Snow days....

So, if you homeschool, do you have snow days??? Well, in our house, the answer is yes and no. A good deep snow, is just too hard to pass up. So, we do have to allow some time to go out and play in it--after all, that is something you just can't do every day of your kid life, and unless you live in the northern area of Alaska. But, we still manage to also do some lessons as well, mainly reading and math. I never have to argue with my kids to do their reading. They all love to read. In fact, often we have the opposite problem, they need to do their other lessons and quit reading. But for now, they are outside sledding and trying to build a snowman. I say "trying" because Whopper, their calico cat is also trying. Evidently she has understood that while the girls are piling the snow, it is her duty to knock it back down again.

At one point I watched the "cat rodeo" from the window. Whopper got on Elizabeth's back. Elizabeth has on several layers, the last being a carhartt coverall so her movement is rather limited. Whopper took advantage of that and climbed up her back. No matter how Elizabeth wiggled, bent, moved, jumped, or squirmed, the cat hung on, with a look of satisfaction and determination on her face (very similar to that I just caught a mouse look that they get).

All the schools are around here are closed today, and most were also closed yesterday. It seems like they have more snow days now then they did when I was a kid. Also, the snow doesn't seem to get as deep as it did when we were kids-remember when we used to get snowfalls that came to our knees? Emily once told me it was because I was taller now, so my knees are higher. Maybe thats it.

Our new calf continues to do well. It is starting to wander off from its Momma some. The momma doesn't like that and calls it back. If the calf ignores her, she goes after it in a dead run. I think the calf is beginning to learn to listen to Momma the first time. I wonder what it thinks of this snow....

Yesterday, in the sleet, the girls and I went to Aldi. I spent around $180 and got food by the case, as usual. This should last us 6 weeks. By the case I buy, mushrooms, olives (but Aldi was out of olives...), speg sauce, corn, green beans, chili and kidney beans, peaches, pears, mixed fruits, cereal, oatmeal and more. We filled 2 carts full. In addition to having an upstairs kitchen and pantry, we have a large pantry in the basement and are slowly making a smaller kitchen down there, to use while canning. Right now the basement kitchen has a refrigerator and stove. We still need to put a utility sink in and then that area will be finished. I try to keep my foods by the case in the downstairs pantry. My husband laughs at my pantry, he calls it the "emporium". But, I notice he shops it quite often.

After our Aldi trip, we went and bought paint. I think I will start with our office. I don't do ceilings, but plan on hiring a church friend to do those.

So, we have plenty of food, paint and corn for popping. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow....