Snow Days and Fun Days

A quick week for all of us with fun outside on Monday for Martin Luther King Jr Day, a snow day with friends over on Wednesday, and then parties on Friday night, Saturday afternoon, and a sleepover for Addie on Saturday night.  AND I am relieved to be going back to work!!!!

We all had Martin Luther King Jr Day off so we played outside in 9 degree weather.
A snow tunnel that we made:)




Father and son working on their computers :)




Wednesday was a snow day and we had other friends join us as they did not have day care options for the day.  Addie and Mathew and Ayson and LJ.


They had lunch at 10:30....hahaha!  We had a ton of fun playing games: hide and seek, board games, AND we played outside!


Once Adam got home, the fun continued.
The girls played Rubik's Race




And the boys played War




However, the way Ayson plays War is NOT the way Adam plays War.  After setting everything up, Ayson likes to blow it all up and scatter pieces everywhere...SO not Adam;)


I gave another presentation to Ayson's 3rd grade class on Friday about wildlife and the kids played a balance game (of their needs for food, water, shelter, and air) while pretending to be a nine spotted ladybug, blue bird, brook trout, or a beaver (New York State animals:)  We all had fun :)  :)

Friday night we had dinner at the school as part of the "Adventures of a South Pole Pig" book that we are reading.  The meal was a Chinese New Year theme AND the kids liked the white rice and sweet and sour chicken - minus the sweet and sour sauce, of course :)
Ayson testing out the chopsticks.




Mikhan, Khanlan, Addie, sitting on Khanlan's cardboard sled and in the back (sitting at a table), Graham and Ayson.


The cardboard sleds


The kids raced on the hill behind the school






On Saturday, we attended LJ's ice skating birthday party.
Addie's birthday card.  Addie kept asking me what hockey players wore because she wanted to get the picture correct.  After consulting with LJ's mom, Addie added shorts on top of the pants and a helmet:)


The kids and I had a blast!  Adam did not want to risk injuring himself since it has been a long time for him on skates.




Ayson is in the left portion of the picture without a helper - yay!


Addie also played with Mikhan and Kinsley.


Saturday night, Mikhan came over for a sleep over!


Girl time!




Addie working on her 100 Days of School project - a macaroni cat :)

One Book, 4 Cases of the Flu, and 15 Inches of Snow:)

A^4 had a pretty low key week.  We may have been happy but not exactly healthy.  Ayson came down with the flu on Tuesday, followed by Addie on Thursday, and both Adam and I also developed an even milder flu than the kids.  This January flu was NOTHING like the flu that we all got last January and knocked us down!  We were all pretty much back to normal by Sunday...yay!  Just in time to enjoy all of the snow!  Adam estimates that in total we received 15 inches of snow - 11 overnight and then 4 more on Sunday.  We had fun playing outside in the snow!

The school started a new project this week and you can learn more about it at the link:
One School, One Book: Adventures of a South Pole Pig

The kids are to read ~ 2 chapters a day and if needed, the students can follow along with teachers, staff, and volunteers that read the chapters.  I may see if I can help!  You can follow along with us by listening to the books from the Daily Readings :)

On Monday afternoon, Ayson on his way down hill...




By Friday Ayson was MUCH better! So much better that he could concentrate and make progress on his coding computer!


While Addie was going down...but at least they both only had a mild case of the flu!
Addie had mentioned that she wanted her back scratched so Ayson got out his robotic arm so that it could scratch her back - hahaha!


Picking up a washcloth with the pincer on the robot arm




Friday night "country" fun




Mmmm, pizza night!!!!   I didn't get a picture but Adam made 2 big pans of lasagna on Saturday - yum!


On Saturday afternoon, the boys took a walk in the woods - just as the snow was starting to fall


A small campfire with snacks at the "fort"


The girls playing with the awesome magnetic doll and house set!




Sunday snow!!!!
Shoveling for Adam,


and tunnel digging for the kids (with me standing nearby in case of cave ins ;)

TWO Snow Days and A Visit from Grandpa Chuck

The second week of January has ended and the kids had two snow days in one week!  The kids were hoping/pleading for Friday to also be a snow day but no, Friday was just cold:) We did make sure to make the most of the snow days with lots of fun activities.

Friends/family have been asking AND Grandpa Chuck brought wine on Sunday...SO I will fill you all in...
am I concerned that I may offend some people such as family and friends?...slightly...BUT I am entitled to my opinion and beliefs just like everyone else that seems to have no problems expressing their beliefs and opinions:
I have been out of work for three weeks and I have now missed a pay check.  The US Department of Interior and US Environmental Protection Agency budgets should not be linked/contingent on border security funding. 

The kids understand that "normal" life (spending) will not resume until I go back to work.  We have a savings account and a college fund that we have been dipping in to...since the bills do not stop.

Am I bored? No. 
I have been getting house chores and projects accomplished and I am picking the kids up from school instead of sending them to the After School Program.  However, since the After School Program relies on funding from parents, I am still paying half of the total weekly amount.  IF I get back pay, I have let the Director know that I will then pay the After School Program in full.  Same thing I did back in 2013.

Do I feel like I am on extended vacation?  No.
I know that I have work/people/deadlines/contracts waiting on me and that the partial shutdown does not stop the clock from ticking on those deadlines. 

Am I stressed?  Yes.  BUT I am not letting it get to me (thanks to my yoga training ;)
I am currently worried because moral (in me, at least) was low when I finally went back to work after the last long shutdown (October 2013)...those deadlines do not stop... 
The mission of the Fish and Wildlife Service is to to "work with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American People". 
I want everyone; adults and children- to have the opportunity to experience and enjoy the beauty of the natural resources around them...from the beaches to the snow covered landscapes and everything in between.

I HOPE that I get back pay (since I do not support the shutdown and have bills) but I also know that back pay is a waste of money since I am not working and SHOULD be working.

Am I (and my colleagues) making the most of our forced time off?!  Of course.
Because that is the type of people we are.  Driven.  We could make MUCH more $ working for the private sector (much more stress too) but we really DO believe in our jobs and want to make a difference in the world.

I am making the most of the forced time off and I am enjoying the extra time with the kids. 
To this day, I cherish my afternoons and summers that I had with my Mom when I was younger.  I do not know the circumstances behind why my Mom was home with my sister and I back then( but I am glad that she was!)

Do I worry about my colleagues that have been deemed "essential without pay" BUT have small kids that require child care and therefore funding for childcare but no current pay...you bet.

Do I feel helpless.  You bet.

Do I think that border security it important?   You bet.  BUT I strongly believe that border security should not be an ultimatum for funding other government budgets. 

Border security should not be an ultimatum.  Border security budgets should be itemized, justified, and approved just like every other request for funding (just like the budgets that I have to request for approval).

I strongly believe in positive actions/attitudes (thanks to my Dad) and positive words/speech (partly from life experiences but also due to a reaction from my sister when I made a negative comment...I had to "check myself") . 
I remind my kids each and every day to be kind and respectful to everyone (as they leave me and get on the bus that takes them to school).   When people tear down others with their words/comments (I have been guilty of that as well) I have come to realize that the hurtful/negative comments/words reflect more on the person making the comments and less on the person/people the negative words/comments are directed at. 

Unfortunately the hurtful comments/words still have power and can influence other people AND the person the comments/words are directed towards.  I think we all need to go back to preschool in order to understand how to treat other human beings.  If you have nothing nice/positive to say, then say nothing at all.


Addie posing as the Statute of Liberty


The boys working on Ayson's pine wood derby car: a shark mobile


A second picture with a great smile from Addie


Go Clemson!!  Ayson stayed up to watch the first 30 minutes of the exciting game!


The kids ended up having no school on Tuesday due to heavy ice so we all were able to sleep in after the exciting game


We spent Tuesday working on crafts and playing games


I showed the kids how to make toothpick boats out of leaves.  Then we walked down to the creek to set sail to our boats:)




Both crazy kids managed to get icy cold water over the top and in their boots...sigh.










A thank you card to Addie:)


Wednesday night shenanigans






Thursday was a snow day for the kids AND they had friends over.  I was supposed to take our two and Grady and Carter to school after the 2 hour delay.  Well, that delay turned into all day and the kids had a blast.
Addie working on making her bath bombs


The boys wanted to help too!


Addie pretending to eat the bath bomb ingredients


We went outside and played tag and hide and seek with the neighbors.


Saturday was a cub scout function: Pine Wood Derby!!!  Behind Ayson is the ramp for the cars.


Ayson posing with all of the cars.


The girls


We took a walk in the orchard late Saturday afternoon.


Always time for snow angels!




Of course the kids stepped on any ice patch they could find and Addie's pant legs were frozen.  Addie wanted a picture with her "third" leg :)


On Sunday, we played games and visited with Grandpa Chuck!


A close game of Left Right Center


Thanks for the visit, Grandpa!