Winter Update 08

(Written on 5 Mar 08)

Our winter has been very long. It is now March but it doesn’t appear that it will be over anytime soon. Even the locals are getting tired of winter. It feels like it’s been winter since we arrived… oh yeah that’s right, that is the day we arrived…first day of real winter weather 07 and it has been cold ever since.

We are looking forward to the highlight of our year, the annual family reunion in Louisiana . Scott will not make it this year. Hopefully somewhere along the 22+ hour road trip there, Cody will learn to drive. He is so excited that he has his learners permit now…but of course we have not let him behind the wheel in months because the roads are covered in ice and snow. You would think that up here they would be more efficient at clearing the roads and keeping them safe but at 7am there are no snow crews to be found and the roads are very hazardous after a nights powder or a hard nights freeze. Especially after a day of sun and then a hard nights freeze…then the roads are slicker than snot. Weeeee! We have a lot of fun times getting to school and work each day. I nearly took out a light pole one morning, it was great. Luckily there was a 5 foot snow bank that would have softened the blow had I slid that far.

Cody has really found his niche in the sporting goods department where he works. He works several days a week and his grades are improving. He’s looking forward to baseball season getting underway and is treating us to a Boston Red Socks/Minnesota Twins game in May. Actually two games, Scott and Jared get to go with him on Saturday to celebrate Jared’s birthday (which is on May 9th)and then we will all go on Sunday (Mother’s Day) I have to go shopping at the Mall of America and IKEA on Saturday and you know how much I’m going to hate that ;) ...If you are watching the game either of those days look towards the back left field. Cody has already made a huge banner to take along to show his team spirit. His favorite player is Papi. He has also been busy outfitting us all in proper attire for the game, making sure we are sporting the appropriate team logos. Go Red Socks! Yay!

Jared is doing well in first grade. His attention span is not quite as much as his teachers wish it would be. He is always in constant movement and this tends to be a bit distracting to the class with his tapping of his feet or snapping his fingers. He tries to focus his mind but his body is still in motion. I think if the school had a way to let him bounce or run while he listened he would do much better. He has hit another huge growth spurt in the past couple of months too. His legs seem to have grown another foot..… (Ha Ha) did ya get it?

We have moved Jaiden out of daycare. She is now in home care at our neighbors right behind us. She has flourished in the 4 weeks that she has been there. She’s gone from recessing back into baby babble, which she didn’t do much of even from day one, into talking full sentences. Of course she is a typical two year old and the word “mine” is her favorite to use 99% of the time. She still likes to hit us when we are in her space, but she has started learning a bit of remorse and says “I sorry” where before she would only look away and pretend that she did not hear us talking to her.

The days are getting longer so spring should be coming sooner or later. Working at the weather service has its advantages and disadvantages. One of the advantages is sometimes having the best view of the weather from my perch by the window. I have the opportunity to gaze at the blue sky and my computer screen blocks out the glare coming off the snowbanks, or I watch the softly falling snowflakes during a winter storm and envision myself inside a snowglobe…its truly beautiful. (unless you are a light sensitive, southern thang with claustrophobia issues when cooped up indoors too long) Guess that might be considered a disadvantage. But it’s the things that don’t kill you that make you strong.

Our move to Dallas will be postponed for a while it seems. The housing market is steadily declining and even here where they are telling us the market is strong, we are seeing a lot of stagnancy. We have 3 houses just on our street that are for sale, two of which have been on the market since summer. So, in order to get a good price and be able to put down a down payment on a new home someday, we will have to stick it out. Scott still plans on retiring in June of 2009 and Cody still plans on graduation in May of 2010 so we’re not sure where that puts us for any sort of future plans… We will take each day as it comes and trust that things will work out for the best. It’s not that bad here, it’s just way too cold, far too dry and who wants to visit the frozen tundra?

In order to bring a bit o’ green indoors, and to have a bit o’ garden once the ground thaws… I’ve taken the leap of planting some seeds. Last year my seed sprouting endeavor did not fare so well with my gazillion pots sitting in the southern windowsill so this year Scott has built me a lean mean growing green things machine…ok he took out some spare shelving units from the attic and strung up a fluorescent light but it works amazingly well! So far almost all 72 of the tomato plants that I planted have sprouted and are now steadily working on their second set of leaves. They are growing happily in various stages under the light and they are only a little over a week old! So in another month we may be up to our ears in tomato plants??? Hmmmm…guess they don’t take up nearly as much room as seedlings as they will – so I suppose I should plan out new homes for them soon. Our ground is not scheduled to thaw before May…anyone want some maters?

I will close on that note, and wish everyone well. Hope you have a lovely spring! And as always, I’m looking forward to hearing from you too.
Love Lots,
Kim