What They Have School! How About We Have Another Snow Day (or 2)?

I know I said I would post about our last Christmas Around the World (Mexico) today, but I allowed myself to get very distracted today. I had set aside a time everyday for my to focus on things I enjoy doing and with the boys having an extra 3 days home from school, I let it slip that I needed to take that time for myself. Today I made sure to get in some time for myself and hauled out my scrapbook supplies. I started off doing very well and completed two pages and located 6-8 more pages I had finished before and just hadn't added to the book. I now have our family album for 2011 complete except for one side by side page. I dug out my 2012 pictures, not noticing how many there was until I had them all unboxed. I was literally surrounded by over 2000 photos, and they were not in order. I set about organizing them that's when I realized I was still missing prints for many outings. I spent three and a half hours re-downloading pictures so I could figure out dates and see what was missing. I ended up stacking them on a card table to rush to make it to Jordan's basketball game on time. I'm still in the process of figuring out what goes where, this may take me a couple days. The Christmas Around the World will be up soon though.

 As you probably already figured out the boys had to head back to school today. Nobody was looking forward to an early wake up after getting to sleep in for the past 20 days. Jacob asked for me to double check if it could be another cold/snow day. I know some parents were ready to drop their kiddos off after spending quality time cooped up in the house due to extreme temperatures, but I wouldn't have minded a couple more days hanging with my boys (you know just giving them the rest of this week off). Don't get me wrong I'm glad to have the house back to myself. There is a special kind of peace that comes from getting 3 boys out of the house after almost 3 weeks. Order has been restored, toys have been but back where they belong, there are no dishes piling up in the kitchen, and there is blissful silence (with the exception of the trickling water so we don't refreeze the pipes).

By the end of the day they were glad to be back and see friends and hear about how vacation time was. Today was planned as a jump back into routine with both feet day, but we were cut some slack by some other people who just weren't feeling like getting out of relaxing family mode yet.

Today was a home game for Jordan's basketball team and also a scout day for Jacob. I was prepared for it and prepped most of dinner ahead of time as time is usually tight on Thursdays. While at Jordan's game I get a email for the den leader that it is too cold and they were canceling the meeting for tonight. Which worked out because we go tout of Jordan's game later than normal and they had homework to complete. Having a more than planned relaxed evening worked out for the as they still had stiff muscles from the workout they had yesterday.

Yesterday we were able to spend some time outside it had actually been above 20 degrees. We were invited back to help out the family that allowed us to rake their leaves earlier in the fall, with moving some snow for them. We packed up 3 shovels (two of which were for the younger boys) and our broom. Jordan used a shovel they had there and we set to work. We worked for an hour and a half pushing snow this way and that. Jordan tried to pass on the wisdom he just learned about shoveling building muscle and character. The younger ones helped out a bit, but were more of characters themselves than building any character. At least they we were outside getting some exercise and fresh air. There was a lot of snow to clear, it took the four of use an hour and a half. While it wasn't as snow-free as I would have liked (I'm kind of OCD about shoveling, which is why I sweep the snow also) it was a lot better than it was before we got there Again when we were finished we were invited in for some hot cocoa. I love when I can teach my boys by example the importance of being there for others when they may need you.

When we got home after shoveling snow the boys stayed outside for an additional hour and a half playing in the mounds of snow stacked near our house. The mounds are taller than I am and about just as wide as they are tall!! They had hoped to go back to the snow hill, but your front yard was good enough as it was to get dark soon. We plan to hopefully get back out to the hill sometime this week. They received new sleds from Grandma over the weekend and can't wait to try them out.

With extended break now behind us, it is time to get back to routine. We can get back to out regularly scheduled program.