It never rains but that it pours

It doesn't seem that long ago that I was longing for any measurable amount of snow at all. I literally tweeted at @PolarVortex  (which is a wonderfully saucy account if you're twitter-minded) and asked for a visit. 

Well, we got visited. 

This is actually a view after the second storm. There was one which gave us about nine inches on Monday night, the 16th, and another on Saturday which brought an additional 5-6. We are rolling in snow, folks! Because since then, just one day has been substantially above freezing; it was just long enough to give a nice ice covering to all surfaces. Wheee!

I don't mean to gloss over the inconveniences, which have been significant. Jon's preliminary exams, you recall, were due today. So one full week of snow-days that we had last week, and the additional one this past Monday, were really not what we needed. I took a fair amount of leave time to give Jon time to work, since even the usually hardy daycare was closed until Thursday, last week. And for Sunday's presentation at church, we required a team of neighbors' help and a small miracle to dislodge the car and get on the road on time. So, we adults not been able to embrace fully this sudden upsurge in Winter.

But the kids, and the kid in me, have welcomed it with open arms.

There has been sledding, snow angels, rolling and frolicking, and after the thaw on Sunday the snow was finally primed for the building of a snowman.

That afternoon was a triumph, to me, because I bundled them up and sent them out by themselves, like a wholesome, old-fashioned, free range parent. I am finally able to trust that Adele will refrain from wandering off, and I could watch them work from the back window of our apartment: 

For about an hour they rolled snow, strained to put one snowball atop the other, conversed, argued, failed, and began again. It was delightful to watch. It's funny. Someone watching them play, apparently unsupervised, might not have thought that was their parents' finest moment. But I was convinced that this was the best possible arrangement for all of us. They had to struggle on their own, work together, problem solve, and best of all? I got to have a clean kitchen and a nearly-ready dinner when they came in. 

Have I mentioned that I'm ready to have a back yard of my very own?

Anyway, after they'd been outside almost an hour, Adele came wandering in to ask for help. I obliged and we got that head atop the body and the banana mouth (their idea) wedged into the head and voila!

The finished product. Satisfied, they came inside from their third day of outdoor play. I think they're done with the snow now. But it's not done with us! We expect 3-5 inches tonight.

Where was this in December???

We did make it to church on Sunday. The Guatemala delegates gave our slideshow presentation to a much smaller than usual assembly at adult forum. We hope to whet everyone's appetite for a Guatemala themed luncheon after Easter! But I still put Adele in the outfit I brought her from Ciudad Guatemala:

I couldn't help myself. 

Jon turns in his exam today! So the 3-5 inches we expect tonight won't be met with quite the dread of last week. Still... Lent and February are a tough combination! Come, spring! and come, Easter!