24 hours

9 p.m. last night (Wednesday): it began again

8 a.m this morning (Thursday): 

camellias, with brown blooms left from the previous week's sub-zero temps, take another hit:

the tops, on the ground, are usually higher than the porch roof

 

10 a.m.: crawling under the camellia and gardenia 

10:30: heading out to sled

11:15 a.m.: posing with our neighbor's prize from a raffle (really) 

no sledding to be had; too slushy and icy

 

neighbor's tree: 

formerly a pyramidal magnolia, now precariously draping power lines with numerous limbs snapped

 

The magnolias were easily the hardest-hit trees in our neighborhood. 

4 p.m.: Macon's own snowman, made entirely by Macon

4:45 p.m.: our collective snowman with a nandina mohawk, dead camellia bloom eyes, carrot nose, chive mouth

 

7:45 p.m.: all's quiet upstairs for the earliest, easiest, and quietest lights-out we've had in a long time

more snow

I mentioned Marmie's visit in our last post... we managed to snap one quick picture before she left, but we had a great extended visit with her and, as always, are looking forward to her return.

But she left her cold weather behind. Today, we were supposed to get "maybe a very light dusting." Many hours later, we have a solid 2" and counting, and the snow cream bowl has been deployed. 

 

ice and snow

Monday evening, it started sleeting. Thankfully, it kept on sleeting and the predicted 1/2" of freezing rain stayed away. On Tuesday morning, after discovering that sleet does not make a good snowman, or any snowman for that matter, the boys started shoveling our walk and our neighbors' walks, including our very special temporary next-door-neighbor, Marmie! Marmie has been renting our next-door-neighbor's house for almost two weeks and the boys have delighted in running back and forth between the two houses. 

After shoveling at our house and Marmie's, they expanded their realm and by the end of the day, they'd shoveled paths for McLeod, the Edgertons, Sabra, and Ginny and they did the public walks between houses. Macon was down-right obsessed and worked his way into earning pay for himself and Jed from one neighbor.

This morning, Winston started out in a patch of sun, 

but he couldn't be bothered to move when the sun moved. 

He's not dead.

By this evening, our blue skies had given way to more snow and we had a furious snow squall around dinnertime. Because tomorrow's windchill is predicted to be negative-8000-degrees, we spent as much time outside enjoying the flying flakes as possible. 

happy birthday, grandma!

tent time

And this is a pre-stomach-bug photo... we're still not looking that chipper. I started the bug last night, or it got a lot worse last night, so I decided that we'd all just stay home today and attempt to recover fully. The boys are starting to eat a little bit more, and they've alternated between relatively quiet play and the tv. I've eaten a whole bowl of cereal.

6:15 update: The boys ate good suppers and I'm thinking I'll try some chicken soup.

highs and lows

Merry Christmas to us! Marmie's gift to us was having my grandmother's sofa repaired and recovered. The finished project arrived yesterday and we are thrilled! 

Thanks, Marmie!

 

As for the low news, Jed started a new stomach bug on Saturday. He's been up and down with it and although he's gone to school every day this week, he's also come home early early each day. He wanted to go again this morning, and he slept all night last night, so maybe the third day will be the charm for him.

In the meantime, Eric and I have had mild versions of it, but poor Macon is being steam-rolled. I'll spare you the details, but during baths last night, we were treated to the following exclamation: "I throwed up in the bathtub!" and we've been going downhill ever since.

In fewer than 14 hours, both Eric and I have made drugstore trips. Here's a small sampling of our purchases. Hope your Wednesday is cleaner and quieter than mine!

1pm update: Macon is holding steady and has asked for lunch. With fingers crossed, I head to the kitchen to prepare something plain.

2:30 update: Macon has kept a variety of plain-ish foods down and he's consumed one entire bottle of Pedialyte and has started on the second bottle. Additionally, he's watched Cat in the Hat shows every single second of the entire day, minus potty breaks and our trip to Jed's school this morning. Even in light of being sick, this might be the best day of his entire life so far: never-ending "juice" and tv. 

4:15 update: Jed made it through an entire day at school, but he's dragging now. Macon is napping.

are you ready for some football?

 Last night, the boys got to eat dinner in front of the tv so they could watch the beginning of the Super Bowl. They were thrilled.

Naturally, they could not stop talking and asking questions.

During the singing of the national anthem, Macon yelled, very loudly, "This is too loud!" After another verse or two, he asked, "How long will this go on?" And just before she finished the song, he moaned, "Will we be up all night?" 

A few minutes later, a sideline reporter was interviewing a coach. She was wearing a flesh-colored jacket that was unzipped about half-way. Under it, was a pink blouse, but from the initial angle, it was a bit uncertain that she was wearing anything under the jacket and, again, I can't stress how strangely well the jacket's color matched her skin tone. Thus, the boys' commentary continued: 

Jed: What's she wearing? Is she wearing a jacket? 

Macon: Is she naked? She looks naked. She's naked.