We are now on our fourth, yes, fourth snow day!
Sunday night we got over 6 inches of snow!
That might not seem like a lot to many of you, but for Georgia it's a lot! And, seeing as the south isn't suppose to get much, if any snow, our snow removal equipment is Mother Nature - in the form of sun and above freezing temperatures.
It's at times like these that I really think I should invest in complete snow outwear and gear for the kids, a couple of sleds, and a snow shovel. Then I think it snows maybe once a year and never very much and it's gone in a day. But we have had a major snowfall every year since we've been here. If I finally get everything we'll probably go back to getting snow every 3-5 years.
The kids were out early on Monday
and played,
but without sleds they didn't last too long. Izzy
LOVES the snow. A clump of snow, any size, is a ball being fetched to her. She eats so much snow she hardly drinks anything from her water dish. She's always looking for someone to throw snowballs or shovels full of snow (that's just a bigger snowball).
Yes, the neighbor's tree you see in the background didn't make it. It had fallen over with the strong winds we had last month and they had tried to tie it back up, but the snow and ice were too much for it.The snow, big and fluffy through Sunday night and into Monday morning, turned to icy rain by mid-morning.
When the kids went in to get warm, they soon settled into crafts, tea parties, and games.
I started shoveling the driveway while they were out, not that we were going anywhere.
With what? you ask. I just mentioned my need to get a snow shovel. I used our flat end dirt shovel. It was slow going, but it worked. If you've ever had tire tracks or many feet packing down snow in the driveway to ice, you know it's better to get the snow off and let the driveway melt and dry than it is to try and get the packed ice off later. Robert and I switched off and on throughout the day and cleared the whole driveway.
The neighborhood kids were all out the next day (some of them had sleds) and came over to our bit of a hill to go sledding.
Robert helped build a ramp to add to the excitement.
They had a blast and stayed out for hours.
They didn't even come in for lunch - opting for a picnic in the backyard!
Natalie got a bit creative finding something else to go down the hill on.
The table ended up being quite a good sled!
After two days there was finally enough road showing through the snow, thanks to the few all-wheel or 4-wheel vehicles that ventured up our hill, that Wednesday I was able to get out and to the store for a few things. I was definitely grateful for being taught to have food on hand and to have food storage. Before the storm I didn't have to rush to the store and when we couldn't get out of our neighborhood for two days I didn't worry about running out of anything.
Driving along the still icy roads was beautiful.
Not getting sun until the third day and still working on getting above freezing, Mother Nature is having a hard time melting the snow and ice.
Since there is still ice covering some of the roads that the buses have to go on, school is still on hold.
Maybe they'll go tomorrow and get one day in for this week.
Funny too, because Monday is a holiday.
They had to take a mouse trap and, using it's spring action, propel a car at least 6 feet.
It took a bit and a couple of seam ripping and redoing, but I'm glad to be learning a new skill and am looking forward to the next month.
As the sun started peeking through mist, the trees immediately started dropping the snow from their branches.
I did have to knock off my shrubs and magnolias - Izzy was in heaven jumping at every clump of falling snow.
Below is one tree literally glowing in the sun and the weighted down magnolias, but I had to pause shaking them off to take the picture.
I went for a beautiful run in a winter wonderland - between kids catching buses.
Even the vultures were enjoying the morning.
We are suppose to warm up near 50 degrees today, so the snow won't last, but we'll enjoy it while it does.
We hear the occasional fluttering of wings . . . as they move from one tree to another.
Not just any birds . . . turkey vultures.
we went down the 2nd grade hallway to see Jacob's "Famous Georgian" biography bag. He had Sequoya. He had fun learning about him and finding things, that would tell about him, to put in the bag. They drew pictures, in art class, of their famous Georgian (he is in between Jake and Natalie).
Then we went into one of the 2nd grade classrooms to play "Are You Smarter Than a 2nd Grader?"
People took turns picking categories and point values and answering questions on small white boards. At the end you compared your score with your other family members.
Even though we don't have anyone in 3rd grade, we went down their hall. They always have cool magnet activities.
Logan loved moving the paperclip around the map, using a magnet underneath the clipboard.
We then went to the 5th grade hall and tried out their fun activities. It was a challenge trying to skewer a balloon without popping it (a lot popped).
Slow and steady and LOTS of Vaseline . . .
and Natalie finally got one through!
Natalie's classroom had bridge building. Jake had to try his hand at it.
I can't remember how many pennies it ended up holding, but it was pretty impressive.
We all had a great evening - one we never miss.
It was the first time Robert and I went (we usually just drop Alyssa off), but even with Alyssa going into high school next year (YES! HIGH SCHOOL! I KNOW!!) and not a part of the middle school chorus anymore - we'll go again!
The kids loved it!
Except Logan who dug into it and then said "I don't love it!"
The recipe made enough that I froze half and have a great meal in the future!
A bag of saffron rice that I had in the basement and Jake cleaned his plate!
Logan even liked this one!
That might not seem like a lot to many of you, but for Georgia it's a lot! And, seeing as the south isn't suppose to get much, if any snow, our snow removal equipment is Mother Nature - in the form of sun and above freezing temperatures.
and played,
but without sleds they didn't last too long. Izzy LOVES the snow. A clump of snow, any size, is a ball being fetched to her. She eats so much snow she hardly drinks anything from her water dish. She's always looking for someone to throw snowballs or shovels full of snow (that's just a bigger snowball). 
Yes, the neighbor's tree you see in the background didn't make it. It had fallen over with the strong winds we had last month and they had tried to tie it back up, but the snow and ice were too much for it.
When the kids went in to get warm, they soon settled into crafts, tea parties, and games.
The neighborhood kids were all out the next day (some of them had sleds) and came over to our bit of a hill to go sledding.
Robert helped build a ramp to add to the excitement.
They had a blast and stayed out for hours. 
They didn't even come in for lunch - opting for a picnic in the backyard!
Natalie got a bit creative finding something else to go down the hill on.
Not getting sun until the third day and still working on getting above freezing, Mother Nature is having a hard time melting the snow and ice.
