Saturday, January 11, 2014

Ten Things of Thankful, Week 30 - The Polar Vortex/500th Post Edition

This.  This is my 500th blog post.  FIVE HUNDRED!!  That fact just boggles my mind.

There is no time to expound on the significance of this, as I've got a thankful list to get done and not much time to do it.  I shall save it for another day.  Just a warning...it may not be until my 600th post.

On to the Polar Vortex Edition of the TToT!

I love it when we get to pull out new, impressive-sounding terms for "weather events".  And this one is especially good, because by the nature of the word, you have to say it slowly and enunciate, or you will accidentally say "polar voltex" and be ridiculed by all who hear you.  Saying it slowly and enunciating every syllable makes it sound even more intimidating, don't you think?  Even more so when you say it with a deep voice and a serious face.

Since you all know me as the Winter Wimp when it comes to cold weather, you will probably be surprised to hear that I actually enjoyed the Vortex.  While there were some learning experiences to go with just about every good thing, there were lots of good things.

************** 1 ***********

The Thankful:  Sunshine.  After the snow on Sunday, we got two days of beautiful sunshine.  Sparkly snow blinking in the sun is one of the prettiest scenes in the world.



I'm sorry these photos don't do the gorgeousness of the day justice.  It was too cold to take my camera outside, so I had to be content with photos from the windows.  Which was difficult, considering most of our windows looked like this:


or worse.  What you see there is ice.  On the INSIDE of our windows.

The Lesson:  Get some plexiglass on the outside of the windows.  The windows that already have some fared much better.

******************* 2 *************

The Thankful:  Going with the sunshine again.  With temperatures in the -40 range, the sun was very helpful for the animals.  The chicken coop has windows, so the sun shining in helps warm them up.  The dogs also enjoyed basking in the sun in places which were blocked by the wind.

The Lesson:  Sunshine and Vortexes create crazy things.  I looked out the back window to the coop, and saw something I've never seen before.  See if you can spot it...


It's not because the photo is crooked.  The sun melted some snow, and the wind was so ferocious that it caused the icicles to grow off-center!

************** 3 **************

The Thankful:  I was warm.  It seems the temperature of the inside of my house is not my problem.  The problem is the having to go in and out of the house several times each day.  For 5 days I stayed in pajamas and my fuzzy pink robe, and I was warm.
The Lesson:  Wearing your robe all day every day may give people the impression that you haven't showered in 5 days.  I will have you know, under that robe was a new pair of pajamas and clean underwear at least every other day!

****************** 4 **************

The Thankful:  I didn't drive anywhere for 5 days.  My van sat in the driveway, looking like this:


The Lesson:  Scrape ALL the snow off of your vehicle before you drive.  On the day I finally had to drive, Phoenix cleaned the car off for me.  He did not brush off the snow on the top of the van.  As we drove down the driveway I said, "It's gonna be funny to watch all that snow fall off the back when we pick up speed".  And then we forgot about it.  Until 20 minutes later when I stopped to make a left-hand turn and all that snow came sliding to the front of the car.  I was sitting in the middle of a 5-lane freeway completely unable to see through the foot of snow covering my windshield.  

*************** 5 ***************

The Thankful:  For 5 days, we got to play as many games as we wanted.  The kids received a new game for Christmas (Settlers of Catan), and it got lots of use this week.  Cuckoo discovered he loves Monopoly, so we played many games of the SpongeBob version.  Scrabble, Yahtzee, African Adventures, and Who Knew? were popular, too.

The Lesson:  When you play this many games with kids, they will get really good at them.  This week, I lost Scrabble to an 11 year old (Giant), Monopoly to a 4 year old (Cuckoo) and Catan to a 5 year old.  And I didn't "let" them win.  They have to earn their wins.  Humble is my word for the week.

***************** 6 ***********

The Thankful:  Minecraft.  I can't believe I'm saying it, but I'm thankful for a video game.  As the week went on, the kids' patience with each other started to wear thin.  And the day I was sick and couldn't play too many games worried me.  Until I let them play Minecraft.  The big kids played on their iPods, and the little kids took turns with my iPad.  All 6 got comfortable in the boys' room and played this interactive game together.  Laughter poured from the room all afternoon.

The Lesson:  When kids are allowed to play an unlimited amount of video games for two days, they don't want to give it up.  Not too big of a deal with the big kids.  The little ones, though, have not been happy.

******************** 7 *************

The Thankful:  Lots and lots of good meals.  With nowhere to go, I had all the time in the world to cook for my family.  We had huge breakfasts and dinners every day.  When you raise your own meat and can veggies from your garden, there's plenty of food to fill your bellies, even if you can't get to a store for a week.

The Lesson:  Kids love snowmen pancakes to go with the theme of snow days.


Just be careful not to make the snowmen too much bigger than your spatula.


*********************** 8 *****************

The Thankful:  After a slow start, the chickens are laying eggs like crazy.  It seems our birds never got the memo, so they don't know that chickens normally slow down or stop laying eggs during the winter.  Out of now 27 chickens (Read yesterday's post if you don't know why I said "now".) we are getting an average of 18 eggs per day.

The Lesson:  Plan for a Polar Vortex.  Most of our customers come from school, but with school out for Christmas and everyone trapped for 5 days, the eggs have piled up.  We've been eating lots and lots of eggs, but still have 18 dozen eggs in our fridge.  Really should have done something about this before the snow hit.

***************** 9 *************

The Thankful:  If I had to have a cold, this was the time to have it.  If it would have been over Christmas, I wouldn't have been able to visit with my grandma.  With school being out, I was able to actually sit on the couch and let my body take care of the illness.  The cold was gone in two days.

The Lesson:  Don't take Nyquil.  Ever. (You really just need to read yesterday's post.)

*************** 10 *************

The Thankful:  An organized game closet, basement, and toy box.  Actually, the toy box is gone.  Out of our living room.  Finally.  The kids and COW did a great job organizing everything and making me a very happy camper.  (I was cooking while they did all of it.)

The Lesson:  Send Cuckoo away when organizing toys.  Buttercup was given the job of cleaning out the toy box, including putting outgrown toys in a Goodwill bag.  Cuckoo couldn't handle it, and whenever she wasn't looking, he'd grab something out of the bag or out of the toy box and run.  She spent half her time collecting things from him while we all laughed and laughed.  (She was laughing, too, for most of it.  I finally had to step in and distract Cuckoo.)

All in all, it was a great week, with so much laughter and fun.

Now, it's your turn.  What made you happy this week?  Learn anything while having fun?

OH WAIT!!!  I ALMOST FORGOT!!!!

We have a new co-host!!!  Sandy has agreed to join us after Melissa, sadly, had to step down from the position.  Be sure to click over and say hi!

Have a lovely day!

Ten Things of Thankful


 Your hosts

63 comments:

  1. What a long list of thankful. I love the snow covering your windshield. Well not really, but I had a visual. Always waits until the right time.

    Yes, kids learn quickly how to play the games well. Bless their hearts.

    Have a fabulous day. ☺

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    1. Phoenix was in the car with me when the snow slid down the windshield. We were both yelling and laughing and flipping out. It was startling to say the least.

      They do! Even games made for kids twice their age!

      Thank you! Same to you!

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  2. Your wonderful list made me recall how we used to huddle around the heater vents in our bedrooms as children and wait for the morning school closings list to be broadcast over the radio, and the screams of delight when we had a "snow day"! I also remember our mom being not quite so cheerful about it, if it extended into more than a couple days. Reading your post, I think she might have liked it more if she had set aside her "must do" list and and sat down to play with us. But we did have some wonderful, hearty meals on such days, and I wish I could sit down to some of her cooking now! Did you know that raw eggs can be successfully frozen and kept in the freezer for up to a year? http://www.incredibleegg.org/egg-facts/eggcyclopedia/f/freezing-eggs Not that you necessarily want to freeze 12 dozen, but it's certainly better than having to dispose of them if you can't get out to sell or give them away! I am thinking that dying eggs would be a fun activity for a snow-day, maybe it would make everyone think Spring! :-) We often stay in our pajamas on Sundays and sometimes I do on Saturday if I don't have plans to go anywhere, it is such a nice break from getting dressed, but yes... showers are still in order! :-) Another great list that made me smile all the way thru, I'm glad you've all survived the polar vortex, may it be the only one you have to endure this winter!

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    1. The days of waiting for the school to show up on the radio or TV even are over. Now, the school calls us as soon as they make the decision to close. Every time the phone rang, the kids would yell, "School's closed!!"

      Yes, I did know about the freezing of eggs. It won't help us much, though, seeing as how we get so many. They won't go to waste. If nothing else, I can take them to a food pantry.

      Funny you mention the coloring of eggs. The eggs we have aren't much fun for coloring. The kids even get a bit annoyed at Easter. Our eggs are already a variety of shades from white to brown to a pinkish color to blue to green.

      It doesn't happen very often around here, but pajama days are wonderful. That's nice that you get to have one most weekends.

      Thank you! If we get any more snow days off of school, they will have to add extra days onto the end of the year. No one wants that!

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  3. I'm still hibernating and I'm not coming out until all the snow is gone :) Well I do have to go out sometimes but only when absolutely necessary. Love the snowmen pancakes!

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    1. Ha! That sounds like a good plan to me!

      Thanks!

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  4. How fun!! With our weather being balmy but still rainy, we're spending lots of time inside, too, and since I've gotten a huge box of games as a family holiday gift, we're getting good use of it, too! BTW, on the "polar vortex": according to our meteorologists, our weather is so warm right now because the U.S. claim all the cold air, which presses to warm air our way. El Nino in Germany?? Have a great weekend, and enjoy your omlets :-)

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    1. Sounds like we are having similar good days! What games are you all playing?
      Very interesting! That sounds right, though. So, are you happy to have the warm air, or do you want the cold back? I'd be happy to send it your way!
      "El Nino in Germany" made me smile. :)

      Thanks! We are having eggs every way I can make them.

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  5. …and the faces in the patterns on the side of the pool! (yeah, I remember that no one saw the cat in the goal at the soccer game last summer).

    All the difference in the world, being prepared, having supplies and enough variety to keep everything amused/entertained/diverted for the time when it is not possible to go outside. It is better to want to stay inside when you can't go outside, than it is to not be able stand being inside when you can't go outside.

    loved the pancakes! (hey is there still such a thing as 'pancake sick'? not that the pancakes make a person sick, but growing up, pancakes were a rare breakfast event, maybe once every 3 or 4 months. so naturally, I would eat more than I wanted and I still recall a special feeling to being pancake sick.)

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    1. The pool? Do I have to read your post to understand that? (I do remember you seeing the "cat".)

      It is a big difference, for sure. I'm glad we had plenty to eat, drink, and do for the duration.

      Thanks! You only had pancakes once every 3 or 4 months??? Why?? They aren't expensive or difficult to make from scratch. Did no one in your family like to cook?

      We call that feeling "crossing the line". The kids and I say that whenever we are eating something we really like. There is a line between sufficiently full and sick. It's best to never cross that line. We all know what "pancake sick" feels like. Pancakes do have their own special kind of sick. :)

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    2. oh hey! forgot!! congratulations! on the Big 500!! (do you go back much and read?… its funny, I don't at least not on purpose, but I read the early Posts know what I was trying to accomplish not a bad feeling, not re-printing *everyone of them* either!
      great to hear

      Delete
  6. I'm definitely guilty of taking a bath or shower then putting a fresh pair of PJs on. In fact, I did it today! I wish someone would make me some snowman pancakes.

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    1. Good for you! It is a great feeling to be able to do that!

      You are welcome to visit anytime. I'll be happy to make them for you.

      Delete
  7. FIVE HUNDRED POSTS! WOW! WOW! WOW! Half a thousand things of thankful right there.

    And I *love* so much that you've done very nearly the same thing I have. That's WAY cool. We both have our lessons to learn, huh?

    I'm glad that you've been surviving your winter (and I wouldn't call you any KIND of wimp - those temperatures are HARSH!) and managing to have some fun along the way. As well as some ludicrousness and some abundance. But mostly fun. And that you survived so many snow days!

    Plexiglass next year. Big priority in case there comes more weather you have to use a deep voice and a serious face for (now why not share THAT on the vidchat?). And remember to sweep the top of the van another time, forsure!

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    1. Wow. It sounds like even more when you say half a thousand.

      You are being very gracious, seeing as how I copied you. We all have lessons to learn, for sure.

      Ack. The temps for 2 days were harsh, sure. But I have been known to complain in much milder temps.

      Lots of fun all week long.

      We definitely need to put some more up. The previous owners had covered all the old, original windows, but over the years, some have broken. They are gigantic pieces of plexiglass, so it's not like we can just go pick some up.

      (No one asked! And even if I did, no one would have heard me!)

      I most certainly will.

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  8. I sat here for I'm not saying how long trying to say Polar Vortex without slowly enunciating and you're right. It can't be done. I'm a fool to have doubted you!
    I have to say that you made being home bound for a few days sound lovely! Except for the being sick part (oh, and I read the Nyquil post ...eek!) it sounds like quality family time.
    I love the snow in the sunshine pictures and bet it was beautiful. I can only imagine and one day would love to see it firsthand. Thank you for the pictures.
    I'm glad nothing terrible happened when the snow flew forward on the van but I have to tell you it made me laugh!
    This is a pretty incredible list and congratulations on the 500th post. That's awesome!
    And, again, thank you for the very warm welcome!

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    1. Hahahaha!!! That's awesome. Never doubt me! (Unless I tell you to.)

      I am shocked at how much I enjoyed the time at home.

      I am even more astounded that you've never seen snow. I can't imagine never seeing snow, it's been so much a part of my life. You must come north one winter to see it.

      I'm glad you laughed. Once we were over the shock of it, we laughed, too. I still laugh when I think about it.

      Thanks!

      We are glad to have you! I hope you are enjoying yourself.

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  9. I just caught up on your posts from the last week - I've been a bit MIA. What a wonderful snowy week!

    Sorry you were sick, but the Nyquil does make for good blog fodder, doesn't it? And I was so happy to have read the old posts first so I knew what was going on...Nyquil, chickens, etc.

    Congratulations on the 500th post! And hope you are feeling better!

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    1. I noticed you were missing. No worries. Hope you were off having fun.

      Blog fodder is what I live for these days, it seems. :)

      Thank you! I'm feeling much better, thanks.

      Delete
    2. Was I having fun...I don't think so. I was catching up on grading that needs to be finished for the end of the marking period. I was having a horrendous headache from the stupid weather that can't make up its mind...sub-zero freezing, then near 60 degrees, then back down to freezing, snow, ice, rain, fog. My sinus are like WTF??? Although on Friday night, the Fab Hub and I did have a date. Alone. Without the Kidzilla. It was nice to eat a meal where I didn't have to cut anyone's food or say "stop picking your nose," "don't stuff your mouth too full," or "for God's sake use a napkin" eighteen times. :D

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    3. After I replied I was over at your post and realized that no, you were not having fun. I'm sorry to hear about that. Although, it's always nice to eat out without one time having to admonish a child for his/her poor manners.

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  10. It's like I was there, your pictures are so true-to-life. Oh wait...

    I, too, showered and put on fresh jammies each day. No judging. Although by Thursday, I did upgrade to the yoga pants. And I have actually had on jeans the past two days...shocking that they still could button.

    We had ice on the inside of some of our windows too, so it has nothing to do with your "older" home...although we didn't have quite as much as you.

    Hope you're feeling better now, my friend. And that all the snow is gone from the van (I did laugh out loud at the thought of it sliding onto your windshield...sorry, that's what good friends do.)

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    1. :)

      Why wouldn't you put jammies back on? It's not like anyone is going to show up at your door unannounced. I put jeans on today. BARELY got them buttoned. It's time to do something about that.

      You did!?!? That makes me feel better. I know our windows still suck at insulating the house, but it may not be as bad as I thought.

      I am feeling just fine.

      You should laugh. I still do when I think about it. It was shocking at the time, but once that wore off, it was funny.

      Delete
  11. 500!!! WOW...Congratulations!!!

    When you say Pole-er-vor-tex slowly...are you supposed to say it loudly as well??? Cause that's what I would tend to do. :)

    Sounds like your snow week was full of fun and laughter. Perfect!!

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    1. I know! WOW! Who talks that much??

      Say it any way that sounds intimidating coming out of your mouth. :)

      It was! I'm glad it sounded like it.

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  12. Glad you survived & even thrived during the Polar Vortex! I'm not so thrilled now by The Thaw. It's just so messy and gray.

    If I decide to take on this TToT, is there anything other than what you've mentioned above that I should know?

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    1. Yes, the Vortex was wonderful. The Thaw is miserable. Mud and water everywhere.

      Join us! Join us! We have very few rules. We just want people to enjoy themselves and think positive thoughts. Just write a post of things for which you are thankful, add our button or a link in your post, then link it up here! Let me know if you have any trouble or questions.

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    2. Aaaaaaaaand know that your post will be suddenly swamped by an influx of people very happy to read your list of Thankfuls, welcome you into the blog-hop and start lots of lovely conversations with/around/near you :D

      Delete
  13. Your photos of the snow are GOR.GEOUS. Truly. I am jealous of your pancake skills. I cannot make representations with my pancakes for the life of me. Fortunately, I have a waffle iron that makes a clown, lion, elephant, and circus tent. Used that this morning. And yay for pajamas 24/7. I've used the polar voltex as an excuse, myself. And I wouldn't judge you if the showers came every three days instead of two.

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    1. Aw, thank you!
      Circus waffles!?! How fun is that?!?! I can do simple things that are circular in nature or straight lines. Other than that, it's just a blob.
      Did you mean to say "polar voltex"? Either way, thank you. It made me laugh.
      Thank you for not judging. Does that mean you were an every three day showerer yourself? :)

      Delete
  14. Congratulations on 500 posts! I'm glad you're feeling better now. I'm impressed your 5-yr-old caught on to Settlers. That's a fairly complex game. That ice is on the inside of your windows? Brrrr! The snow is beautiful, though.

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    1. Thank you!
      Me, too. :)
      Our kids loves to play games. With new, complicated games, a little boy will watch a few games, then partner up with an adult for a few games, then jump in and play himself. It's always exciting for him when he gets to play alone. Those first few games he learns the tricks, and finally, he is just as good as any of us. Thus the win. :)

      yes, inside the windows. So stinkin' cold.

      The snow is pretty. From inside the house. :)

      Delete
  15. The photos DO capture the beauty of the day, Christine. Well taken and I can see you love being just where you are!

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    1. Thank you, Michelle. I am very blessed and happy to be living the life I have. I'm glad it's apparent.

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  16. Your blog is one of my favorites to visit on the hop. I really enjoy reading the moments you share with your 6 kids! I say I want 3 in total but maybe if we can hack it, 6 would be just so awesome! Ok, now for your post: -40ish degrees! I would have been home in my pajamas and showering every other day as well! I think if I lived in a cold area again, I would be like a bear and want to hibernate and not come out for the entire season haha! Those snowman pancakes look so cute! I love how they found a game they could all enjoy and play together in Minecraft! Glad you aren't sick anymore and are feeling better! xo

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    1. Aw, thank you Brittnei. I'm glad you like the blog.
      Go for 6! Go for 6! :)
      Funny you mention hibernation. I mentioned at the beginning of this winter, when our first snow came pretty early, that I would be hibernating until the robins came back. Unfortunately, life won't let me.
      Thanks!
      Star had been begging to get Minecraft on our computer, but I wouldn't let him. On their iPods, though, when they can all play and have fun, I'm much more likely to agree.
      Me, too. Thanks!

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  17. Snow, snow, magical snow. I love the blue bird days after a storm. Breaking the powder. Watching everything sparkle. The smell and that beautiful silence. Thanks for those pictures, it was a slice of heaven. The ice on the windows-when we lived in Mammoth Lakes, CA, we would get that. So weird!

    Pajamas, warm and family laughter are the best results of storm days.

    The snow on top of the car. Been there. It is such a surprise when it flies off the top and lands on the engine. I think I peed my pants a little.

    Purging is so hard with kids. It is not my favorite post-holiday activity.

    I love visiting your coop every week!

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    1. The day after a snow storm is magical, isn't it? I'm glad you liked the photos. It is quite disconcerting to have ice on the inside of the windows. Just the idea of it makes it feel colder.

      They certainly are.

      Ha! Glad to hear I'm not the only one who has done this. It is shocking when all that snow comes rushing down.

      I love to purge. Simple is my lifestyle of choice. Too bad the kids don't agree. :)

      Thank you! I'm glad you like the blog.

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  18. Congrats on your 500 post. The last pancake looks like a cross between and elephant and Mickey Mouse.:) I have the same experience with pancakes. LOL

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    1. Thank you! Ha! I told the child I gave it to to pretend it was a Mickey pancake instead of a snowman. :) Sometimes, pancakes just have a mind of their own.

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  19. Wow you've had a lot of snow. It is beautiful, though I can see why you've stayed inside with those temperatures. I remember once having ice on the inside of our windows so I can imagine how cold it is.

    How nice of Phoenix to scrape your car for you. (My husband did mine this morning much to my delight. We had our second frost of the winter. It's been unseasonally warm here.)

    The snowman pancake is great!

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    1. Yes, yes we have. It's very pretty if you can see it while staying warm.

      It was nice of him. Would have been nicer if he would have done it without me asking him to. :) It's a special little surprise to have your car already scraped when you go out on a cold morning, isn't it?

      Thanks!

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  20. Five days in PJs sounds amazing! We rarely get snowed in that long here in Maryland, but it does sound like fun--especially in a fuzzy bathrobe. I have been wondering about Minecraft. Maybe it's time for me to look into it. I suspect our older son would like it--though maybe it would be a bit advanced for him. The snow shots are great, and the icicle ones are amazing! It must have been so windy and cold. Glad you all made it through the polar vortex. Enjoyed reading your TToT!

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    1. It was the best. I don't know if we've ever been snowed in this long. The extreme amount of snow followed immediately by the extreme cold did a big number on the roads.
      As for Minecraft - It is a fun game for the kids. Our 4 and 5 year olds play it. Not as well as their siblings, but they have fun. The only thing to keep in mind is that it is interactive. As in, with wifi, there is a way for them to play with people out in the world and not just in your house. Just an FYI.
      Thank you!

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  21. Now that is a polar vortex. Beautiful thought. We don't have any winter weather like that. Stay warm. We've had sunshine the past two days. Wonderful.

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    1. It was an impressive weather event, for sure.
      Are you glad you don't have winter weather like ours? :)

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  22. 500. Impressive. Very impressive:) Wait until you get to a 1000!
    I love all your pictures Christine. Now about that pronunciation....I'm hearing James Earl Jones. Who else could make "polar vortex" sound intimidating than Darth Vadar himself! lol

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    1. 1000? We'll see. :)
      Thank you!
      James Earl Jones has a great voice. Really, he can make any word sound fantastic. I bet he could even say "poopyhead" in a way that wouldn't make me cringe. :)

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  23. Oh it's so fun to "live your life" for a while.... cooking, chickens, playing games, resting on the couch- BLISS!!! I love the beautiful pictures, I can only imagine what it all looked like in real life!!

    Now, go sell all those eggs!!! Or make about as many omelets as posts you have completed!! ;) BRAVO on that, by the way!!

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    1. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

      I sold 7 dozen in 3 days, so things are looking up on that front. We eat eggs all the time, and yet even we can't keep up with production. :)

      Delete
  24. 500 posts? Dude! You are such a rock star!! I don't think I'm even up to 300 yet but I actually have no idea. Hang on. Ok I'm back. 292. So yeah, not even 500. You are awesome. And sideways growing icicles might be one of the coolest things I've ever seen. Also, and I promise I'm not asking in a creepy weird or icky way - it's just that I was honestly surprised and now I'm dying to know...people really wear underwear with pajamas? I always thought of PJs being underwear and am now worried that I've been doing it wrong for a long time. Ditto to sweat pants.
    Yikes to the snow making you unable to see - glad it was okay! I've had that happen before and it's freaky!
    POLAR VORTEX - it's also even more creepy sounding if you extend the vortex' R a little and then the X at the end. Like this: POLAR VORRRTEXxxxx Try it! See? I almost even scared my own self! Glad your cold is gone but now I need to read yesterday's post! Yikes to the Nyquil! I hope it's a great week for you and the gang, Christine!

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    1. Yes. 500. Less rock star and more jabbermouth. :)
      292 is an impressive number as well! But wait, does that include your Our Land guest posts???

      Aren't those icicles cool? And disconcerting, considering the cold and wind that had to occur to make them.

      Oh, Krisit. Yes, people wear underwear with their pajamas. And sweat pants. Do you wear sweat pants out of the house without underwear??? Have you never been "pantsed" in all your life???

      It was quite shocking. Especially since it was enough snow to cover the roof of a 12-passenger van!

      Are you rolling your R when you say that? Then you sound Spanish. :)

      Thank you!

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  25. Oh my gosh I LoVe this list. It makes me jealous for your life. I'm not an urban person but I live in a very urban suburb. Your pictures are so beautiful, your chickens.... oh to have chickens.
    And my son does the exact same thing when it's give away time. If only it was allowed to lock a child in a room or closet or something for just a little while ;-)
    And the end of video games?! This week was soooo hard. We homeschool, so still being home but not being able to play video games or watch movies during the day was a toughie. but we're plugging along.
    And I wouldn't have judged you if you didn't shower ;-)

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    1. I'm glad you liked it! If you are jealous, you may want to read a few of the pig posts. You'll be happy to live in an urban suburb afterwards. :)
      I've never had a kid be so stubborn about giving up baby toys. Of course, I've never had a child quite like Cuckoo. A closet would be helpful, for sure. :)
      Oh, that would be hard. At least my kids are going out of the house and changing up the scenery, going back to the old ways. I imagine it would be harder with homeschooling.
      Thank you. Does that mean you've done the same thing? :)

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  26. Best polar vortex post I read! I was also thankful for the quiet time home with my kids. We didn't get the snow you got, but today it's falling!
    Crooked icicles! Oh my!

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    1. yeah! Are there that many polar vortex posts out there?
      You get plenty more snow throughout the winter. Probably as much as we got, but we're not used to it.
      I know! They were quite cool, but the circumstances which created them? Not so much.

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  27. Your snow is so pretty! I love it for the first day, then I want it gone.
    I was a little (okay, a lot) worried our cars would be frozen shut and/or have dead batteries, but they both started like beasts after sitting outside through the whole polar vortex fiasco.
    My kids watched Netflix the entire time they were house-bound by the weather. In fact, my daughter didn't even make any pretense to be a functioning human being and stayed in her bed, with her electric mattress pad on, and watched on her laptop, only venturing out occasionally for food. It was as close to hibernating as she could get.
    I usually like to do a big jigsaw puzzle when we have snow days, but I didn't do it this time. Hmmm. Maybe because I was afraid a kitten would steal puzzle pieces?
    I love the visual of Cuckoo sneaking toys back out of the bag!
    Been there with the pancake too big for the spatula thing, and no, trying to maneuver TWO spatulas only makes it worse.

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  28. Oh, and while I am NOT an egg person, having that many eggs at your disposal would make it okay to use only the whites to make a scratch angel food cake, but I just can't justify throwing out a dozen egg yolks to make the cake when eggs are so expensive.

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    1. It is pretty the first day, but once it's there and gets dirty, I'm really, really ready for it to melt.
      I was really worried about our cars not starting, too. Thankfully, they started up with little drama.
      I have to admit to being a bit jealous of your daughter. Hibernating sounds divine.
      No way Ruby would have stolen puzzle pieces! She is a gem of a kitten, never causing trouble! :)
      Ha! I've tried two spatulas before, and you're right. It never works.
      Very true about the eggs. And fresh eggs are the best for making angel food cake.

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  29. Congrats on publishing 500 posts, Christine! That's awesome :) Your photos of the sunshine on the snow are just incredible. While you guys are getting -40 F days, we're getting 40+ C days (over 100 F!). Love your snowman pancakes. 18 eggs a days averages out to a little more than 2 a day each for you guys, doesn't it? We had three chooks but one died recently, so we're down to about 2 eggs every 3 days between the four of us! Nothing beats a freshly laid egg though, does it? Hope you're having a wonderful week :)

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    1. Thank you!
      I heard there was one serious heat wave causing problems in your area of the world. Hopefully, your air conditioner is working beautifully.
      Yes, good math skills!
      2 eggs every three days is a good average for only 2 chickens. Will you be getting more chickens or is that enough eggs for your family?

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  30. A friend of mine had the ice on the inside of her windows problem. I'm glad that weren't in the grip of the polar vortex over here. It still sounds to me like something that would happen in a Star Trek episode. Maybe something to do with Romulans?

    If I were your neighbor, I would definitely be buying eggs from you. Farm fresh eggs are the best.

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    1. The ice thing isn't any fun. It just makes me shiver.
      I've never watched a full episode of Star Trek, but I've seen enough clips to know that you are right!

      Will you be moving to Indianapolis any time soon? I'll save you some. :)

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