First big snow this winter

Wow, the weather forecast kept telling us to expect a winter storm. The new year was going to start much differently than the old one had ended. The first photo was taken Monday January 3 shortly before 9 am. 

By 2 pm it looked very different. 

Oh yes, I had to make snow cream. 

James took these photos. I could have thrown a snow ball but he had my camera. Eh, no!

The snow cream was ready, most of it in the freezer and I had lots of snow leftover. I tried to make a snow man, ha-ha. The snow was not good for that. I could not form nice round balls. It clumped into icy pieces.

James decided he needed exercise and shoveled the sidewalk. We did not need to do it but he did anyway.

3:30 pm and everything does look very nice. 

The sun is peeking through the trees.

Tuesday morning just before 9 am. Not much has changed only the sun shining from the other side. Still gorgeous but horror stories about drivers stuck on the interstate and people without power. 

The birds love the suet seed packs the best right now. James replenishes one and shakes snow/ice off the other. While he is doing it I watch the birds flying from one bush/tree to the other around him and waiting.

As soon as he is gone there is a wild feasting. In two photos you see them flying. Best I could do.

Everyone feels a little stuck. I had to cancel/change two appointments of which one was the dentist (hygienist). Otherwise there is plenty to do inside the house.

Wednesday morning I received a call from Sarah asking "how comfortable are you driving?" Well, the streets (especially the main ones) were all o.k. Caleb had hurt his hand the day before sledding. They thought he felt bad because he was tired but in the morning he felt worse. He needed to see a doctor. All schools were scheduled to start 2 hours delayed. So we went to stay with the twins so Sarah could leave with Caleb. When we arrived they were laying on the floor playing with puzzles until it was time for us to bring them to their school.

Sarah texted us this photo later. Xray showed nothing broken so hopefully it is just a bad sprain. 

Nashville faired similarly weatherwise. Ben was kind and texted several photos to me saying that William thought snow angels looked funnier in the movies. 

That reminded me that sometime ago I had made 'my one and only one' and looked for the video. It took a while before I found it.

The big snow of 2016 is a nice blog. 

Strange though that the videos are not working any more. So here is Omi making the snow angel. I don't think I would like to try that now a few years older.

More Inclement Weather

From this ...

... to this!

Enough! Enough! Enough!

But then it meant more of this: (Two days - Monday and Tuesday)

He is napping. Quickly let's have lunch, ha-ha.
But look at this video when he wakes up later!

Caleb is three months now. He is focusing on things and grabbings things. He likes the little boy in the mirrow hanging above.
Video 1
Video 2

We think he might be teething. Who knows. He is suddenly drooling a lot. And he found his hand to suck on.
Yup, another video - with noice.

And here is a video which Sarah sent one day. Caleb reads a book! Love my gadgets!

And today, a few days later, the snow is gone and we actually can be outside without a coat. James wants to fill the bird feeder. When he lifts the bag with the seeds out of the box on the patio where we store it (and a few small garden tools) he spills some because of a hole in it ... obviously made by a rodent.
Well, when we want to empty it to clean it out ... yikes! The mouse is still in it.

It took a while but James caught it. The mouse was fast. But don't worry. We were nice to it and set it free at the bottom of the garden.

Well, and all that talk about Caleb earlier ... having him here doesn't mean we are not missing William. Thanks to social media and gadgets we can see photos Helen takes.

Here William is at a birthday party where the entertainment is somebody showing easy sience projects. William was fascinated and had a great time.

Today he could be outside for 6 hours (reported by Helen) and was very happy.

We will all be together next weekend! Yeah!!!

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Inclement weather

For many days there was a lot of talk about a storm to come ... snow, lots of it ... icy roads. Warning. Warning. The news were full of it! With Sarah gone back to work, a snowstorm would be a problem because part of Wade's work includes overseeing snow removal which usually takes all night.
It was supposed to start Wednesday. Sarah was scheduled to work 2am to 10pm and since she also had a work training that morning she dropped Caleb off at 7:15am.

Lots of baby stuff around the house.

He was totally content with us. A trick when it is time for his nap ... put him in the stroller and walk a figure eight around the dining room table and through the sunroom around the fireplace and back to the dining room. But don't walk too slowly. It doesn't matter if it goes bump a little.

He almost can hold his bottle, with a little help.

After the training Sarah had come back for lunch and put up his traveling bed. It needed to be blown up.

In the afternoon he enjoyed time on his "piano".

And then it came!!! Caleb was already happily sleeping because he is very good going to bed about 7:30pm and sleeps all night. But his mother was still working. Since she was working till 10pm and had to be there again the next morning at 8am we had hoped she would just stay there (in Mechanicsville) in a hotel but she is a very good and confident driver and wanted to come home. The drive took longer then usual and I felt like breathing again when she finally arrived.

Thursday! What a Daddy. The next morning he cleaned off the car for her and the pile of snow behind the car the snow plow had left.

If my stomach had not been in a knot I could have enjoyed the beauty of it.

This is actually how the three previous pictures looked like (blue) before I edited them with the filter. (a crepe myrtle branch)

Mid morning, when it started to thaw and even rain, I quickly had to make a snowman for William. He wanted one all winter but hardly a flake in Nashville.
The snow was awful and immediately turned into clumps of ice in your hands. This is the best I could do.

Caleb was not impressed. He couldn't have cared less.

But spending time with Grandpa is good.

He is talking.

And listening.

And sleeping again ...

... after he had reduced this supply by another one.

And here is a cute video.

Sarah said the roads were a little better when she came home after 4pm. She took this photo. And now she had Friday in front of her which is her day off.

Mommy's arm is the best.

Friday we lounged around and watched the Olympic Games. Well, we couldn't go out! Tummy time for Caleb. He was fascinated with the ice dancing.

Haha, you are lucky that there are only 6 photos of that series here. I think I took 19.
But there is also a video!

After lunch Sarah was ready to go home. The roads were much better. And her husband was on his way home too. After he had worked Wednesday night, had came late Thursday evening to sleep a few hours and head out again Friday morning at 3:30 he was ready to see his family and crash.
To take care of Caleb for three days had not been a problem at all. He is mostly very content and if he is not he lets you know but it's not a big deal because it is one of three things: hungry, sleepy or wet diaper. Since his arrival on Wednesday though every diaper was not only wet but also dirty. Poor guy must have gotten a bug but it didn't seem to bother him much (and neither Omi) ... until Friday around lunch time when his little bottom suddenly got very red and he screamed at changing times like never before. That got Mommy and Omi into a panic but after a relaxing bath and lots of healing cream everything is good in baby land again.

So, I really really hope this was the last of winter. It's nice to have Caleb time but I really would like to go on a walk with him. That would be great.
  

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