Who Needs School?

The kids' Christmas break was too short and I was very vocal about the fact that I thought so.  I think today makes snow day number five, but combined with days the kids were already scheduled to be out of school and early dismissal days this month, my kids had seven full days and two half days of school in January.  I think we all feel like we have been able to relax and unwind.  It is time for the Sweet Baby Rays to go back to school.

We have worked all the puzzles, played all the games and watched all the movies.  The difference between snow days and Spring Break or summer vacation is the fact that we can't get out of the house.  Our street is a solid sheet of ice which rules out even a walk through the neighborhood to get some fresh air.  It is not a complaint.  I love having my kids home and am always sad to see them go back to school, but we have Cabin Fever and it is time to re-establish our routine.

Aaron and Hannah's activity for the day was making survival bracelets.

 
They learned how to make these in Scouts and are going to try to sell a few online.  They have had fun working out a business plan.  I picked up a pack of charms for them to try and Hannah added a cross to this one. 

PK had to go to work today.  I was really concerned about him driving over the bridges while it was still dark outside.  He received word last night that he would have to report on a two hour delay, but then received word that he would have to report on time.  A two hour delay would have allowed the sun to come up and do its thing.  He texted me when he arrived safely at work.  He said once he got out of our neighborhood, the roads were mostly clear. 

The temperatures are supposed to climb well above freezing over the weekend, so even our ice covered street should be clear enough for buses on Monday.  My kids don't ride the bus, but if it isn't safe for the buses, I don't want to be out and about either.  It doesn't even take a car accident for a tragedy to occur.  One misplaced step on a patch of ice can be dangerous.  I'm glad the school system is putting safety first, but I am looking forward to some sun.  I need school.

SnowJam

A winter storm was predicted for much of the Deep South.  It would then proceed up the east coast hitting cities that don't usually see winter conditions like Savannah, Charleston and Virginia Beach.  The storm would eventually hit us.  Atlanta was forecasted to receive a dusting.

The day the storm hit the Atlanta area, the forecast was updated that morning, so Cobb County schools decided to release schools two hours early.  About the same time the schools started to release students, many other people started to head home.  The snow hit earlier and harder than expected and in true Southern fashion, roads weren't cleared or treated. 

Traffic started to build about noon and by 1:00 p.m. the highways and most side streets in the Atlanta metro area were in complete gridlock.  Some buses had to return to schools with kids still in tow.  Twenty-four hours later, we still had friends in Atlanta stranded on the roads.  Some people are still stranded where they sheltered-in-place.  As roads completely shut down, drivers abandoned their vehicles and walked.  The temperatures will make it into the forties today and abandoned cars have been moved, so hopefully everyone will be able to make it home.

In the chaos, there was calm.  People began posting on Facebook to let those stranded know where they could go for safety.  A Facebook page was established which allowed people to post a general area where they lived so those stranded nearby could try to make it to shelter.  In many cases, complete strangers helping complete strangers.  Prayer, after prayer, after prayer said. 

Our snow started to fall late that afternoon.  PK was dismissed from work early, so thankfully made it home before the snow started to fall.  School was called for the next day, after returning to school for one early release day after having had a long break. 

I got up and took a ruler to the back porch.  There were drifts of up to thirteen inches, but I think overall, we received about five inches. 



We started our day clearing a spot for Holly.  It seems that is a snow removal priority here.

 

Hannah and I made a trip to the craft store the morning before the storm hit because I knew the kids were already tired of being cooped up.  I always laugh when the stores run low on supplies like milk and bread before a storm hits.  I laughed when I realized we were almost out of milk, eggs and toilet paper that morning.  So while Hannah and I were out gathering craft supplies, I made a quick stop at the grocery store.  Aaron loves his morning milk like PK and I love our morning coffee.  And who would want to run out of TP, storm or no storm?

The crafts gave the kids a little extra something do to.  PK baked chocolate chip cookies. 



Aaron and Hannah played in the snow.



We played a family game of Risk.  As usual, PK won.



PK cleared the driveway and we realized our street was a solid sheet of ice.  We ended the day with a nice fire in the fireplace. 

School was called again for today, so I have already made pancakes and the rest of the family is beginning to stir.  I think the game of the day is going to be Sequence or Dominoes.

I am so thankful that all of our friends in Georgia are safe.  One of our friends who was stuck in the mess asked, "Where were you SnowJam 2014?"  I was miles away praying over our friends as I watched the story unfold thanks to modern technology

Snow Days

Yes, that would be more than one snow day.  Expecting snow was one of the things that excited my kids about moving here.  Unfortunately, our little area often misses the snow.  We seem to live just south and east of the snow line.

The kids finally got the snow they had been hoping for along with freezing temperatures.  Monday was already a holiday and the kids were on an early release schedule for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and then the following weekend was a scheduled four day weekend.  The forecast for Tuesday was for snow to start in the late afternoon or early evening and that was correct.

 

I took these pictures before the kids, the dog or the sun were up.   

 

Aaron let Holly out of her crate when he got up.  I went to the garage to find the snow shovel so we could clear her a spot, but I soon realized PK had moved it to the shed.

 

That would be the shed across the yard.  It was dark and cold and I was not about to venture out there.

 





I grabbed a broom and since Aaron was so anxious to get out in the snow, I let him sweep Holly a spot.

He had to take her out on her leash so she wouldn't run back up the stairs before doing her business.  When we took her back in, she climbed on the couch, curled up in a blanket and stayed there for hours.

Aaron and Hannah wanted to go play in the snow as soon as they were out of bed.  I made them wait a little while because it was so cold. 

 

It was still only 9:00 a.m. when I finally gave in and let them head outside.  I decided to go ahead and try to clear the driveway and clean off my car.

 

 

The kids stayed outside for about 45 minutes.  Hannah came in first and then I made Aaron come in.  He went back outside about noon and started working on a snow fort.

 

 

When it was complete, he was able to get his entire body inside.  Then he added a flag made out of a handkerchief. 

 

Thursday school was cancelled because the temperatures were too cold for kids to wait for buses.  Friday was already a scheduled day off.  That has really left us with almost a week off of school.  The kids have enjoyed the extra time off and I have enjoyed having them home.  However, since it has really been too cold to spend much time outside and we have had our fill of movies and board games, we are ready to get back to the normal routine.  They are off tomorrow as it was another previously scheduled day off.  However, the temps are forecasted to be in the fifties.  That will be warm enough to allow us to get outside for a while.

Early Bird Catches the Worm

 As I walked through the living room on my way to the kitchen about 6:00 this morning, I found this on the couch.  Hannah had gotten up early and decided to start on school work and fell back asleep.  A couple days ago she started school work at 5:00 a.m.  I thought maybe she was up to something, but she really just wanted to finish early in order to have more free time later in the day.

 

Old Cape Henry Lighthouse

We all had the day off yesterday, so we decided to head to Fort Story to see the Old Cape Henry Lighthouse.  It is near the spot where the settlers of Jamestown first landed.



This lighthouse was built in 1792.  In 1870, it began to crack and was replaced with the New Cape Henry Lighthouse which is located just over 350 feet away.  These two lighthouses are located where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Chesapeake Bay.

Climbing the 191 stairs to get to the top of The Old Cape Henry Lighthouse was well worth it. 

 

 

This is Rachel on the ladder at the top.  I kept telling Hannah to be careful on the ladder to which she replied, "Mom, I've climbed a ladder before."  This is where all those trips to the park paid off.  Ha!

 





 

I love the expression on Hannah's face.  This is when she turned and saw the view of the water.

 

 

The New Cape Henry Lighthouse in the background as seen from the top of the Old Cape Henry Lighthouse.

 





The view was gorgeous.  The New Cape Henry Lighthouse is an active lighthouse and operated by the Coast Guard.  Since it is active, it is not open to visitors, but we were able to get tons of photos.

After we climbed the stairs and spent some time enjoying the view at the top, we decided to spend some time exploring the beach. 

Aaron especially loved climbing on the rocks. 



Hannah did, too, but she didn't spend as much time on them.  Of course, the biggest kid got in on the action.

 



 Notice the moss on the side of those rocks?



Hannah did after she stepped on it and slipped into the water.  When will I ever learn I still need to carry a change of clothes for each child in the car?  On our way back to the car, we noticed the sign that notified visitors that climbing on the rocks is prohibited.  Oops!

There were tons of shells and other things washed up on the shoreline. 



We found skate cases, whelk egg cases, crab shells, jellyfish, small sharks and horseshoe crab shells.

Hannah was over-the-moon excited when she found this bird skull.



 

We are quite certain it is a seagull.

 

Aaron thought he had spotted a bald eagle, but it turned out to be a seagull.  PK spotted The Eagle.  It is the Coast Guard training ship which PK has sailed on.  It was built in Germany in 1936 and taken as a war prize by the US at the end of World War II.  Who knew we could wrap so much history and science into one trip to visit a local lighthouse?

 

 

 

The kids on the beach with the two lighthouses in the background

 

We all know I love the beach.  I think we could have spent hours exploring this particular beach and we will have to make a trip back the next time we all have a free day.





Do Plants Love Sweets?



Several months ago, Aaron's science teacher offered his class the chance to participate in a science fair.  In eighth grade, it is part of the curriculum, but for seventh graders it is a chance to get their feet wet and experience the process. 

Aaron's class was working on a large project.  In place of the project the students could choose to do a science fair project.  Whether or not the project was successful, the reward is a one hundred and ten extra credit points on a future assignment.  I told Aaron any time he has a chance for a higher grade or to earn extra credit, he should take it.  Even if he has a solid "A" in a class, it is always possible that he might slip on a later assignment and that extra credit will be helpful. 

He decided to try a science fair project.  He had his mind set on doing something with plants.  We threw around some ideas and he settled, very strongly, on "The Effects of Sweeteners on Plant Growth."  PK and I tried to get him to do something a little more original.  We thought doing something about the effects of video games on kids would be neat.  In the end, it is Aaron's project, so we let him stick with what he wanted to do.  Besides, I really don't like projects that were obviously done by a parent.

He ran the experiment for a couple of weeks and found that their was no effect of the different sweeteners on plant growth.  I'm not sure I would include his findings in a scientific journal or even believe them to be accurate, but he ran the experiment.

I helped him get all of his paperwork in order and turned in by the December 3 deadline.  I thought we were finished.  It was my understanding that the experiment would be reviewed and certain entrants would be invited to participate in the actual science fair.  Wrong!  Aaron brought home the paperwork required for the science fair.

We bought a display board and I gently guided him in getting it set-up.  The science fair was last night.  He enjoyed being there and seeing the other experiments.  He had to explain his project to the judges which he thought was hard, but he was able to do.  He told me that he would like to do a science fair again, but the next time he will pay more attention to the details and try a more involved original experiment. 

That seems like a good outcome to me and he will receive that one hundred on the project and extra credit.  It's a win-win!