Snow much fun or Totally Tubular

In the last week, we have had multiple rounds of snow.    Sunday we woke up to more snow- church was again cancelled and we hung out until mid-day.  After shoveling our driveway, I took the kids over to the hill for some sledding/snow boarding.

Rocket had a good time snow boarding for the 90 minutes the kids were out.  I sat in the car most of the time since I was sick most of Friday and Saturday. Being sick made for a restful Saturday- I slept on the couch and the kids watched TV (they mad nests on the floor in their sleeping bags).  It was a good day with them

 

Monday was a school holiday here, and I took the day off.  We had plans with Julie and Nicholas to go to the ski resort area to tub (a tradition with us).  So  this is breakfast before heading out into the 2F degree weather (-2 with the wind): breakfast burritos, cuties and water.  Filling and warm.  It was needed for the morning.

heading up the tubing hill.  Notice the face masks, heavy clothing- it was needed for the ride down the hill definitely.  the snow felt like pin pricks of ice hitting our faces.   Even Rocket bundled up.

Sis at the top (second run)- she went with me on the first run since she had never been sledding or tubing before.  That was eye opening, that she had never been sledding before.

Julie ready to go down the hill

Sis getting ready to head down.

turtle boy/turtle man.

He was having a great time.

 

for the first time ever since we have gone tubing, we took a break and got some hot chocolate to help us all warm up.   I was pleasantly shocked that the hot chocolate was so inexpensive.  Definitely will keep this in mind for next time if the weather is this cold.

Sis is happy.  Although she was getting sick as the morning went on.  She ended up with a slight fever on the way home and I sent her to bed with some medication to nap right after we got home.

 

me and Julie- 2 single moms living the good life.

the whole gang- ready for the ride down the hill

 

having our hot chocolate.

the boys- not so little anymore.

Sis coming down the hill

Nicholas coming down the hill

Rocket at the top portion of the hill

rocket coming down the hill

Julie coming down the hill

the gang

all of us as we were leaving the tubing area. it was now 17F and felt so much warmer.

another shot of all of us

Saturday night there was the blood moon/wolf moon eclipse.  We did not see it, but a friend got this picture.

 

Today it is warmer- it is going up to 45F here (so 40 degrees warmer than yesterday morning).  But snow is forecast for tomorrow morning, so it is just a quick warm up.

 

In other news, Rocket was accepted to the high school he wanted to go to.  Now I have to figure out how to pay for it.  It is going to be another $500 per month above his current grade school tuition.  I think I have it figured out, but it would be so nice if the school would give him some financial aid.

 

I think that is it for today.  More to come later this week.

 

Love and hugs,

Deb

SNOW!!!!

Friday night, Rocket had a game- tournament- for basketball.  They lost a heartbreaking game 33-31 against a team we already beat this year and who we will play again on the weekend of 26Jan.  They are the closest school to us in terms of distance and we know about 1/2 team from scouts.   The game was very late, 9:30 pm start time, so we did not home until almost 11 pm.  We were scheduled to play another regular season game on Saturday at 12 noon, but we woke up to 2 inches of snow, with more expected throughout the day.

 

So everything was cancelled.  That gave Rocket and I a chance to rest around the house. But by lunch time, he was ready to go play at the sledding hill.  So off we went.  He bought himself a snowboard last year after the winter season, so this was the first time he got to use it.

All happiness- just having a great time.

after sledding, we came home to play with Pablo.  Doggie Boy was happy to be playing with his people in the backyard.

Happy Momma

The expected extra inches of snow did not show up during the day on Saturday.  We went to bed with the weather folks saying we might get another inch of snow overnight.  BOY, were they wrong!!!!

 

We woke up to an additional 7 inches of snow.  So truly, everything was cancelled on Sunday.  No church, no activities (basketball games, etc).   The only thing I had to do was get the driveway cleaned off so sis could come home after being away all weekend (see below for more details).

this is a snow ruler Rocket made back in Kindergarten.  As you can see, it is basically buried in the snow.  We got an additional 7 inches of snow overnight. 

 so 9 inches total over the 24 hour period.

 

 

 

Update on Sis: 

Sis has been with 6 months and things are not getting better.  I don't post much here, but she does not want to be here and at this point, I don't feel I can parent her the way she needs to be parented.  I am not sure if this is because she holds out hope that mom is going to get her back (by working the court mandated case plan- which mom is not doing), but every day is a fight over something.  Something trivial like being asked to empty the dishwasher or being asked to clean up her room.  EVERY DAY.   And she lies about everything- why she did not do homework, why she specifically did something she was told not to do, etc.  And she feels she is in competition with Rocket, so she takes every chance to get him in trouble or to antagonize him.   Rocket is so frustrated with her behavior that he is acting back at her- throwing the dog's toys at her as an example.
Now understand: these are the same behaviors she exhibited with her biological brother and is the reason she is no longer in the same foster family as him.  It is clear that she can not be in a family with kids close to her age because she sees them as competition and starts 'attacking' them.

 

I can not deal with it any more- being yelled because I am trying to get her to think through things, accept her behaviors (take ownership), and I can not take her going after Rocket.  So I have asked for her to be moved.

 

Because of this, the social workers have suggested that every once in a while she go away for the weekend to give us all a break.   This weekend was the break- but she started up immediately after coming home.  I am not sure how long she will be here, but I am struggling through one day at a time.  As is Rocket.

 

Love and hugs,

Deb

New Year- catching up already

Christmas break was just what I needed.  I tried to keep it low key so that I could rest and have time to stay focused.  Overall the weather was great and the kids could get outside regularly through the break.  I did not take as many pictures this holiday as I usually do- something to do with sis always wanting to be in every picture and/or wanting a picture of every movement she made.  I know it seems harsh, but I just wanted to take a break of where she is the center of everything.  Huge struggle for her because she definitely sees herself in competition for attention if there is anyone else around.

 

As seen here- I was talking to Aidan and she demanded that I take a picture of her in the tree house.   Anything to draw attention away from whomever or whatever has my attention at the time.

Like I would forget her in the moments I am not interacting with her.

Me on the hike.  

Tons of woods, less than a mile from our house.  I forgot how pretty this area is.  I think we will be going regularly just to get out of the house and to be as a family- just a quick hike in the woods for about an hour.

The kids at the playground

Me, the dog (can't forget to take him too), and the boy at the park

A few days later, I went walking with my friend while we had some momma time.  Just 2 hours of us getting some lunch and then a walk.  You can see the cardinal on the branch (second from the bottom)- that bird was fearless

The squirrels were every where and quite comfortable walking up to me and E.  I think if Pablo was there, they would have been running in fear from the dog.

On the 30th, Rocket and I went to the symphony to see Harry Potter and the chamber of secrets.   The symphony played all the music live while the movie was playing.  The concert hall had all the house banners hanging up.

Rocket and I decided we are in Gryffyndor.

Us in our house scarves.   Sis does not like Harry Potter so she stayed home.

And Jason and Sarah joined us for the concert.  So much fun!!!

New Year's eve party spread- just me and the kids.   Sis thought everyone was coming over despite me telling her it was just our family for the party.  She also was not happy that it was just us.   She and Rocket stayed up until Midnight and enjoyed the fireworks set off by our neighbors.  But she should have gone to bed much earlier- she can not handle being up later like this and it showed in the coming days.

New Year's Day, we went walking at another park.  Because it had been raining for a few days, the lake was flooded.  The ducks are swimming where we usually walk.  there is a walkway about 3 feet below this water that is usually high and dry. 

This sign is usually 2-3 feet up the bank from the water's edge!!!

Walking the bridge.  My friend L came with us on the walk.   Sis was not happy and is just in front of L.  She was mad because she wanted to walk the dog, but the dog was having no part of walking with her- Pablo is very leery of sis since she tends to play too rough and ends up hurting him.

This is what a 13 year looks like when he plays 2 full soccer games on a Saturday night (they won both games)- he was out before 9 pm.  I did not have heart to wake him up to send him to bed, so he slept on the couch until I went to bed at 11 pm.

 

Sis and I spent the night (last night) at the emergency room.  Rocket stayed up at home, so all of us are now running on 5 hours of sleep today.  I think it is going to be an early night for all of us.

 

the few pictures from Christmas Eve will be posted tomorrow.

 

Love and hugs,

Deb