Baby it's COLD outside...

   Last week the boys had a couple days where they could go out and play in the snow for a little bit.  This was on Jan 21... after a storm with massive drifting occurred.   So, they were excited to build tunnels through the drifts using the hockey stick.  They named each tunnel, too.

momentary relief from the cold behind a drift

thinking

Josh had to keep the solar panels cleared

this is one indicator of the wind speed

Can you see the black cats in the tree (to the mid/upper left of center)...and the birds scattered throughout the tree? The boys and I watched them for quite awhile as they crept around...only for the birds to finally move to another spot in the tree.

Bored?

   Joe is an interesting little guy to teach.  I have to laugh because there is this little guy learning stuff and showing his love for learning.  But the irony is that I believe he is equally bored and already knows more than we think he does! :)

   So, I had him doing some work toward the end of school time.  As I had him circle each answer, I chuckled at his round about way and imagination in completing the work.  He got the right answer, but can you follow his jibberish? :)   He would surely drive some teacher crazy!!!!

Feed the cats and the....

 CHICKENS!!!!!!

     A gentleman in town is in the process of moving and had to get rid of his chickens.  So, Jack called Josh and they checked them out.  The hens are a year old...laying about 2-3 eggs a day.  Perfect.  We wanted to get chickens after we built a coop.  But now we don't have to wait 6 months for them to produce...hopefully! 

    This morning, the boys put on their bibs and headed out to feed the kittens and chickens...and see if there were any eggs.   They came back empty handed. 

  
 But after school time, they went back out.  And there were 2 eggs.  They were excited. 

So, now...our newest adventure begins...   

Warmth...and more...

  Monday proved to be warmer...like 50!   So, as the day moved along, I decided the boys needed to move along and burn energy outside...since they could.  However, you'll see why I thought better of this in hindsight.

   The boys went out and played.  After a bit, I realized I couldn't hear them anywhere.  Time to check on them.
   When I pulled up the blind to start searching, I didn't have to look far.  For whatever reason, they decided to walk into the garden.  Not just "in"...but into the muddiest spot.   Jake was stuck...both boots a good 4-6" down. 
    I looked out just in time to see Joe running back down the hill with a shovel.  Next thing, Joe is trying to shovel out Jake.
    Jake did apply some of his science...and suggested Joe get the shovel under his boot to help pry it upward (like a lever).  And before long, one boot was out.  After about 5-10 minutes, the other was out.  And they were done...ready to come in. 

    Now, of course, momma noticed this and halted them at the outside garage door.  Wasn't gonna have a muddy mess tracked through the whole garage.  Just look at them....

    So, it was warm out.  But once we started stripping them down and running cold water (remember, our well water is near freezing in temperature as it is) over everything...they quickly realized from their frozen hands, that it wasn't quite "hot" out.  In the process, we got everything mostly clean (deciding to just throw Joe's pants away b/c he was already outgrowing them). 

   But momma wasn't really happy in the process.  Talk about a mess.  WOW! 

   Lesson learned?  Hopefully.  Now, I can laugh. 

Brrrrrr

   I just looked at the thermometer and it reads 43 degrees.  However, the week did not start with those temps. 
   Sunday's prediction was 8-10" snow...but proved to be rain all day followed by about 1-2" of snow starting at about 6:30 pm.  The southern moisture spared us an earlier start to super cold temps.  But shortly after the snow started, the wind began to pick up.  It blew so hard all night...we couldn't sleep.  In fact, a chair on the front porch was in the straight line wind once the wind shifted west...and the chair ended up being moved from its northern spot on the front porch to the eastern side of the porch...conveniently banging against one of the posts through the night with each gust of wind!  I was fearful a window would break with the change in temps and the moisture change...not to mention the incredible wind. 
   Needless to say, Monday proved to be as predicted...dangerously cold (-30's wind chill).  I think I had on 5 layers...and was okay (except when I had to ice my knee!).   The boys had on 3-4 layers and we did school in the 45-50 degree schoolroom next to the space heater.  (And we survived!)
   Our wood burning stove proved to aid in heat and help to not run the furnace.  We cycled heat a few times during the day, but even in the night the heat didn't kick on until about 3 am.  So, we were encouraged by the insulation job we've done...considering this extreme of weather doesn't come all the time! (Thank goodness!)
   On Tuesday, Grammie sent a text suggesting the fun of tossing water into the cold air and watching it freeze.  So, we bundled up and headed out for the fun. 

The boys thought that was pretty cool!  I wish we could have experimented a bit more with colors and temps, but it was just too cold to stay out (and keep the bundles in the right spot when thrusting water in the air!).

   Tuesday late afternoon we realized the furnace was pumping cold air.  Oh no!!!!!   Through a process of elimination, we cleared the flue and eventually discovered the exiting deposit line (which faces due west...directly into the wind) was frozen.  Once Josh cut it and put a bucket under it, the furnace was back in action.  That was 7:30 at night....when I was really trying to determine how to keep everyone/everything warm through the night.   (The downstairs bathroom pipes seemed to be on the verge of being completely frozen as it was!)

   Well, despite the excitement of those days, the temperature predictions proved accurate and we are on our way to an extended warm up (40's) which feels so warm (80's) compared to the start to the week.   But we are thankful for our wood stove, warmth, time together as a family (although Josh really got antsy to get out of the house!), and homeschooling! :)
  

The Craft

   A few months ago, I had mentioned to a gentleman at church (whose wife had offered his talents) that our boys would enjoy some time with him learning some woodworking skills.

   So, last week, he called Josh and offered an afternoon of instruction.  Jake said that he had a book to choose a project from.  And then he made a pattern before using a wood scroll to do the cut. 
   Starting with a rectangular piece of wood, Jake worked the machine himself and produced the finished product you see below.  He even got to paint it (while dad tried his hand at the work to make a small cat for Joe). 
   Joe was distracted by the dog, Buddy.  And he proceeded to help Marcia take the dog for a walk. :) 

   But everyone had fun and they were grateful for the instruction...!

Christmas Games

   Christmas day proved to be beautiful...beautiful enough for us to be outdoors for awhile comfortably.  So...Joe was eager to do the annual Hawkins Christmas Games. 

   Thus, we dragged folks outside and required them to do physical activity...all for the sake of Joe! :)

   Relay teams of two passed off the baton...the first leg of each team traveled down the hill and the second leg of each team journeyed up the front yard hill.

sorting batons...

the first leg of each team

and the second leg of each team

We debated a wheelbarrow race...

 but some felt less excited about that.

    Of course, it was fun.  And, of course, it helped burn some calories for the massive spread of food that Grammie had prepared for Christmas dinner.


Later in the week, Joe got to hold Kaiden...and Kaiden didn't fuss! :)  (fortunately Joe didn't take the "holding approach" that he uses with the kittens)

100 days

 So we got impatient with the pace of covering just one number a day with Joe.  We decided to start counting by 2's each day and then it turned into 5's and then into 10's.  Regardless....we got to 100...before Joe got un-interested! :)

You can tell by the smile on his face that he was proud of this moment!

While Grammie and Grandpa were here, they got to be the school teachers in place of mom. Jake loved curling up with Grandpa to study the maps and information about the Civil War. 

 And Joe may remember what he and Grammie talked about during his week of the letter "G"...how appropriate with G rammie being his teacher! :)

And this is what happens to Joe when he is tired...he falls asleep anywhere.  (in dad's office at the pool watching a Tiger/Cat video with Jake!)

It keeps snowing

   Today, it is snowing again. At this point in the day, I'm not sure if it's still snowing (we've had about 5 inches) or if the snow across the street is just blowing into our yard. 

   Either way, I thought I would post some recent snow pictures in "honor" of today's additional snowfall.