First, And Likely Only, Snow Of The Season

There's nothing like snow in the forecast to get our city worked up. The weather folk talk about snow like it's a convention of mini aliens falling from the sky. Fortunately for us, the forecast came through and the kids had just enough snow to build a snowman. A "snow day" for us means 15 minutes of snow followed by sunshine and squat. What this means is that the kids must make snowmen while the snow falls, and not hesitate one bit. It's a bit of a thrill, you see. The kids were all concerned that the snow would fall on a "school day" and they'd miss out on the fun. That right there is proof that my fun-sucking reputation is SOLID. But let the record state, I would give the kids a small recess if said snow should fall on a school day. Fortunately, the weather gods love me and scheduled the flakes for a Sunday afternoon. Can I help that?

The Green, Green Grass Of Home

Great thing about the Pacific Northwest is that our yard remains green during the bulk of the year. It's only in the late summer that it dies for a bit, but it soon revives itself with the rain in the fall.

Seems like that little bit of sun we had last week shot the grass up three inches. The Pa came straight home from work and grabbed the mower for the first time this year:

And the Suz was more than happy to watch him work from the comfort of the kitchen nook window:

As the old Disney song says, Whistle While You Watch Someone Else Do The Work.

Don't Be Afraid, It's Just The Sun

March had 29 days of rain, a new record for our city. In case you forgot, March has a total of 31 days. So, there's that.

The sun came out last Friday, for a good part of the day actually! So I closed up school by noon and shooed the kids outside for the bulk of the day. I would have taken a pic of the Suz but she was sent to the house after hitting her brother with a bat. As sisters are prone to do, you know.

We Saw Something Shiny And Called It "The Sun."

Mark It Down, People.

The sun showed its face.

And the sky changed from "gray" to "blue."

And for the first time in months, we left the house. And ran.

Dear sun and blue skies,

We have missed you.

See you next year.

Love,

The Vitamin-D Deprived Family

Arctic Blast 2008: Snowtem Pole

It started out being THE BIGGEST SNOWMAN EVER, but looking back, I see it's more of a Snowtem Pole.

Regardless, the boys and I had fun. The temps were perfect for playing outside today, and I even kept from hurting my back when piling on the top few blobs of snow. (Hello, mid-thirties, when Not Injuring Yourself becomes The Goal.)

(Look, Dad! I even gave the Snowtem Pole legs, just like the huge Snow MAN we built many, many years back.)

Zig built his own baby snowman...

Which he promptly kicked to death soon after he got frustrated over not being able to stick on the eyes.

The memories, they are always in the making.

Arctic Blast 2008: I Surrender

The "Arctic Blast 2008" has now become the "Snowpocolypse" and "Snowmageddon."

I shook my head back and forth for at least 187 minutes this morning.

Could. Not. Believe. It.

I have yet to see a snowplow, a snowblower, or even! A shovel.

No, correct that. I DID see my neighbor cleaning off her steps with a garden shovel.

Classic.

We Pacific Northwesterners know how to garden! But we don't know a thing about snow.

Especially when it starts to bury cars:

Pa worked from home today. (Translation: Locked himself in the room with the computer while the rest of us "kept quiet.")

Boys got to play outside for a bit:

Meanwhile, Sister Suz was stuck inside, watching the excitement from the window:

Since the movie rental box is not too far from our house, we've rented four* DVDs in the past 24 hours. McDonald's has closed. Trash pickup was canceled. The mail can't even get through! (Whatever happened to "the mail must go through...the mail must go through...no matter if it rains or snows...the mail must go through?")

Stay tuned for even more boring weather reports ahead. There's supposed to be more of the same for the next week. Week!

(PS: To add to the drama, our e-mail hasn't worked since Friday. Friday! Four days! I can't even be cooped up with my messaging addiction, hellloooooo, H A L P!)

(PPS: Dad: Please bring your snowplow over and clean out our driveway. And the roads in the rest of the city. I don't ask for much, just that. XOXO.)

*Horton Hears a Who, Hancock, Prince Caspian, and Mamma Mia

Arctic Blast 2008: Eating Crow, Er Snow

Okay. So it finally snowed. A lot. Like 8-12 inches. The whole Pacific Northwest is in shock.

Kids love it, though. Here's Zig peeking through a few thousand layers:

("I can't put my arms down!")

It's cold. It raining ice. It's blowing snow.

We left our snow shovel behind in the Midwest because we were told "It doesn't snow out here."

Mmmm-hmmm.

Okay, so I've lately been told that it hasn't snowed this bad in 25 years.

Pa and I ended up "shoveling" the driveway with an Ikea table top and a dust pan. I have no doubt we gave the neighborhood a fine, fine laugh.

Speaking of Sunshine and Roses...

We've all been snowed in for a week (our entire city owns four snow plows, so I've also been told), so some of our friends called and invited themselves over for dinner. Those boots you see belong to the Mom. Someone thought she was being cute and funny.

Well, she was.

Meanwhile, we're testing the limits of Cabin Fever and drinking hot chocolate by the gallon.

Also: I'm dreaming of a green Christmas, and eating crow.

Arctic Blast 2008, you win.

Arctic Blast 2008: The Sequel

The Arctic Blast continues. I mean, JUST LOOK AT IT.

An eighth-inch of snow!

2 mph wind!

Smiling elf-type goofs showing up on my street!

I hope we survive.

Arctic Blast 2008

I woke up Sunday morning to this:

No. Not the sound of the snow, gently falling to the ground.

The sound of two boys, whooping and hollering like a couple of monkeys let loose from the zoo.

Early morning.

Hence, the pajamas.

BLAME THE PA.

So!

Snow! In our city! Is unheard of!

And no one owns shovels or snow blowers, and the city doesn't have the equipment to clean the streets. So...church was canceled (for a light dusting of snow!) and the kids got to play outside. A lot.

Who knows if Campers owns a hat or his own pair of gloves. Seems he just borrowed mine:

Pa spent a good deal of time outside, building a snow castle with the boys:

And you'd never guess what Little Miss Who Has Never Seen Snow thought of it all.

Mmm-hmmm.

Joy. These kids bring me such joy.

(The title, "Arctic Blast 2008" is what the news stations were calling the snow "storm." Ha ha ha.)

I'm Dreaming Of A Green Christmas

Hello, Pacific Northwest?

What in the honky-tonk is all over our sidewalks these days?

This region never ceases to amaze me.

Coolin' Off

Temps have been in the triple digits the past few days. Scorching heat is practically unheard of in the Pacific Northwest, except for a handful of days each year.

Here the boys cool off in the neighbor's sprinkler:

We are all about using their resources to our best advantage.

And now it's back in the 70s for the rest of the week, so I can start thinking something other than:

"IT'S HOT."

Well Wouldya Lookat That!

Some snow appeared this morning, showing its face the second time since we've moved here three months ago. Natives tell me that It Does Not Snow Around Here, at least not enough to talk about.

But talk about it these city folk do! This light dusting had lips-a-flappin', schools closed, and CHAINS on the bus tires.

Amusement Galore.

And it melted by early afternoon. Now that's what I call, "perfect snow."

Bright Sunshiny Day

Some days, my need for Vitamin D is so huge I can feel it.

Ahhhhhhhhhh...

I actually had to squint when we went outside. Yikes! Haven't done that in months.

Reminds me of the ol' Midwest, where "snow blindness" is an everyday ordinary kind of thing.

Can't say as if I miss that too much.

But the sunshine. That I miss.

It was a bright (bright), bright (bright) sunshiny day.

It's Beginning To Feel A Lot Like...Springtime

Well, if you can get past the gray hairs that are so prominently displayed on my head, you might notice that I am outside! In January! With only a fleece-type coat!

Surely this cannot be winter.

But let's back up a bit.

Around 11:00 a.m. today, I noticed a glow coming through the windows.

"WHATEVER COULD IT BE?!?!?!?" I asked myself.

"WHAT IS THAT BRIGHT ORB IN THE SKY??" I questioned.

Oh! It's the sun! Breaking through all the grayness!

So then my heart filled with glee (which as my kids will tell you--happens about once a year, when the house is spotless and the bills are paid and everyone is healthy and Mars lines up with Jupiter, JUST HOW I LIKE IT), and I went around the house sing-songing, "We must take a walk! We must take a walk to the park!"

So while the kids were dilly-dallying through their lunch, I headed to the computer to read through the hordes of blog comments that come my way each day.

If you think I'm a bit sarcastic, you're half right.

I'm a LOT sarcastic.

But where was I.

Oh, upstairs.

Soon I hear the Zig walking up the stairs saying, "Ma, I couldn't make it to the potty in time."

And it wasn't any "number one" I was seeing stained all over the lightly-colored-carpeted stairs as he step-step-stepped his way to help. Yep, it was the Good Stuff.

Good enough for Sister Susie to make her way up the stairs behind the Zig, touching the brown spots and tasting as she went.

I don't make this stuff up, I promise.

So eighteen gazillion hours later, AFTER THE SUN HAD GONE BEHIND THE CLOUDS, and I had given Zig his second bath of the day and cleaned the carpets and consoled the Campers and sanitized Sister's mouth, (OF WHICH NONE OF THIS I AM BITTER ABOUT), we headed outside.

Because We Were Going To Enjoy This Weather Whether We Wanted To Or Not.

Fine moods we were in, the lot of us.

Oh, but the rambling, it has got to stop! Okay, Ma, back to business.

So here's the Campers. Climbing like a little six-year-old skinny grade-school monkey.

And Ziggy, swinging to his little heart's content.

But we can't all be happy at the same time, goodness sake, I'd die of shock.

"GET ME OUT OF THIS STROLLER, YOU NINNY OF A MOTHER!!!"

At least that's what it looked like she was saying.

And this is our life, in the Winter Wonderland.

That looks a whole lot like spring.

I'm Dreaming Of A What? A WHITE Christmas?

I had my Snarky Self all set to write a nice ditty how I was "dreaming of a WET Christmas," and then THIS happened:

Snow is practically unheard of in these parts:

And on Christmas Day, to boot!

The whole neighborhood was in shock. Course, it all melted within three hours, which is just fine by me.

A White Christmas.

Whodathunk?

Green With Envy

I'm telling you, there is something Rather Healing about waking up in mid-December and seeing this:

Green trees, green bushes, green grass.

Pacific Northwest, where have you been all my life??

And no, the Pa did not Photoshop the colors. As if. Pfft.

And Speaking Of That "Storm"

So all the weather people 'round here are calling this little downpour we had a "storm."

I would like to say, that a STORM is not a STORM unless there is THUNDER and LIGHTNING.

Of which I heard none and saw none.

And that's all this Midwesterner has to say about that.

And don't get all dictionary definition on me, because I know what I know what I know.

"Storm." Hmph.

It Actually Stopped Raining. I'm In Total Shock.

Well golly-gee-willakers. We made national news. Gotta lotta water here, that we did.

Below are some crazies who, against shouts from folks on the radio, still decided to float through the pools of water (and NO, I did NOT take this picture of this street, which happens to be just a bit east of our house):


But we're all above water! Just letting you know. In case anyone was worried, or even gave a moment's thought to little ol' Ma and Pa in the Pacific Northwest.

Quack Quack

Goodness sakes, it has been raining from sunup to sundown, which happens to be at 4:28 p.m. these days. Goodness sakes! And let me say again, goodness sakes! It's bad enough that we eat right at 5:00 p.m, but now it's pitch dark then too! Poor Zig is all confused about why we are eating "so late." I just mumble something about being a proud member of the Geriatric Club.

But back to the rain. There are some flood warnings here in OR-eee-gun, yes there are. Eight inches of rain seems like an awful lot to me, but that didn't stop the boys from stomping in the Ginormous Puddles as we ran from the store to the van.

I am pretty sure that all the water has evaporated from the Pacific and is now falling on my front yard. All six square feet of it.

This boring weather report is sponsored by our neighborhood car wash station, who still can't figure out why they started their business in the first place.

Has it rained yet today?

There's not much point in checking the weather forecast for the day here in town. I'll give you a brief summary.

It rains for a while. Then it stops. Then it rains. The the sun peeks out. The there are clouds. And some more rain.

And that's just kinda how it goes.

So now we just ask each other, "Has it rained yet today?"

Because no day is complete without a little rain.