Sleetman

Sleetman wasn't a joy to create.  

He took almost an hour of painstaking, red-fingers-freezing, sleet-smushing work.

But was he worth it?

You be the judge.




What project are you tackling that will be worth the hard work once it's done?

A Sickly Snow Day

Poor Flanna's not feeling great.  I'm thinking she has another ear infection.  Ugh.

But we bundled her up and let her play in the ice and snow a few times today.  We made a mini sleet-man and pulled Flannery around East Campus in our homemade sled (a.k.a. a laundry basket with blankets and an old crib sheet inside, and a scarf for the handle).  The homemade sled worked amazingly well, and Flanna just loved going fast and sliding all over campus in it.

We also played "house" in a huge magnolia on campus.  The snow under the magnolias was much fluffier and easier to make into snowballs than the rest of the icy sleet/snow in our yard. We even saw some tiny squirrel tracks along the magnolia branches. 

 All in all, it was a great day!  Although I do wish Flannery was feeling better.  

What makes you feel better when you're sick?

A Snuggly Day

It's a small miracle!  Our little dog, Annie, is currently snuggled on the couch sleeping in Flannery's lap!   And they've been snuggling that way for over an hour now.  Flannery told me that her foot fell asleep, but she didn't want to move, because she loves snuggling with Annie so much.  How sweet!

Below are some pics of Flanna with the pups...note her "name" sweatshirt that my aunt and cousin made her.  She just loves it!

In other news, it's a snow day here!  Work and school were cancelled for everyone, and we're having a lazy day.  Poor Flanna's not feeling that well, but after she rests up a bit, we're hoping to brave the cold to make a "sleetman" (since it was more of a sleet storm than a snowstorm).    Such fun!



Who do you just love to snuggle with?

A Snowy Day

Here's a riddle:

What's freezing, dangerous, about 800% less fun than snow, and keeps you trapped in your house all day?  That's right, sleet!  

I admit it, I'm a complete non-risk-taker when it comes to driving in snow or sleet.  My one year living in Boston only served to scare me rather than make me more comfortable with driving in icy weather.   You know, after hearing several news reports of people trapped in snowdrifts in their cars, and experiencing black ice on bridges a few times, and getting stuck in a variety of clients' driveways a gazillion times in one year, I pretty much decided I would set up a telepractice if I ever lived in a really snowy place again.

So when the school I work for was closed to students today because of icy weather conditions, I was rather conservative and took a snow day.  During which I watched two Christmas movies, stayed in my pajamas until 2 p.m., and drank a ton of coffee to stay warm.

In short, it was a good day.

Flannery didn't feel all that great, as she's getting over an ear infection.  She wore her "Clara" outfit for a while (from the Nutcracker) and then decided to play dress up.  I even let her wear some of my grandma's old costume jewelry.  At the end of the day, when things got a little more melty outside, we got brave and drove a block away to get cocoa and visit with some friends.  Which inspired me to take a shower and actually wear real clothes for a few hours.  (Thanks, friends, for the inspiration!)

And now it's 8:15, and I'm ready for bed.  Being cold wears a girl out.

Bling.

Padme is giving me the please-save-me look.

Playing dress up with mom's jewelry box, as the dog huddles close for warmth.  

What do you love to do on a surprise day off from work?

A Day in the Life of a Fairy Princess

Usually, fairy princesses wake up fairly early.  6:30 or 7 a.m. is prime wake-up time for young fairies.  They typically flit around the house in a small huff until they are fed a few tiny morsels (fairy princesses never eat more than 4 bites per meal...unless the meal contains syrup or pizza, in which case fairy princesses can occasionally beckon forth an amazing appetite) and given some novel or sparkly item to engage their attention.  Because fairy princesses are social creatures, do not be surprised if your home is suddenly full of dancing, twirling fairy princesses around midday--this is the natural order of things.


Once the twirling and dancing have tired them out, fairy princesses typically need a bit of a snack.  If you present them with a nutritious meal first, they will begrudgingly take a bite of each item on their plate.  But if you offer snow ice cream for dessert, they will ask for seconds of heaping sparkling icy goodness.

Snow Ice Cream =
Snow + 1/2 cup sugar + 1/2 cup vanilla creamer

By no means are you to provide fairy princesses with seconds of snow ice cream.  This will only lead to a drop in their communal spirit, after which point, you will need to distract said fairy princesses with a trip to a beautiful spot in nature.  This trip in nature will rejuvenate fairy princesses and restore a natural balance within their spirits, which will be evidenced by more twirling and even more dancing.  Then, the fairy princesses will attempt to fly. 

Flying will tucker them out, and eventually, the fairy princesses will follow you back home, where they will listen quietly to a book about fairies or princesses.  After a nice book, fairy princesses will often spot a glittery costume that would look just perfect with a veil, and might transform themselves into fairy princess brides and fairy princess flower girls.  Should this happen, back away slowly and quietly, and go work on your Christmas cards for an hour or so while your fairy princesses are occupied.

How do you find time to do your Christmas cards?  Seriously, I've written maybe 10 so far, and I feel so behind!

A Surprise Snow

It seems silly to say that I had no idea it was going to snow.  But, really, I had no idea it was going to snow!

I had heard that there was a chance of snow on Friday night, but it didn't happen.  And then on Saturday, we were busy with a birthday party and a parade to go to, so I didn't even check the weather, really.

Luckily, Flanna had worn her fancy new princess snowboots, just because she loves them.  I thought it was overkill for the weather, but apparently she had an inkling as to what was to come.

Note the Cinderella dress she's sporting in some of the photos.  That's pretty much everyday-wear in our household.



What piece of clothing do you love to wear?