February Tallies

It snowed 20 of the 28 days in February. We now have had more than 100 inches of snow. By the end of the week we should easily claim the snowiest year on record for Boston. We've already had the snowiest month on record. The kids have been to school only 8 days this month, and that says nothing of the snow days they had in January. The South Shore has been the hardest hit, and tonight's storm is no exception. It is now possible to leisurely sit on a snow drift outside any window of our house and peer inside.

Sometimes you even have to burrow a little hole to peek inside...

The normal flow of the week now involves dumping ice melt on the wicked thick ice dams and shoveling the roof.

And the commute? It is in-commutable. The Red Line on the T was completely shut down for more than two weeks, the commuter rail runs a handful of trains each day. The governor BEGS people not to drive (like there's an option?). It is freaky cold. Early on in this fiasco, I got up early to get into work for an 8:00 a.m. meeting. I shoveled the driveway for 2 hours, hopped in the car, noticing I had a half-flat tire, drove to the train to find that there was absolutely no parking. I decided to drive into work, but had to stop off to fill my tire. I quickly found that air pumps do not operate in sub zero temperatures. I drove home and asked Pops for a ride to the train. I looked up when the next train was coming. There were perpetual delays and cancellations lined up. He drove me into Cambridge. He then got stuck in the mother of all traffic jams near MGH. I'm not sure whatever I accomplished that day was worth the heroic effort it took to get to and from work. And that has how the entire month has been. As soon as I crossed the threshold at work I immediately began plotting the return trip.. 

The hope is to have the commuter rail operating on a full schedule in a month.

I've never seen anything like this winter.

Not Hyperbole

If you would have told me a year ago that I would stand on an iceberg eye level to my roof line while I wielded an ax to hack away 2 feet of ice dams so that water would stop leaking through my kitchen, I'm pretty sure I STILL would have bought my house so that I could send my kids to the excellently rated public schools in this town. But if you would have told me that school would not even be in session because it is a frozen ice hell, I think I would have just moved to Arizona.

Honest Abe

During school vacation week Tadpole needed to pull together some facts about George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. I pulled this little chapter book off the shelf that my Dad gave to me when I was 6 years old. He brought it back from a trip to Washington DC for me. He wrote the following inscription in the cover:

Dear Missletoes,
Honey, this book is about a very special man who loved everyone. I hope together we can learn about him and be like him.
I love you, Da
Washington
February 11, 1981

Bampa went to the National Convention for Mayors every year in Washington DC. This is one of the treasures he brought back for me over the years. I also remember a book on the First Ladies, a giant penny from the National Mint and another book, "Fox in Sox".

Tadpole and I really enjoyed reading about Abraham Lincoln together. While Pops will always grimace when Abraham Lincoln is mentioned as one of the great American Presidents, I will always have a soft spot in my heart for him because of my dad's love for him and the memory of reading about his life together with Tadpole.

Rite of Passage

Superkid's first scout camp. Gulp.

The kid has never spent a night away from his parents.

 This was a little hard to take for us, not Superkid. He was pumped. We spent a month ordering equipment off the Internet to prepare Superkid from the frozen ice hell of New Hampshire. But that didn't stop us from an emergency trip to EMS the night before his departure to buy wool socks, a head lamp, sunglasses and back up boots. 

The result- an excessively accoutered scout ready to take on the elements of the back country.

Pops hauled him over to the church parking lot and handed him off to Vernon.

Then we waited. We followed the itinerary stuck to the refrigerator door avidly. Pops texted me several times a day to tell me that Superkid was out doing , "snow survival" or was at the rifle range or maybe eating lunch. We also stocked Vernon's Facebook page for information. Whenever he threw something up, I tried to play it cool by not pouncing on it and begging for antidotes. 

I just would give it a restrained "like". 

That's where we saw this post:

Quote: "This is circumstantial evidence...the many stories will lead to my conviction."

Yes, that is Vernon's truck with 3 sleds tethered to the hitch.

I wish I was a fly on that bumper.

Vernon also mentioned, "Superkid stood up had no idea where he was or what happened to everybody else, the only thing not covered in snow was his giant smile."

That's when I breathed a sigh of relief. It was good to see that he was living up to the Davis family motto, "It is better to die than to look bad."

I asked him later if he thought it was a good idea to ride behind a truck on a sled. 

His reply, "I didn't think. I was too busy having fun."

The guys also apparently dug a big pit for bonfires.

 So even though it was in the single digits and below zero they managed to keep warm.

 When Pops picked Superkid up, he asked him how the rifle range, snow survival and hiking were. Superkid said they just spent their time in the cabins playing games. 

Sounds like logical snow survival to me! Success!

 

Tradition!

A Valentine's Day can simply cannot pass without the traditional lasagna and the animated telling of Mom and Dad's engagement (and how Pops tricked me into marrying him). This year Pops didn't actually  "cook" the lasagna, I did. He did however help "make" the lasagna by tossing some peperoni in the sauce as he passed by. He served it up while the kids told the beloved family story.

Which at some point turned into telling potty training failure stories. Jaws recently had a relapse, I merely wanted to point out that all the kids did at one time. Jaws mimicked me and pointed to each of the kids and said, "You did! You did! You did! Your did!" It was so adorable we all burst out laughing and pointed at each other and mimicked Jaws until we laughed ourselves senseless. 

Yes, we are trapped in doors by a giant wall of snow. 

We are definitely cabin crazy!

Just can't stop laughing!

Mom's lasagna was a hit!

We nearly cleared the pan!

Then we got up to dance and sing. 

Isn't it just a beautiful thing that Pops and I got married?

All hail to the great lasagna!

President Washington's Cookies

President's day started with a visit from General George Washington wearing his finest "blue coat"

 Actually, he invited the whole brigade, including Mrs. Washington who was the troop's supply line.

 There were a couple of sharp shooters among them!

They marched to the back of the fort to show off the impervious wall of snow that no "lobster back" could penetrate.

Next we brushed up on proper decorum by reading George Washington's book of rules. 

And then decided we better bake his favorite cookies.

Jaws manned the mixer and was the official taster.

I present to you, George Washington's Jumbals. 

They are a dense sugar cookie with orange zest. They are simply delicious. I have even more respect for the great George Washington now that I've snacked on his delicious cookies.

The kids made a banner to commemorate the occasion.

And that tenacious old General Washington held down the fort all day long.

The Third Commandment

Tadpole ran down to our room Sunday morning and exclaimed, "Mom! I looked out the window and nearly took the Lord's name in vain! There is so much snow!" It's true, it was a white out. No church! But plenty of rest for me!

 Abizella gave me the works at her You Spa, including a hot tub treatment with a massage!

I loved my fancy toes with gems!

Abizella asked what kind of hairstyle I wanted and I told her piggies. 

She told me I looked like I was 3 yrs. old.

Perfect. I was hoping to shave a few years off!

Meanwhile, there was no rest for the weary. The ox was in the mire. 

As soon as the snow stopped, our ever faithful Pops was back at it. His shoulders are going to be too thick to walk through a door way before this winter is over.

Abizella and I started a little sewing project that has been on the back burner for awhile, 

her pinky fuzzy robe.

Abizella is quite tenacious when it comes to fixing her sewing machine. She is an inspiration to me. After slogging through the first step I was ready to stuff the project in a sack an throw it into the dark recesses of the basement. But since Abz never gives up, neither did I. We actually got it about 70% done. We only need to hem it, fit the sleeves and sew on the pockets! 

Not even 8 ominous feet of snow looming behind us can stop us from finishing now!

The day turned out to be quite sunny and bright. Pops advised that I run out and take some pictures before dark. This is what is left of our house...

The kids have been warned against bobsledding off the roof, otherwise tracks would have already been made!