Olympic Fever

The kiddies can always find something to occupy themselves while inside on cold winter days.

Nathan received the ds game Mario and Sonic Olympic Winter games from Santa and he has been playing it nonstop. That was just the precursor to the XXI Olympic Games in Vancouver. I am a huge Olympic fan winter or summer. And I think I have passed that love on to my son. His teacher is also a fan so they have studied some of the history and the games most notable athletes. In the evenings, Nathan has transformed himself into a world class skier.

This is a sport that he invented called "Rocket Ski Jumping". He put this costume and the landing course together by himself. He has such an imagination and I'll give him credit for such fine form in this landing he is about to hit. Notice The Flying Tomato on the television receiving his gold medal. What an amazing performance by our Team USA athletes, and as of this posting our medal count is at 24....7/7/10...Way to go TEAM USA!

We were blessed with a weekend of temps in the 50s and 60s. A veritable heat wave if you consider the frigid temperatures we have endured over the past month. So with runny noses, including mine, we ventured outside and with the help of a good friend, the trampoline that has inhabited my hallway for 2 months is now assembled and ready for action.

Nathan was extremely cautious at first, but it didn't last long. Soon he started doing flips and twists and turns and really got the hang of it. I even jumped for a little bit and couldn't believe the workout it gives to the thigh and calf muscles. AnnaBelle doesn't care for it right now, but I expect that to change in a few months or so. Right now she is content with letting her older brother have it all to himself.

Punxsutawney Phil was Right

Phil usually doesn't get it wrong. If you were basing his forecast on the mid-Atlantic region only, then he is 100 percent accurate. We have had snow on the ground since the big storm hit at the end of January.

At first I marveled at its beauty around the farm. The solemn look of the big pecan trees lining the lane with snow still covering the north side of each trunk. The quiet stillness of the outbuildings only broken by the sound of melting snow dripping off of their roofs. But now we're all ready to see it go!

Nathan missed a few days of school due to the snow, being in private preschool he won't have to make up the days. They were able to make it back for their Valentine's Day party and he made his teacher a special card. He did all the writing himself while I helped him with the spelling.

We've made such beautiful memories sledding in the snow this winter. I doubt she'll remember this big snowfall, but for now, who cares, and I think she likes snow more than dirt. And for those who know her, that is saying ALOT!

Pretty soon the farm will be awakened from it's hibernating sleep. The jonquils will start to bloom and the bluebirds will begin making their nests in the birdhouses. Spring will return to the farm and warmer weather will certainly be welcomed!

Bring on the Snow!

It's been a l-o-n-g past 4 days. We had a record breaking snowstorm move through the area Friday night into Sunday morning and it left around 10 inches of snow here at Woodland. Cabin fever has been setting in so we've been building forts, making crafts, playing the Wii and anything else we can do to pass the time.

And it even includes penning them up when needed. No, actually we were cooking with grease on the stove and they decided to set up a running track starting from the stove to the front door. We quickly ended that game and it wasn't a hit as you can see.

We've spent the past 2 days sledding up and down the lane and all over the farm. We tied the kids sleighs to the back of the 4-wheeler and the kids had permanent grins on their faces from the cold wind! It was brutally cold Saturday, never reaching above 25 with wind gusts over 30 mph. At times it looked like a blizzard blowing outside.

Once it was done the beauty it left was breathtaking.

It's the biggest snowfall the children have ever seen and it will probably be one of the first that Nathan will recall when he gets older. He has taken advantage of every opportunity to go outside. By now he knows the routine of layering his clothes and where to put them when he strips in the mudroom. And they are calling for more snow tomorrow night and possibly another storm this weekend. We've been long overdue for the white stuff, I don't mind, bring it on because the memories we're creating will keep me plenty warm inside my heart when they are grown and gone from Woodland.