Snow Fort

This was one of the first days to really enjoy the snow since the Big Dig began. Most of the backbreaking shoveling is done except for some touch-up areas. Dad made it back to work on Friday. Saturday was all about playing in the yard and building a snow fort. We began with a great mound of snow in the middle of the yard, packing it down as we piled it.

Next we dug a tunnel all the way through the pile, from one end to another like an igloo with two doors. Sean was a big help with this part because he was small enough to crawl-in and chip snow away from the back wall.

Nate wasn't as much into construction as Sean. He spent much of the time indoors where it was warm. He was perfectly happy to join in on the fun once it was completed, though! The fort is connected to various parts of the yard by dug-out paths. All of these features make it perfect for a snowball fight -- plenty of places to hide and drop out from sight. It's sure to be a good time over the next several days, and we'll need it because it looks like we might get some more snow on Monday.

Playing in the Snow

Today was the day for big fun. We walked down to the local Middle School where there is a small sledding hill. It was just about the right size for Nate and Sean to enjoy, one at a time or both together on the same toboggan.

Everyone was out in the snow enjoying themselves. The sky turned a bright sunny blue and the temperature made it up to just above freezing. That was a welcome sight after the heavy snow, high wind and brutal temperatures of the day before.

Even Dad got in on the sledding action. The extra weight actually made the toboggans travel faster and farther so he was a popular companion.


This was a pretty typical scene in the neighborhood this morning. The snow came up to about 16 inches and the wind pushed drifts high onto cars, bushes, patio furniture or any other obstacle that happened to get in the way.

Sean spotted some fresh, non-trampled snow in our backyard and went for it. He is standing next to a wrought-iron chair. The snow is higher than the seat, and goes up almost to Sean's waist!

Blizzard!

A huge snowstorm began last night. By morning we had eight inches on the ground, and by evening we had fifteen inches and snow was still falling. Even though the weather was cold, the wind was howling and the snow blanketed everything, the boys wanted to get outside and enjoy the event. We never made it out of the front yard but that was fine. We'll venture around the neighborhood tomorrow when we no longer have to deal with blizzard conditions.

The snow was so deep that it's hard for anyone to walk around, much less someone as small as Sean. The snow plows didn't come for three days the last time we had a big snow like this so Sean is going to need that sled for awhile!

White Christmas

Well, no doubt about it, we had a White Christmas this year in the northland. We spent a week with Papa and Grams in Wisconsin, where it snowed nearly every day and got as cold as ten below zero with a wind-chill of minus thirty-five. It wasn't like that every day though. Some days it actually got up into the teens and then it became a winter wonderland. The kids were fine with a brisk, sunny day even though mom and dad preferred to huddle indoors. Nate and Sean both enjoyed sledding on the church hill down the road.

Papa built this cool fort and snow tunnel next to the driveway, combining two feet of natural snowfall already on the ground with the snow kicked up by the snowblower. When all was done, Sean could sneak among fortress walls that came up to his chin, throw a couple of snowballs and then back drop down to safety.


Here is Sean next to the tunnel entrance. His poor little cheeks are a bright red from the cold. Otherwise he was bundled from head-to-toe so the temperature never slowed him down.


Nate dressed up like he was ready for an expedition through the Arctic tundra, which if you think about it, probably wasn't much different from what he experienced that day.

Everyone had a fun week and we're now safely back at home, snug and warm.

More Winter

There's not much going on in the middle of winter so we haven't posted much lately. It's not been particularly snowy this year, in fact it's been unusually warm, so we've barely gotten enough snow to make a decent snowman. We got a few inches a couple of weeks ago and a dusting several weeks earlier, but nothing else.


Nate and Sean were ready for Mardi Gras last week. Here, Sean tries on the festive glasses that Nate made. Later they rummaged through the big pile of beads collected in years gone past.


This afternoon they went to a birthday party at the home of their friend. The parents hired a face-painter to help keep the kids entertained. We were surprised that both of them wanted their faces painted since neither of them had ever wanted that before. Nate got a large snake put on him. You'll also notice that he's now lost a second tooth in the last week!



Sean got painted like a dog. He kept rubbing his face though, so by the time he got home it was mostly smeared.

Let it Snow!

We got s little snow a few days ago. Nate's an old pro, but this is the first year that Sean was really big enough to enjoy it. They both loved being pulled around the yard in a sled. There wasn't a whole lot of snow on the ground the first day but more fell overnight.


Sean decided that he would try his hand at making a snowball. There wasn't enough to make Frosty but there was certainly enough to throw at his brother!