Ugh, Winter!

Remember how I said back in a post in January that the snow didn't bother me yet?

Times up. It bothers me.

In fact, it's really starting to p#%* me off.

Snow is fine IF the weather warms above freezing and it recedes/disappears. But, we haven't had any temps above freezing and we've had lots of snow fall which means the white stuff has stuck around in mass quantity.

And now there is more. Lots more falling.

Emma Claire sums it up best in this photo.

She's tired of the cold and snow and apparently of Mom trying to take a photo of her in the cold and snow.

Yes, we've reached that point--we're done with winter but winter is not done with us.

View of the backyard before we headed out. You can see the snow is up to the window sill on the barn and the patio table is just hanging on but the chairs didn't make it.

Today Oliver was off from school and we made plans with a neighbor to sled in the snow after the snow stopped. I geared the kids up and we headed out across our yard to the neighbors. Snow to my thigh. Like we decided to walk across Siberia.


Seriously, they look cute but cuteness doesn't keep you warm when you get snow in your pants. And, yes, Oliver is wearing Chloe's gloves which he insisted on wearing despite my protest in telling him they would get wet and cold--that's foreshadowing, BTW.

 After a workout, we made it to the neighbors for some sledding. Oliver doesn't like the sled. He prefers sliding down on his bottom. Do you see where this is going? Snow in every crevice and crack. After about 40 minutes (which was way longer than I thought he and his pal would last) we headed back to our house.

This is where the entire day went downhill fast.

The walk back home is not long, if there wasn't waist-deep snow. Take a young boy who is cold and snow-covered and we have a temper-tantrum brewing when he continually loses his balance in the deep snow and keeps falling. We made it back home--Oliver was covered in tears and vomit and I was sweating profusely from carrying two kids in what felt like a superior cardio-vascular workout.

Emma Claire, a little happier this time around in the snow.

Once we were back home Oliver retreated to his room to change into dry clothes and to calm down and then fall asleep for a three-hour nap. Emma Claire had a snack and then a nap. I went to tackle the snow on the beloved John Deere. But, alas, the snowfall was too much for the little tractor. I had to shovel it out every two feet. I did manage to cut a path straight down the driveway from the barn to the road only to find we were blockaded by a four foot wall of snow built by the snow plows clearing the street. Our mailbox was buried and I proceeded to uncover it to discover our electricity and gas bill inside. What joy it was to see that heating bill which had 4 numbers in front of the decimal!

I shoveled as much as I could making only a slight dent. I drove the tractor back up the driveway where it threw off one of its snow chains and would go no further. I tried to pry the chain lose and to get it back on to no avail. I decided to take a break and head back inside the house. As soon as I walked inside, Lizzie, our aging English Setter began to howl and bark at the commotion of the door opening and woke Emma Claire up. I got Emma Claire from her crib, carried her downstairs and held her and turned on the local news.

I nearly began to cry as the weatherman said this was only the first part of the storm. The second half would follow later in the evening. It seems the Nor'easter wasn't happy with the 12 inches of snow it just dumped on us and was circling back to give us 3-6 inches of snow, or maybe even 10 inches. We would have to wait and see in the morning. Just as I began to think I might lose it, the weatherman sent me over the edge with the news that another snow storm was coming Saturday morning and would bring only another 1-3 inches.

Matt and Chloe were in Florida and I was at home with a 1 and 4 year old being buried in snow. The tractor wouldn't budge and I couldn't figure out how to untangle the snow chains to get them back on the tire so it would move again. Even if I did, the best the tractor would do was head back to the barn because it wasn't handling the amount of snow on the ground.

I spoke to Matt on the phone. We discussed Chloe's racing (she's doing really well) and that we would like to take the plunge and purchase a Class A motorhome Matt had looked at in Florida the day before. I decided to call the sales rep. at the dealership in Florida to get the deal in motion. At least this was something exciting and something to look forward to---heading south to Florida to pick up our RV! I called the rep. told him we wanted to purchase the motorhome and he told me, "Sorry, it just sold." So, I am spending this winter's night buried in snow and looking at RVs online. Again.

Except now sleet is coming down and the light's are flickering. Maybe if we lose power it will cut our electric/gas bill? I mean, its not like I have anywhere to go or anywhere I can go - at least until I can flag down a plow to dig us out.

Looking forward to that balmy 50 degrees on Wednesday!!