We had a serious bit of snow the first Friday in January, I happened to be out running errands when it started.
Snowy parking lot
Our front porch even more decorated
Little did I know the next week would bring an even bigger snow storm with two days off from school for the kids.
9 a.m. photo
We took that time to put away the Christmas tree and indoor decorations. The outdoor lights were already partially buried in snow so I decided to leave them up.
Vacuuming up fake needles that fell off our fake tree!
We had a family video game night for which the kids were especially enthusiastic...
Are we having fun yet?
The next day we played in the snow, or at least the youngest did...
Sledmaster!
I forgot to post this video with last month's post (or even the Christmas post), so here is the rocket launch from our cul de sac. What an awesome Christmas present!
Our youngest was the top speller in his classroom in December, which meant he moved on to the school-wide spelling bee in January. The school sent two tickets home for parents or other adults to come watch on a Friday afternoon. He was eliminated in the fifth round when he stumbled on "committee." Too many double letters! He confided in me afterwards that he did not want to go on to the county-wide spelling bee and would have deliberately misspelled a word if it was down to three students.
Some chairs emptied by round three
On the spot
We went to a concert for our eldest held at his school. It was a fun time!
High school band
We did our first rollerskating of the year at the nearby rink. I swear my youngest has other t-shirts!
Wearing a chess shirt to a roller rink?!?
I was amazed to see a certain chocolate bar in a local convenience store. Our family is convinced that Mr. Goodbar only comes in the Halloween multi-packs, but there it was.
No more need to go looking for Mr. Goodbar
We went ice skating at Color Burst Park, which was a lot harder than the roller rink.
More photos that did not make their own blog post...
While my son was having his scoutmaster meeting for his Eagle Project, I had to hang out at the restaurant (The Corner Stable). I ordered the shrimp special and a pumpkin ale aged in bourbon barrels. Both were delicious. The meeting went well too.
Not a cute kid pic, sorry!
My younger son started working on his pinewood derby car for Scouts. Here he is smoothing down the axles.
Finally using power tools!?!
We went to the roller rink for the first time in a long time. Our youngest still isn't sure on his feet but he is working on it.
Rare (and lucky) shot of all three children
Getting help from mom
While geocaching, I ran across a random statue that seemed really random--like a random face and number of feet, random materials, random proportions, etc. How many people want their arms attached to their knees?
Unnamed work in Columbia, MD
We had a substantial snow day, leading to lots of sledding but only one picture.
Using the neighbor's hill
During one of the snow days, we went mini-golfing, indoors of course!
Putting into the corner hole
A bunch of posers
The final hole!
Before the AFC Championship, I went to a Baltimore Ravens rally at a local shopping center. The marching band and some of the cheerleaders were there, along with some uber-fans.
Side view of the band
Front view from back of the crowd
What a car!
I saw a hawk sitting on our backyard fence. I got a picture through the kitchen window. I tried to open the sliding door to the back but it flew away.
Usually squirrels are in that spot
My eldest participated in one of his fellow Scout's Eagle Court of Honor and did a great job. It will be his turn soon!
While visiting family in Minnesota for Christmas, my daughter taught Grandpa the most valuable skill ever--making chocolate chip cookies!
Magic in the kitchen
The grandparents have some chickens who are living in the garage while the bleak midwinter had sub-zero temperatures. The kids enjoyed helping feed them, though it is unclear who is more scared of whom.
Chickens in a creepy light
Come here, little (or not so little) chicken
Getting closer (or is it the camera angle?)
Almost there
Jail birds?
The snow was bad but not too bad. My son was trained in plowing the driveway.
Learning to use heavy machinery
The snow was fun, too. The kids tried sledding but with the extra cold air, the snow wouldn't pack well enough for satisfying sledding.
Going out for a ride
Getting help from Granny
Working on a slope
The lake was frozen, so they cleared off a patch and smoothed it to make an ice rink.
Lake ice doesn't look pretty but is slippery
A lot of the cousins were new to ice skating. Tools were available to make it easier.
Working on balance
A hockey game broke out. Many tumbles happened on the ice. Hockey didn't last too long.
The biggest problem was knowing who was on which team
I might have scored on my own goal at one point. Whoops!
The forest had many trails in the snow--deer trails!
My Cub Scout participated in this year's Pinewood Derby. The race was held at the church but we dropped off the car and watched the race online. My son's car came in second for his den and sixth in the overall race.
Spider-man-themed car
Straight-on view
Announcing the final rankings
The first week of February featured a fearsome snow storm. The kids had a chance to sled.
While in Minnesota, it snowed. The children were delighted to experience something we mostly missed out on in Maryland last year. The first snow started at night, which meant the tables on our rental house's deck got loaded with snow. The kids were dying to play, so we let them out in the cold, dark night. They promptly weaponized the snow and tried to get the warm, dry parents to be cold, wet parents.
Gathering the easy snow
Ready for trouble
A view through our shields
Another view through our shields
The next morning, the kids went out into the yard to make snow angels, have snowball fights, and generally cause mayhem.
Trying to hit a parent on the deck
A long range throw
Lakeside fun
We threw snowballs into the lake after a round of snowball fighting amongst ourselves. Naturally, I didn't get any pictures during the fight. Where's a GoPro when you need it?
A view of the rental
The snow was a bit dry and powdery, making it sub-optimal for snowballs and snowmen. My kids discovered the snow on top of the hot tub was wetter and thus more amenable to shaping.
Snowman or stockpile of snowballs?
At Granny and Grandpa's house, an all-out war went on between Grandpa and all takers.
A strategic retreat
The sledding at their house was so fun, I only got one picture.
A good run
A small snow cave was built, and eventually demolished.
Tromping on their own work
The snow-ladened woods were very peaceful.
Smooth, untrammeled snow
A few days later, the rental house had a beautiful sunrise with some warmer weather.
A nice view
The next morning was much colder, resulting in a nice fogrise.
"Fogrise" would be a good name for a horror novel, right?
Posts
