What do you do on your 5th snow day in a row?

I like snow days. I'm afraid I might get killed if John reads this because to him - out plowing25 rental driveways and chasing 1000 cows through it - snow is nothing but a MAJOR, MAJOR pain in the @#&!. But since I have him and his tractors doing any work related snow chores, all I have to do is sit inside in my PJs looking at the blizzard and enjoying my warm kitchen. Ava and Nathan have braved the 3+ feet we have gotten over the past week about 4 or 5 times for over an hour. Lias and I, on the other hand, have stepped outside twice and decided it wasn't for us. The kids and I have only left the house once this past week and I'm surprised to say that even I don't have cabin fever yet. We've still got loads of things to do ... and none of them involve loads of laundry. And that's a good thing since they went ahead and canceled Ava's school for the whole week on Tuesday.

Today, me and the kids lazily made Valentines cards and cookies all day, in between a few movies and naps and meals. John came home early since everyday for the past week he and his guys have been working non-stop. He spent 3 hours trying to build a paper hot air balloon that would really float. Ava and I recently finished reading "James and the Giant Peach" so a few weeks ago we watched the movie and John's been convincing Ava ever since that he can build a hot air balloon like James. He's got the kids convinced that whether or not the movie is true (giant peach, talking bugs, flying hippos) hinging on this one small detail of the hot air balloon. Sad to say, they weren't successful this time but it wasn't for lack of trying. The first one went up in flames in Ava's hands but was quickly stomped by John's bare feet. The next one was too small, or big, I can't remember but I know they used all my birthday candles in the process. Their third prototype is still in the kitchen and John thinks if he tweeks it just a bit he can really make it work this time. Only on a snow day...

I just made cookies this whole time and shot doubtful looks their way. I now have over 100 valentines cookies sitting in bags to take out to neighbors - my better-than-never attempt at Christmas cookies. I started this when Ava was a baby and it's just too fun to let die. Besides, this way I get to see which neighbors bring me something and then I just repay the favor. Why be neighborly to someone who's not neighborly to you, right? JK. But you do have to be on my good list to get cookies.

John took the kids to bed for me while I was finishing up - it was almost 10 and I'm sure they'd each eaten at least 10 cookies - and I just came up to find them all asleep in the boy's room. Ava and John are snoring away together on the twin mattress on the floor that we pulled out for a guest at Thanksgiving that still hasn't been put away. Nathan and Wolfie (his first real stuffed animal attachment) are sprawled out across his red, full sized bed that's conveniently big enough to fit whichever adult ends up crawling into his bed to keep him company each night. And sweet, sugar filled (really, he ate over half my cookie dough) Lias, sacked out in his crib with a new found love - board books - scattered all around him and one clutched in his little chunky fingers. Perfect warm ending to a snowy, blizzardy, bone-chilling day. Good night.