We're in Deep

This was taken yesterday morning as Brett, Anna Marie and Miles were walking down my driveway. We have 25 inches stacked up today so says the weatherman, whom the television stations are forcing us to watch 24/7. At least we can say their predictions were correct this time.

I've been shoveling off and on just in case anyone would want to walk up my driveway, like perhaps a paper boy or a mailman but really I don't expect either today. My cars on in the garage on a little used street so I don't look for them to move for a few more days. I did walk 10 blocks to Safeway for a shingles shot yesterday. It's a good time to be concerned about shingles, huh? Anyway it seems I didn't have the correct Medicare D so I wasn't eligible anyway but it was a good outing both ways.

How's the Chicago weather? I think the entire state of Washington is in limbo watching the snow. There are a few more photos on my flickr site. My neighbor has three snowmobiles so we will be just riding around our houses for the holidays. It saves us from having to drive long distances like Leavenworth to snowmobile.

Ho, Ho, Ho!

We have a big snowstorm today so the weather people are getting hysterical. It is pretty but confining so it will be a quiet day to wrap gifts and drink coffee in the house.

So far I’ve spent a week attempting to get the outside lights arranged and working. After I climbed up and stapled all 100 feet of lights around the eaves of the house, no lights appeared when I flipped the switch. It only took a few hours changing extension cords and manipulating tiny fuses before there was light but who knows how long it will last? The tiny instruction slip inside the packages says: Do not staple, nail or place on sharp hooks or nails, do not use outdoors, connect to a Ground Fault Circuit outlet, wash hands thoroughly after use as handling the coated wire exposes you to lead, a chemical known to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm.

The inside tree is meager and scrawny and I was looking for a tree like my Uncle Almer used to send on the train from Libby to Warden. Do you remember how he wrapped the entire thing with brown string and paper? Next year I’ll invite Nancy to come in November so she can assemble a designer tree with a special theme.

Your Christmas card hasn’t yet arrived but I did get one last card from George and Laura. Now you can treasure your Barry and Michelle cards for the next 8 years. It was only a matter of time before the Chicago politicians hit the news and sure enough the governor came through. They will keep the news media busy.

Lucas and I have been staying busy. We play Uno, Chomp, and Bingo but I keep forgetting I have to let him win as he runs screaming and crying to the basement when I forget. I just try to make it even as he can truly outrun me when we race to school. The morning flies by while he dreams up tasks like installing no adults allowed signs on my doors, making apple/orange juice using Grandma’s old juicer, and writing star words. He really seems to like his kindergarten class.

Miles and I went to Build a Bear the other day. It turned out to be a Moose in a Spiderman suit but it was what he wanted. Actually he looked around in the store and I could tell he was thinking, Why would I want to dress a bear and take it home? but he made the most of the situation. He is mostly into being tough and shooting things these days. He says he wants a bomb thing for Christmas. He must have poor adult role models. It won’t matter anyway as he is refusing to sit on Santa’s lap.

Betty and I talked last week. They will be coming to Spokane for Christmas. Cyd is arriving after Christmas for the twins’ birthday. Lindal Cedar Homes is closing for two weeks and hopefully that won’t go for a longer period since no one wants a new house these days.

This week I thought of your old roommate, Rosalie, as I little by little polished off a homemade Christmas Tree cake that no one else was eating. Do you ever hear from her?

Three Year Old Miles

Sure he may look sweet and he is very lovable but the twinkle in his glasses hides his devious plans for the way he wants his day to unfold. And no, he didn't cut his own hair, his mom did that style but he did hold still.

Miles is Three

This birthday boy runs through the house at high speed when he finds out it is his day. He also talks constantly while running so it was good that there were three boys who joined his party while a group of adults watched and tried to maintain some order as the opened toys were grabbed up. Each toy needs 15 minutes of adult assistance to take off the twisted gray wires holding down the tiny toy parts. Then it takes a while to read the instructions, set up the toy and finally someone to locate and collect all the various lost pieces. Miles liked his talking tool set best and quietly mentioned that clothing is not a gift. I think it sounded like, “But I don’t like clothes, I only want toys!”

Thanksgiving was nice and the boys were entertained.
We toured the Tacoma Zoo at night to see the lighted displays and were in awe of the huge shark, went trout fishing where luckily we had Dave to bait the pole and release the poor fish while the boys jumped up and down in excitement, visited Santa and rode his train, swam at the Holiday Inn, and played with each of Peyton and Walker’s toys.

I won’t elaborate on the adult activities but mostly we played with boys, refereed who had a toy first, whose turn it was next, and consoled those whose toy was ripped from their hands. I’m still trying to recover by going to bed early every night. It doesn’t help that my feet are killing me from our Sunday walk.

Now Christmas is coming fast and Lucas and I are working on the outside lights. I’m trying to be enthusiastic but it’s pretty difficult even though I do have all my toys ready to wrap. Nancy had 8 decorated trees at her house at Thanksgiving you know. I hope you have your JOY card hanger on the wall and some lights on your fence.

And yes Nancy and I have officially joined the Greece group. It is not too soon to begin some instruction in the history and geography of the place so you can enlighten our conversations. First and foremost I need to find a baby sitter for 8 mornings in March.

I see you have some snowy weather. Are you walking to the zoo?