Blizzard 20-11

Oftentimes when I tell family and friends from areas west of here that our school is cancelled because of snow they laugh at us. And I used to laugh with them. People are kind of wimpy about the white flakes from the sky here.
However, after tonight I will not be so quick to judge.

The problem is not so much this stuff...

The problem is these people...

People just do not know how to drive in snow here. Also there are not enough snow plows and everyone is trying to get home at the same time. If someone was stuck, people behind them would try to go around, and then they would get stuck, and then someone would try to go around both cars, and they would get stuck, and so on until all 4 lanes are blocked, 2 of those lanes being blocked by cars going the wrong way. It was madness!!! I left the house at 7:15 pm to pick up Jack (and a few other people from church who were stranded) at the metro (there were no buses or taxis running and they didn't feel like sleeping there) we didn't get back until 9:30 pm. It usually takes me about 20 minutes to pick him up and get back.
Anyway it was an experience.
Good thing Truman put on every piece of outer wear he could find before we left the house.

The Art Class Show-Down

Boys vs. Girls

 

The Task: Build a Rube Goldberg style machine to pop a balloon...

 

The Results:

And...

The competition was fierce, but it was fun and both machines were great. In the end everyone got rewarded with a super fancy prize... CANDY.

Artsy-Fartsy

Are you looking for some fun/easy projects to help you through the wintry cold months? There are a few things we have been working on at our house that are both easy (because I'm lazy) and fun (because I am always looking for a good time).

 #1 How about some freezer-paper stencil shirts? 

I learned about this from Erin Huband and I am in love with this project. We have done it several times and the shirts always look great! These were some I made for my sister's family. The Lego man and bicycle man were, admittedly, a little too complicated. So my advice to you is to keep the stencil simple.

 

#2 Fake Stained Glass Window. I came up with this project for my home-school art class and it turned out to be really fun. It is really just decoupage on a clear piece of hard plastic. It can be as simple as the star or a little more complicated like my river scene. But Truman did one (not shone) and he liked it as well. Nothing is more fun then having really goopy fingers.

     

#3 Some Good Old Fashioned Paper Snow Flakes! Seriously, I love cutting these out and the exciting reveal of what you have created as you unfold the paper. I think this may be my best batch ever!

#4 Loosing A Tooth

Truman worked diligently on this project for many weeks. And he was so proud of himself when he finally accomplished it

J-J-J-January

Oh, Nelly. It's January again. I am not much of a fan of January. The cozy holiday feeling is gone and now it's just cold. It doesn't help that I have been sick with A cold all week. Other than a few birthdays (love to my sister-in-law Mandy, nephew Zac and little friend Sam!) January just feels like a month to endure not enjoy. In fact as I put the Christmas decorations away I went ahead and put up a few Valentines Day items to help me pass the time until February. Oh, February, you're much nicer than January, you don't expect me to make resolutions, you give me Trum's Birthday to celebrate and conversation hearts to eat.
Okay, seriously I am a little Debbie Downer today. I will cheer myself up by making a New Year Resolution to eat that last zinger in the cupboard.