Around the House and In the Snow

Since it's been so cold and/or snowy and/or icy these past few weeks, we've spent more time at home. It did warm up enough on Monday of this week to actually go outside and enjoy some snow without instantly being too cold. Lewis had another snow day that day, so I was glad for him to be able to get outside to play (and for me to do some preliminary shoveling that Kevin later finished). 

So here are some pictures from our time at home:

FIRST OF ALL, this sweetness that I captured last week when I woke up:

 Kevin and Peter, spooning :)

Hattie is back there behind Kevin, too--she's been sleeping in between my feet. I should take more of these because I've been waking up to some pretty funny sleeping positions on Peter's part.

Lewis brings home arts/crafts projects from school each week, and last week it was a pair of binoculars:

 

 I see you!

A new thing that Kevin started last week, I think, is the Dada Train. Lewis rides on Kevin's back (see below) as they travel around to pick up passengers and head to certain stations (i.e. Bathroom Station when it's time to brush his teeth at bedtime). After they pick up passengers, Lewis yells out, 'All aboarrrrd!' It's pretty adorable. :)

:)

 And Lewis loves it.

These are from Monday, our play-in-the-snow day:

 Rocking his new snow pants from Gramma Pat (in the proper size) :)

As I shoveled, he got out his wagon, his car, his basketball goal, and bubbles from the garage. I think he is ready for springtime! I wasn't sure what he was doing with his car at first: 

He would push it right up to the fence and started trying to stand on the seat (but kept slipping). I soon realized he was trying to see over the fence, into the neighbors' yard. Why? He saw that they have a 4-wheeler, and he wanted to see it! And probably wanted to ride it, too, if given the opportunity.

 I told him to try looking through the cracks in the fence, but that wasn't good enough for him. 

 The tears. Oh, the tears.

He asked me to pick him up so that he could see it for real, full-on, in all its glory, so I finally went over and gave him a lift. In the course of all of this, his boots came off, too, so he was walking around in the snow with just socks (very snowy socks) on. I think he made it 5 more minutes before we retreated inside.

Hattie, part polar bear :) Just hanging out, in the snow.

And finally, for Auntie Schwee (and family)...these are what Lewis' new figurines have been up to. He's been pushing his tractor/trailer around like this, with Mr. Grizzly at the wheel. :)

:)

Makes me smile.

Snow Dogs of Early 2014

Well, well, here I thought we might just get that ONE snow a month or so ago. HA! Little did I know. Holy polar vortex, Batman--this winter has been something else (so far!), huh. When we got back from GattiLand on Saturday, it was snowing very steadily and the dogs were going crazy bananas for it: 

Hattie's loving it.

 :)

I'm not certain, but she might have been watching crazy Peter (see below).

 There he goooooes!

 Hattie got into the action a little bit with Peter and then decided to lay down and wait for him to come near again. It cracks me up how she shimmies herself down into the snow.

 Get him, girl! :)

 She chased him back to his hiding spot, behind the compost pile. He squeezes between the pile and the fence and waits it out back there--during the spring/summer/fall, he anxiously digs holes, but, over the winter, he just hangs out.

 Peter's typical pose

And then a pretty good pose! Good boy!

The secret for him is to say 'kitty cat.' He tilts his head, like, 'Say WHAT?!' :)

They love the snow so much. Ours is mostly melted now--there are still some spots in the yard, and we still have some nasty ice on the driveway. We tried to shovel on Sunday when it warmed up into the 40s, but we couldn't get it all to loosen up. One of these days it will warm up again. :)

Let it SNOW!

We have finally had our first big(ish) snowfall in 2 1/2 years--enough for Lewis to play in! We had one last year, but Kevin and I were out of town that weekend. My parents were watching Lewis for us, but he wasn't happy about having to wear boots, I remember.

So, anyway, we've had fun the past 24 hours--Kevin got off work early yesterday, so he and Lewis played outside and shoveled the back steps and driveway last night. This morning Kevin went out and shoveled the front driveway, and then after breakfast we all played outside, built a snowman, and drove down to the high school to go sledding! We feel like we have to load in the fun in case this is our one and only chance this winter. :)

First, the dogs went out to enjoy it. Sweet Hattie Girl won't leave the porch if there is a drop of rain, but she LOVES the snow. And I love watching her play in it:

 

I know Peter's not doing much, but I keep laughing at Hattie leaping in the background. :) 
She took off running laps around the yard. Laid her belly in it. Tried to eat it (she had snow all in her beard). She loves it. Peter's okay with it, too, but doesn't seem to get quite as excited as Hattie does.

Thanks for shoveling, boys!

Finally, a fire in the fireplace after a few years without.

Kevin caught Lewis serenading us at breakfast this morning:

We'll have to give him his jingle bells next time for some accompaniment. :)

Here's our snowman from this morning (that Kevin and I mostly built). The snow wasn't great for building, but we made it work with chunks he'd shoveled last night: 

 We had no coal or carrots on hand, so sticks and mulch will have to do. :)

 Lew and the Snowman

By that time, he was 'all done' playing outside, so we loaded him in the car and drove down to see if there were any areas around the high school where we could sled. We found another family with the same idea, so we joined them. It was just a little hill, but a good size for Lewis to get started on.

Whee!

The terror! And the thrill!

I can't remember the last time I went sledding! I'm sure I'll be sore tomorrow. :)

Lew loved it (for a little while, at least)

He went down the hill with Kevin and I a few times and by himself, too, but then he mostly wanted to climb up the hill and run back down, or slide down on his butt, or follow the two girls around who were there with us.


Snuggle Buddies
After all of the running around, we came home and built another fire and warmed up under a blanket.

This afternoon--Christmas shopping!