Winter Wacky

The month of February has been one of the most snowy, cabin-fever inducing, cold months we've had for years in Montana. It's led to a lot of crazy decisions and frustrating trapped-in-the-house days.

 

We started off the month of February trading in our Hyundai. It's proven to be too small for transporting grandkids and was decidedly too uncomfortable for traveling. Besides, it was having drive-line problems, leaky radiator problems, and needed new brakes. It only had 79,000 miles on it--we've never, ever traded in a car this soon. It was kind of weird. If it had been June, we probably would have toughed things out for another 200,000 miles.

 

 

We replaced it with the King of Old People Crossovers: a 2008 Buick Enclave. We love it. It's comfortable, roomy, and has heated leather seats. What more could a couple of elderly people like Stan and I need?

 

We've tried to play outside in the snow

but when the high for the day is -5 and the wind makes it -20

making snow angels is

devilishly miserable.

Makayla wouldn't even make an angel. She's the smart one amongst us. It took three warm blankets and 2 cups of hot cocoa each to warm back up.

 

 

Having decided the great outdoors wasn't so great, we spent hours and hours this month playing with Legos. I used to hate Legos when my kids were little-they got scattered everywhere, the babies insisted on eating them, and I permanently damaged my feet by stepping on them.

Now I've got a dedicated Lego room, and besides, Grandmas are much more tolerant.

Lovely Lego creations: Makayla's

and Hailey's

I found this little masterpiece while straightening the family room: Hailey arranged the scene, then drew it. I couldn't help but notice she added a blazing sun. 

We put together every puzzle in the house two or three times each...

 

 

...and made some "Welcome Spring" crafts.

Because we just KNOW

 

butterflies are in our NEAR future.

Right? RIGHT?

We've spent endless house-bound hours cleaning closets, discovering treasures like this Mini Me that somehow reminds me of Makayla,

this newspaper clipping of me in the bottom right corner sporting a lovely summer mullet,

this picture of Stan enjoying the elusive Billings summer sun,

(yeah, ok, so he's also got a broken leg. He's still clearly enjoying lounging around in the sun. When this one healed, the nice doctor broke the other one so that his legs would be the same length).

and a smiling picture of happier days when we lived in warmer Utah.

The official snowfall for the month of February was 77 inches, 25 of which fell in the last week of the month.

Every morning, 4-6 inches were spoiling our previously cleared sidewalk of the night before.

Stan's getting plenty of winter exercise. 

We look forward to March. March is the month we historically get the most snow.
That's why Amy and I are leaving Grandpa with the grandkids while we embark on a girls' weekend.

 

I'm Looking Forward to....

I have a dozen tempting sour cream chocolate cupcakes with homemade sour cream frosting leftover from our Stake events of this past weekend....

 ...as well as a couple dozen fruit kabobs from the same event

I"m looking forward to the day I have the discipline to reach for the cantaloupe

instead of the chocolate.

On Monday we got 4 inches of snow.

Today it's going to be in the 60's and my flowers are beginning to seriously break into bloom...

I'm looking forward to a more permanent spring.

On Tuesday, Hailey's crown fell off her tooth. I took her to the dentist right during lunch time, meaning we had to stop and get non-school lunch type food before returning to school. You can see how disappointed Hailey is.

After school, Hailey drew me some pictures: this one of me smiling because I "put my reading glasses on and can see the sun"....

...and this one of me running in terror from Angry Birds.

I'm looking forward to seeing Hailey's future works in The Louvre.

Makayla and Amy have been really sick. Today they tested positive for Influenza A. Don't let Makayla's sweet smile fool you--she's been keeping her sick mom up all night with a 104 temperature.  I ran into them on the way home from the doctor, getting Tamiflu at the pharmacy.

This is no fun. I'm looking forward to the day they feel better, and I'm pretty sure Amy is too.

This is the Joneses' exercise hill. It's about 1.5 miles round trip from our house. It's steeper than it looks. Stan and I have been running jogging walking crawling it several times a day in an effort to get in shape for all the walking we may do our spring trip.

Now THAT is something I'm REALLY looking forward to!!!

Look, Ma, No Cavities

A quick update...

Amy took Hailey and Makayla to the dentist today. They got a clean bill of teeth health.

The dentist discovered not one, but TWO wiggly teeth in Hailey's mouth. He thought it would take another  4 or 5 months for them to actually come out.

Makayla told me over and over today that her "doctor made my teeth sparkly-clean!!!"  Then she demonstrated what to do if your dentist wants to peek in your mouth.

They each got a bag of "I love the dentist" objects. Hmm. My dentist only gives me a toothbrush,paste, and floss and then mails me a bill. He's never offered me any of this other cool stuff.

Hailey, who can't remember to use her indoor voice, but never forgets anything else, remembered I promised her some computer time today. She graciously let Makayla watch her count with Bert and Ernie.

In other exciting local news, after several weeks of record-breaking warm weather, my yard is sprouting all over.

Don't worry--the temperature is suppose to drop 40 degrees tomorrow and we're getting snow.

Sigh. It was nice while it lasted.