Cloudless Sky

Despite the high of 23 degrees today, the sky was a beautiful blue, not a cloud in sight.  I noticed the sun (can't find my sunglasses anywhere and the glare off of the white snow is truly blinding), but not the lack of clouds, until Sam asked where they were.

"Well I guess they're higher up or just not around today." I answered.

He just learned about the water cycle, so apparently this was not a good enough answer.

"So they're gone?  You mean there's no more water in the sky?"

"Well, um.. no, there's water, it's just not in the form of clouds." (I did teach the water cycle once upon a time, I should have a better answer than that).

"Oh, mom, I know!  All the clouds are gone because they got all snowed out.  All the water is on the ground!  There won't be clouds until the snow is melted!"

Better answer than I had… 

"Your Hair"

"Mom."
"Yes Sam?"
"I know why your hair is brown."
"Oh yah, why's that?"
"Because you drink so much coffee."
"Ah."

More Snow Photos

Firefighters digging out the hydrant across the street (proactively).  Had I known it was there I would have done it a long time ago!

Mountain of snow in Cambridge at MIT.  It's the size of a small building, scale is not apparent in the photo.

Sometimes it's impossible to tell whether there is a car under the snow.  Apparently there is one in this snowbank.

My neighbor's pickup truck that hasn't been dug out in over a month.

A woman attempting to melt her ice dam with a clothes steamer.  Worth a try?

The kids in front of a snow fort outside an Arlington cafe. 

The Next Snowstorm 2015

I've lost track of the names of these storms.  They are a weekly occurrence at this point.  

It's a very bizarre cycle and seemingly never ending.  At least we hope spring is at the other end! 

This was the sidewalk walking home from dinner on
Saturday night, Valentine's Day.

This was the same sidewalk the next morning, 

looking in the opposite direction.  

That dip between the drifts was where I had previously shoveled a walkway.

The sunset driving home,  just before a commuter skied
by the passenger 

side window of my SUV 

and his skis were at the height of the window.  

The kids were aghast in the backseat.

The police blocking Broadway in Somerville, while trucks
remove the snow  banks.  It's a pretty common sight and takes
a long time to get anywhere.

A local bagel store.

My parents' house, the lamppost out front.

Vivian's Pizza Delivery

I was giving Sam a bath and he was tired and working up to a tantrum.  We heard a knock on the bathroom door and there was Vivian...

She was perplexed as to why we were laughing- but Sam stopped his whining.  Oh, and sadly the pizza box was empty, she'd taken it from the recycling.  

Snow Day #6

The house today after finishing shoveling the last snow that fell overnight.

Parking meters in Watertown.  Sam and I stopped for breakfast after dropping Vivian off at daycare.

Sam on top of the snow that is in the backyard, his "sledding" hill.

Below are photos from Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge.  No filters on these, this was the color of the sky this morning.

And More Snow...

Sunday snowstorm into Monday, snow day number 5 at work.  We'll be in school until June 30.

More snow and absolutely no where to put it.  Carrying it to the backyard takes forever.

Kids jumping on the bed while I was in the shower.

Front steps.

Vivian shoveling the front steps.

Old snowy sign at Powderhouse Circle in Somerville.

This is where Chris and I met in Davis Square.  They've been bulldozing and dump trucking snow out of Somerville.

I climbed out the playroom window onto the deck to shovel the snow away from the house.  The deck door was snowed shut.  Sam thought this was fabulous.

 Kiddos sleeping.

Mommy Talk During Snowstorm

More Thoughts by Sam

Sam stayed home sick on Wednesday, after waking up and being violently ill on Tuesday night.  He vomited several times and then when back to sleep.  When I got home on Wednesday, I asked what he and his father had done, and whether he had eaten.
"Well I didn't eat too much today.  Crackers and some ginger ale."
"No lunch?" I asked.
"Nope.  No lunch." he answered.

After a moment, "well actually Daddy went to Starbucks and got three things.  He ate them.  I just had a taste.  But mom, guess what?"
"What Sam?"
"Daddy got me my very own coffee.  Just for me."  He leaned forward for effect, and whispered, "and it was DELICIOUS."


Later on we were talking to Vivian about her day.  She really just answers yes or no questions, so you kind of have to guess at her activities.

"Did you have a good day Vivian?"
"Yah."
"Did you jump?"
"No."
"Did you play with Victoria."
"Yah."
Sam interjected, "did you steal her shoes?" (One of Vivian's favorite pastimes is to take off her own shoes and wear her playmate Victoria's).
"Yah."
"Did Victoria get mad?" Sam asked.
"Yes."
"Does she really get mad at Vivian for wearing her shoes?" I asked Sam.  He's spent the odd day there if he has school off.
"Oh yes.  Let me tell you what happens.  Vivian gets her shoes and puts them on.  Then Victoria comes and yells and sometimes hits.  And Samantha comes in and BOOM!  Victoria is in time out."
Vivian looks up, "yes," she agrees.

More Snow & A Battered Toe

Another snowstorm, named Linus this time.  Two more snow days and Chris doing hours of snow removal.  Vivian in the midst of the storm managed to tip a very heavy, little toy piano onto her big toe as she was trying to maneuver it to climb up onto the couch.  So now it is badly bruised, less swollen, and she's walking on it, but it doesn't look good.  Outside we probably got another eighteen inches of snow with more on the way.

Our upstairs deck, where you can't open the door.  The grill is back there in the corner.

GrandJoe and Vivian in the driveway.

Sam on top of the snow pile that is the height of our downstairs porch.

Sam and his friend playing out back.