It's a Miracle

And this folks, is a clear blue sky. I'm not sure when I saw one last. No wait, I am. It was February 8th (nearly a month ago) because I took a picture of it that day too. Unbelievable. I guess dreams really do come true. They do come true!

(I'm obviously not all the way there mentally by the time March rolls around but there are only 16 days until spring so there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Bear with me.)

Snow Day #2

The next day, after a slight melt, Jared informed me the snow was perfect for snowman building. So, once again, we bundled up and headed outside for another fun afternoon in the snow. (Two days in a row of snow play! This might seem like small beans for some but this is monumental for me. Really it is. It was also somewhat therapeutic. You know, sort of coming to terms with it all.) Here is our finished product:

I think this is the only time I have ever
been able to get Mitchell to voluntarily smile
for a picture. He was really excited:

Although I did have fun playing in the snow,
I couldn't help but express my true feelings
about the situation:

All of this snow actually melted a couple of days after our fun. But don't you worry, the ground is covered with about 3 inches again, schools are canceled today and the snow continues to fall. I've attempted to make peace with winter. Now I'm really ready for spring.

(22 days!)

Snow Day #1

If you can't beat it, join it. (The snow, that is.) These pictures were taken about a week and a half ago. I made the executive decision that some fresh air would do us all good so we bundled up and headed outside for an afternoon of fun in the snow. Our original intent was to build a snow man but the snow was too powdery so the boys had fun shoveling, tromping and driving their trucks all around instead.

Spencer yelling, "I'm stuck!"

The boys loved taking their Tonka trucks "off road."

And loved taking turns pulling each other out with a tow rope even more.

The fun of being stuck only lasted so long, however,
so I dug out a little figure eight track for them to drive on.

More pictures of snow day #2 in a moment.

Blah, Blah, Blah...

Yes. One of those little states covered in white is Ohio. It is currently sleeting but 6-10 inches of snow is expected to start falling any minute where I live. The boys and I have already built a fort in our living room and are stocking it with all the necessary supplies for a weekend indoors: raisins, fruit snacks, blankets, books, etc.

I feel good. I feel great. I feel wonderful.
I feel good. I feel great. I feel wonderful.
I feel good. I feel great. I feel wonderful...

Off to a Rough Start

I really thought February was going to be different. Really, I did. But then I ate not one... not two...but three cupcakes before 10 A.M. (I was going to go for a fourth but stopped myself.) I'm no expert but I'd say that's comparable to someone who starts drinking adult beverages before noon. The moral of the story is: I'm gross. But it IS winter and I AM pregnant and well, I sort of can't help it.

Also, I'm starting to remember why I've always kind of hated February. It is the shortest month of the year but it drags on F O R E V E R.

47 days to go...still.

Well Hello There February

I like February. Well, I should clarify. I like February better than January. It used to be the other way around but then I realized Valentine's day really isn't all that bad and it's one month closer to spring-(yipee!)

47 days to go...

The Hide-A-Bed

Currently providing hours of entertainment for my kids. Not only does it function as a full-time couch, it also moonlights as a trampoline, a fort, a ship, a bunk bed, a bear cave, a tent and a wrestling ring, just to name a few.

And there are 57 days until spring.

Another Taste of Spring

I'm not sure why I am even bothering to look at pretty clothes since the only thing in my fashion forecast is maternity-wear. Whatever. I still wish this is what I would be wearing when the snow melts and the temperature begins to rise. With that being said, I think it's about time I added a cute blazer to my wardrobe arsenal.

(P.S. 66 days until spring.)

(Image via Anthropologie.)

Gladiators

I'm coping with the frigid temperatures outside and the harsh reality of the long, gray winter that lies ahead by looking at new spring arrivals online. (Yay!) Last year I was on the fence about gladiator sandals. Most were too bulky and had too many buckles for my liking. These simple ones from J.Crew are just about perfect. But really, isn't everything from J.Crew just about perfect? (Love that honey brown color too!)

Groundhog Day

I woke this morning to the news that the groundhog saw his shadow, which means six more weeks of winter. But in Ohio, that really means twelve more weeks of winter. Damn you Punxsatawney Phil. Damn you.

Welcome to Winter in Ohio

Behold! The lovely view out my back door today. Unfortunately, this is as much sun as I've seen in about a week... or maybe more. Honestly I can't remember. Not cool. It's also something like 17 degrees outside. Yeah, really not cool. Kind of anticlimactic but I guess this post marks the official start to my "I Hate Winter Blog Tour" for 2009. Let the incessant whining begin!

(On a more positive note, I just finished a really fun sewing project that I'm going to blog about next!)

Top Ten

The Top Ten Signs Your Family is Ready for Spring

# 10: The economy size cannister of hot chocolate you bought at Sam's Club in October is empty and everyone is starting to panic.

#9: You can't remember the last time you showered or combed your hair. (Was it yesterday or the day before?)

#8: You check the weather forecast in warm places like Miami and San Diego compulsively and then cry afterward.

#7: You have seriously contemplated painting your bedroom yellow with hopes it will give you a tan.

#6: You've started threatening "old man winter" with bodily harm as if "he" were a real person.

#5: At the YMCA your kids stare blankly at the swimming pool and say in a confused voice, "Play? Water?"

#4: Your eyes feel like they're going to melt when exposed to natural sunlight.

#3: You say, "I want it to be spring." Your husband's response,"People in hell want ice water."

#2: You want to sell all your belongings and relocate your family to the beach where you plan to make a living selling snow cones and friendship braclets.

AND THE NUMBER ONE SIGN YOUR FAMILY IS READY FOR SPRING....

You can't say the word "winter" without using an expletive before it.

(And just for my posterity...as of March 12, 2008, there are 8 days until the first official day of spring.)

They Weren't Kidding

So yeah, when the weather man said 14 inches of snow....he wasn't kidding.
You out-of-towners might appreciate these pictures. You in-towners have seen enough snow, I'm sure.





Notice the progression here. Mitch, bundled up and looking excited to go play in the snow.
Next, Mitch riding on the tractor with Jared in blizzard-like conditions.
Finally, a close-up reveals that he is pretty annoyed and ready to come inside.
Don't worry Mitch, the snow annoys me too. Especially since it's March 8th and there are only 12 days until spring (supposedly). That's all I have to say.

You Have GOT to be Kidding Me

"A mix of rain and snow is expected to begin at about 10 a.m. on Friday, potentially bringing central Ohio several inches of snow, according to Live Doppler 10 meteorologist Brandon Roux."

How does this make me feel? Angry.

Simple Arithmetic

+

=

A Bad Combination

Winter Stinks

I must say I am beginning to feel like Jack Nicholson in The Shining*, when he goes crazy all holed up in that hotel for the winter. I'm one red marker away from writing "REDRUM" all over my unfinished bathroom** walls. (If you haven't seen The Shining, then you have no idea what I'm talking about and that is good.) While I haven't gone that far off the deep end, I do have the worst case of cabin fever I've had in awhile and I was seriously considering painting the larger part of my house yellow yesterday. But anyone who knows me, knows I despise winter. January and February have been two very long, grueling months for me for as long as I can remember. Reading through my old journals is a testiment to this. I don't feel I've left much valuable information for my posterity since most of my personal history includes pages and pages of complaining about winter coupled with an annual countdown*** until spring. For example, if my great grandchildren want to know how many days there were until spring on February 1, 1989...look no further than my personal journal. But what about January 14th, 1995? Don't worry, that's in there too.
I'm pretty sure my dis-taste for winter is increasing as I get older. Afterall, as a kid at least I got an occasional snow day or a class valentines' party to off set the winter blues. I'm thinking this increasing dis-taste with age must be somewhat normal though. Why else would retired folks move to the sun belt? They have had enough! By the time I'm 65 I think I will for sure have had enough. Quite frankly, I think at 27 I have had enough.
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*This post is in no way an endorsement for this film. It is quite possibly the scariest movie I have ever seen and it is rated R.

**Bathroom update: It looks the same as it did last Saturday. The drywall guy is supposed to come today so we can get this ball rolling!

***There are 33 days until the first official day of spring. But who's counting?