from here...it is a two room suite, for under a hundred dollars.

Ah well, my ibuprofen kicked in...the dry air, shoveling the driveway before coffee, the noise noise noise noise...probably a combination of all of the above, and I had a real pounder this morning. Now, I shall think about who to take with me to the dreaded grocery store....who am I kidding, I love the grocery store.