Light the Lights

This morning we woke and thought that maybe the ice storm didn't come. Big time wrong. I put my finger out of the back door and pushed it into the fluffy powder, but it was stopped dead in it's tracks by the half inch of ice blocking access to the snow.

Even so, we all got bundled up and headed out into the ice fest. Everyone in the neighborhood was out in the street sledding. Yesterday, one neighbor basically build a half pike in the street using all the snow from everyone's driveway. Now it was iced over and FAST with a big "bump" at the end (according to Lily). Dads up and down the street who have had a few days of sledding and shoveling (and who shared a few beverages yesterday) gathered to compare stories of their soreness, tiredness, and old age, ( cliche-we aren't as young as we used to be-type talk) in general. Kids were sledding when we woke up and they are still sledding now at 8pm. Lily fell on some ice (glass like - see below a broken up chunk from our yard) and cut her lip open. Lawrence thinks she looks tough. I brought the girls back inside for lunch and nap, and Lawrence finished shoveling our driveway and uncovering our cars. By the time he got in, showered, and back to look out a window, it was sleeting and the windshields were already covered in a thick sheet of new ice. Then it snowed another 4 inches of powder.

Portland is shut down completely. No driving in our county, Washington County, without chains. Most flights are canceled and I-84 (i.e the road to Joseph) is closed between Troutdale and Hood River.

Tonight was the first night of Hanukkah.

The girls opened gifts, what was left unopened from Grandma and Grandpa (with a snow week, they've already opened a few bigger things) as well as from Uncle Mark, Aunt Laureen, Jayme, Cass, & Ty. Addie was really into opening the gifts today, she was really excited and we wrapped her stuff pretty loose so she was able to open all on her own. Unfortunately the battery on my camera was kaput and I didn't get any pictures of today's present opening from them. Little Einstein Bingo from her cousins was todays highlight for Lily and we played it exactly one zillion times. It is a good learning game, she grasps it, and it is fun to play games with her now. Though she still needs encouraging to recognize that she has a bingo.

We have an electronic Menorah, Lawrence 'lit' the first light and described it to Lily, then he said the Hebrew prayer from the couch pointing to it and told her what it meant in English. I've been doing quite a bit of research myself, figuring how we can keep the Jewish traditions going, while still celebrating the birth of our Savior. It actually isn't going to be as hard as I anticipated. As I was describing some Jewish stories and beliefs, and the significance of God in them, Lawrence learned a few things too. I read a really great book recently called "Betrayed", recommended by a friend to Lawrence, written by a Jewish man, and it was really good. Anyway, Lily liked hearing about the oil and the eight nights, and wanted to know what else God did for the Jews. "Um, lots of things" was Lawrence's big answer! After that he sat and read a book we have that is written with teaching children Jewish Traditions in mind for about an hour. I was glad to see he wanted to have a more educated answer later. I think Lily was excited by the idea that she could learn Hebrew, she had fun reciting the prayer. This is the most at peace I've felt for the Holidays, that we can celebrate both, and they don't necessarily have to be a contradiction of each other. God is good, and that doesn't and won't change.

Lawrence just put Lily to bed and before he got to our room she was already up and at the door. "Daaaaaaddy, can you do rock a bye baby with me?" He said, "Okay Lily, but that's it, I thought we didn't do it because we danced the Hora instead." I did not ask, but it keeps making me laugh.

Addie did not sleep well at all last night. She woke up so many times, it is a blur. I brought her to our bed for a while, that didn't work. We took turns going in there, not going in there, getting up looking out the window for the big storm...Once when Lawrence was in with her, he was rocking her and said in a sternish voice, "It is time to go to sleep". She wailed and wailed and wailed. He felt terrible. So is so sensitive. This morning she woke up with eye tooth #2 on her top right. Okay, well that explains that! Tonight with some Tylenol, not a peep so far. Above, she was showing 'preference' to wanting to eat at a "big guy seat" (as Lily calls it) or walk around on my freshly vacuumed carpet, to eating her snack at the table in her seat. Notice the new cool space place mats from Washington D.C. we got for Hanukkah. P.S. Pluto hasn't been a planet since 06 and I just found out...I used to be so much more up on things before I was a mother...sigh...

Lily had a very long nap today which means she'll be up in her room until we are ready for bed probably. (I should say until I am ready for bed since Mr. Herman is snoring beside me at 8:15...ah like mother like son) Lily was so tired, and when I put her in for her quiet time, I knew she was going to be asleep in 30 seconds. Before she split her lip, she was sledding with the big kids, climbing back up the hill and bringing her own sled, choosing which sled she'd use the next time, and whether to go on her bottom or belly. Once when she dropped a sled and it went sliding down the hill, a neighbor boy offered to get it for her and she thanked him when he got it back up to her. I just thought it was funny what a grown kid she was. It felt so strange to not watch her like a hawk. There wasn't a car on our road, it was hard to remember this was even a street (especially with the half pike). She was doing her own thing and having her own interactions with kids, keeping her manners with out my prompting. This is a strange thing for me. Something I longed for, dreamed of, but couldn't possibly imagine a day that I wouldn't have to be caring for her every move. It happens gradually, but every once in a while I stop to take notice and am really amazed.

Oh-and the big news is that Lawrence FINALLY has his first snow day tomorrow. Meaning I get to work from home day 6, and he has daddy daycare. His boss called at 5:30 to give him the news, and he was elated.

To whom it may concern: 'Bitchy-ignoring- while- trying -to -work' mommy day"care" is closed for tomorrow due to inclement weather, as an alternate care solution, daddy will be in the back yard carefully lifting a half inch of ice off fresh powder, tossing it over the fence, so he can build a snow fort for and make snow angels with his precious girls.

No wonder they like him better!