Do you recognize this porch from an earlier post? We woke up this AM to water in places it does not belong. Damn ice damming! Water was coming through the plaster in the wall behind our bed, leeching through the ceiling in the kitchen, creating water spotting in the ceiling by the bay window and actually coming down THROUGH the vent hood onto the stove. Lego Paul (see earlier post) came to bail us out and help us chop through the ice dams on the roof. It is going to be on big clean up project come spring.
Every other Friday at the library, they bring out all the Legos and have a "build off". The kids then get to display their projects for the week in the glass cases. Beckett is ALL about Legos and found a Lego figure I did not recognize. According to him, this is Lego Paul, named fondly after our close friend and builder extraordinaire Paul. Beckett must have been very impressed by Paul's jackhammer skills on the old back steps last summer!
These two are more loved than they will ever know.
Beckett is beyond excited at the prospect of snorkeling on vacation. So, our tiny Jacques Cousteau took to the bath tub with mask and snorkel and his underwater sub. The giggles were awesome!
…there is Rodger. I suspect his trip to Lake Mac last week was a reconnaissance mission for the likelihood of snow kiting on it. He had the entire lake to himself, with the exception of the tip up town shanties of the ice fisherman near the channel. Beckett was having a hay day stepping through the drifts and falling through hip-deep snow.
Kind of bittersweet making class Valentines this year as it is likely Zoe's last before middle school. Beckett loved the glow stick idea!
What do you do, if you are Rodger, and have snow banks at the end of the driveway taller than you? Why create monkey ice sculptures of course!
Rodger took Zoe out today to run a few errands and to check out the ice on Lake Macatawa. This is likely the first time since we have moved here that the lake was completely frozen. I can't help it, seeing her stand on the ice still makes me nervous!
Beckett FINALLY got to take his kindergarten birthday treat to school…1 week late. Of course our crazy boy would choose root beer floats in sub zero temperatures! No troubles keeping that ice cream frozen!
With the kids finally back to school, the routine of life is back to "normal." On the mornings when Zoe has orchestra at the middle school, Beckett and I have a little time to kill before his drop off. The gorgeous sunrise was our reward this morning for our quick trip to the grocery store to return cans and bottles.
The snow keeps coming and coming and the bitter temperatures have not relented. With a week of school cancelled due to both, the kids are going to stir crazy and the house is beginning to suffer. With snow piled higher that halfway up the glass door on the upstairs porch, opening the door was impossible. And so, digging out had to start with a 2 story ladder, a climb and a shovel.
Rodger has spent as much time maintaining the snow hill as he has blowing the driveway. However, blowing the snow to the top of the pile is getting to be more and more of a challenge!!
Beckett is so proud of the fancy door decorations Zoe made for his 6th birthday. I have a feeling these will stay up for a few weeks :)
When I was outside today, I took a look at the GIANT woodpile. The wood stove has made this long, cold winter bearable. Here is hoping that we wont be calling for another cord of wood before Spring comes!
It is unbelievable how quickly six years have passed. It seems like we were just bringing home this sweet little BIG boy and suddenly he is all about Legos and writing his name and beginning to read and making traps in the backyard. Happy birthday to the most amazing little boy I know. I am so proud to call you mine.
With the massive amount of snow that continues to fall, the sledding hill in the backyard grows by the day, if not the hour, some days! Rodger has spent a lot of time keeping it well groomed and the kids are enjoying it day and night!
Zoe mentioned that she didn't think her shirts fit the other day so we began a journey through her closet. An hour or so later, the hangers in the closet were quite bare and the pile on the floor was growing by the item. We are in for a few big shopping trips!
Kids spent the afternoon playing in the backyard in the snow that never ends. They also each brought home artwork this week: Z is studying cityscapes and B is working on creating patterns with all the simple lines that can be used in art. What cool creations!
Took the kids skiing today for the first time in years. Beckett has never been before and the Miss has only been once before. What a great afternoon together. I can't wait to get these ski bunnies on the slopes more often!!
Putting Rodger's shirts in his closet today made me think of spring: a riot of color, a rainbow of flavors.
Having kids means filling out a LOT of forms! Today was especially challenging as I filled out forms for school of choice for Zoe for the SEVENTH year in a row. Each year I complete the forms and each year we receive a letter stating that we didn't get our card pulled in the lottery. Fingers crossed. Again.
One of the best parts of my job is being able to work from home when needed. With the kids at school, this is a pretty typical image: me, in running clothes, with a laptop and iPhone mid-project at the kitchen table.
With good winter winds and snowy corn fields comes snow kiting! Rodger went out with our friend Paul today to attempt a couple of rides but got skunked. The kids and I stopped out to watch him and Zoe got a few great shots of her own, including this one.
Over the past few years, we have always thought about a hideaway: a tree house, and attic escape. Today we decided to get a better look at what lies over our heads. We all crept up through the scuttle hole in the hallway and took a look at the possibilities. Oh, what a space it could be!
Beckett has been working very hard on "projects" in his room. These include Lego building adventures, setting up his art table with rolls and rolls of duct tapes and loads of crayons, and towers of Magnatiles. Before he left for school today, he set up a few friends to guard his room: "the big monkey" (leader of the pack), Beckett the panda (named so after his Beckett and the Pandamonium book), and, of course, Tie, a giant teddy bear named Tie after the red ribbon tied around his neck, gift from Santa and the newest to the gang.
Day two of no school and negative temps. With the snow piling up in the driveway, and the cabin fever hitting an all time high, it was best to get outside and begin to dig out! I found my car under a few feet of snow and kept my fingers crossed as I started it up. Next on the docket was firing up the snow blower and trying to find a place to put all of that snow. Not sure that I succeeded as the plow was moving through snow higher than the blade! At least I now have a decent shot at making out of our chute of a driveway tomorrow morning!
The snow has not stopped since mid-December. We ended up with a snow day the day before Christmas break was to begin and we now are about to have two MORE days off before the kids are to go back to school due to wind chills in the -30's and 6-10" of snow. Looking into the yard tonight it was hard not to be mesmerized by the swirling patterns the snow made as it blew off the roof. Brrr.
Santa brought us a fantastic new toy to help our "get up and go" each morning! The new espresso machine is a dream....and we are enjoying each and every shot!
The back yard looks like a winter wonderland tonight with the snow falling softly and the trees lit up. We are really enjoying the new wood stove and sitting by the fire!
Tree is undressed, de-lighted and ornaments are boxed up for next year.
When I was growing up, my mom dressed up the house with greenery, ribbons and bells, lights and Christmas smokers, and one ceramic tree with little lightbulbs that glowed. It used to sit on an end table by the couch and I would rearrange the lights -- all of them shining. This year my mom passed the tree on to me! I cannot wait to find the perfect spot for it in our house.
Last year, I definitely lost steam on the blog. I worried too much about the right photo, the right processing and became worried if I didn't have a shot of the day. This year I will post images if I have them, when I have them, of life here: 365. Today we spent New Year's Day sledding while Rodger snow kited followed by traditional hand made pizzas.
