Another Snow Day Blog Post

So what does one do on a snow day? You know, I work at home, so I don't really get snow days, but today was so very snowy, and it was our youngest's birthday--he's four! So I took the day off, and let my husband have the day off from childcare. He did some work on the third volume of the book I'm editing, and I did a lot of stuff.
1. heat up Chinese food for breakfast. That was a surprise and a hit.
2. make spicy chicken broth for myself. I am determined to beat the virus that downed my family for nearly three weeks. So far so good.
3. pin out the fronts and back of "Hey Teach." I wove in the ends last night and gave them a very long bath.
4. make tomato sauce
5. make meatballs to cook in the tomato sauce all day. Spaghetti and meatballs for the birthday dinner.
6. decide that I need to make jam for a filling for the cake my daughter is making for the birthday.
7. make said jam
8. make lunch, including warmed strawberries from the freezer. The birthday boy loves berries.
9. finish the sleeve caps on "Hey Teach." I knit the beginnings of the sleeves last night, so just had the shaping to do. Then I gave them a bath, and they are drying on the blocking mats too.
10. start Gavyn's sweater. It is his birthday after all. I made it about five inches so far. There's something so rewarding about quick easy knitting.
11. make dinner. Spaghetti and meatballs, with edamame from our garden--so delicious. and more of the strawberries. This dinner was so fun--Gavyn enjoyed every single bite, and was so unconcerned about the cake. And then while eating the cake he was so unconcerned about the presents. He just enjoyed eating.
12. eat cake. even though I don't eat wheat much anymore, this particular meal had to be an exception.
13. watch Gavyn open and share his gifts--especially the Legos. All four kids playing relatively peacefully together--Gavyn using the lego catapult Sophia built to shoot beans all over the kitchen. He was delighted.
14. wash the dishes for the sixth time today (too mundane to include elsewhere in the list)
15. stories and songs and serious talk with kids
16. decide I am not going to spoil this snow day by working tonight. And decide that I'm not up for finishing a sweater tonight. Hey Teach can wait.
17. post here.

Not too bad. Here are the photos, which should help explain why I felt entitled to such a perfectly lovely day.



Hey Teach ready for a bath.

Sleeve caps ready for a bath.

Okay, see how much snow is in our doorway? And it kept on snowing! That's about five feet of snow right there.
Gavyn told my husband that opening his mouth is smiling for the camera.

So Gavyn and Fintan are standing where Pete has been shoveling in our driveway. See the mailbox? No? It's completely buried.

Pete's planning to shovel the whole thing by hand. I don't really plan to help, to tell the truth. It's not only cold, it's windy. Hence the huge snowdrifts.
Oh, yes, I took a photo of these socks that I finished up two days ago. I started them in October or something like that, knit about three inches on the first one and then put it away. I picked them up last week after I finished Fintan's gold sweater. I always try to have mindless knitting around when I'm watching the kids. Gavyn's sweater is taking up that role now.
Hey Teach blocking.

Did I mention we had some snow here?

What looks like a horizon line is actually the top of the snow in our driveway. It's only about 18 inches right where the garage door opens, but it's about five feet where the van should be driving in and out of the driveway.

Where's the van? I'll spare you.