Brrr it's cold outside!

Nick is in blue/white #10

This past week has been a frozen blur of ear infections, running faucets, and loading wood in the stove faster than the wood would burn.  I know I've said this before, but these weeks start and end so quickly I almost miss them all together!

Last Saturday started with a welcome morning visit from Grandma and Grandaddy.  They kindly dropped off a HUGE load of firewood!  I've got 2 things to say about this:  1) Great timing.  2)THANK YOU!  Our wood pile was looking shabby, and the unseasonably warm temps were being blown away by Old Man Winter.

Saturday, Ryan received much needed and appreciated help from Kevin and Adam on the bedroom remodel.  While they were busy with duct work, electrical, making fun of each other, and drywall, I ran to the grocery store and then back home to pick up the kids for an afternoon of sports.  Nick's basketball team won again, which leaves the Warriors undefeated!  3 more games to go! 

Lauren attended her first 'Advanced' gymnastics class.  She was timid and a little 'shy' before class, but once they hit the mats to stretch, she was all smiles that lasted the entire hour.  During stretches, the instructor asked them what grade they were all in.  Lauren is definitely the youngest, and the only one not in school yet.  This class is going to be so fun.  They are doing real gymnastics (finally!) - flips, splits, back walk-overs, back handsprings, one-handed cartwheels, round-offs and jump combinations.  Lauren tried many new things and did them well.  I have a feeling that in about 6 months our evenings at home full of cartwheels will instead be evenings at home full of back handsprings.  (I video'd much of this class, but having hard time uploading to the blog).

Sunday the kids helped me stack all the firewood - which meant stacking it up on the deck (climbing stairs) as well as stacking it on the wood pile on the ground.  They gave me a solid 30 minutes of help (yes I did bribe them with a trip to Target to spend their allowance), and then 2 more hours of stacking solo = job well done.

Ryan left us Sunday evening for a week long trip to NC.   So, it was just the kids to brave the dramatic drop in temps.  Living in a house on stilts has it's issues in this frigid cold.  When the mercury dips down to below 20 degrees, pipes freeze.  If the mercury dips between 20 - 25 degrees with high winds, pipes freeze.  Unfortunately, I'm a seasoned learner of frozen pipes.  We have a heater in the water softener room and heat tape wrapped around the pipes, but even these efforts cannot beat Old Man Winter when he sends the frigid cold.  Nonetheless, my faucets have been dripping a constant and steady drip since Sunday night.  I'm happy to report, my pipes are not frozen. 

By Tuesday of this week, I had to take Lauren to the doctor for an earache.  Sure enough, she had both an ear and sinus infection.  Today, Ryan had to take Nick to the doctor for a double earache.  Sure enouh, he had a double ear infection (Thankfully Ryan got back last night - a day early).  We are now administoring 2 antibiotics to 2 children.  But, that means they will both be on the mend by tomorrow. 

I failed to mention we did get a bit of snow yesterday and today.  A total of about 2 inches tops, but enough to close schools both Thursday AND Friday.  First snow days of the year!