what's up weekly. (valenine's day edition.)

Our news this week, like last week, and like everyone else's news this week, has been dominated by SNOW! and COLD!.  It was a mistake to take this week off of school, as I learned after I had mentally prepared myself and the kids for a week of relaxation and rest.  By the time I realized this week would be neither relaxing nor restful, due to the intense cabin fever and stir-crazitude the snow caused, it was too late to change course.  We were like the figurative Titanic up against the literal iceberg.

But unlike the Titanic, the ice couldn't sink us.  We are still afloat and on our way to the dawning bright shores of America.  Or whatever.  The metaphor really breaks down at a certain point.  What I mean to say is that no one died, nor wished for death, and sometimes that's as much as you need to count a week as a 'win.'

But let me stop here and reassure you the week really wasn't all that bleak.  It was, in fact, pretty fun.  I just get cynical when it's cold out, though I will say that I actually didn't find it that unbearable out, and even found it lovely out at times, which is living proof of the resurrecting and sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit, and the life changing magic of wool socks and insulated boots.

I did get some time in between repeatedly shoveling the driveway and breaking up duels between the kids (stir-crazy kids are short-fused kids), I did find some time to document our days.

For instance, on Saturday afternoon, I ventured out to do a little treasure hunting.  Since our county continues to extend our mask mandate, and we continue to decline masking whenever possible, there really isn't anywhere to go, and I hadn't really been out in a while.  But I discovered a vintage place nearby that isn't playing Mask Nazi with its patrons, so I joyfully spent a few hours digging around in old junk to my heart's (and lungs') content.  I found some ironstone, a big copper whisking bowl, a kerosene lamp that I fully intend to bring to regular functioning order, some Blue Willow plates, and a jar of antique buttons for Penelope's Valentine's Day gift.  It was a good junking day!

I found this little ironstone cream pitcher that is just the perfect size for small hands to use to pour milk on their oatmeal by themselves.

On Sunday, we were snowed in, so yet again, we had church at home.  But it ended up being a blessing, since it was also VALENTINE'S DAY! and I went big this year.  I bought a heart-shaped waffle maker and spent Saturday night cranking tiny waffles out in anticipation of the morning.  I also made about a jillion pancakes on my new electric griddle, and YOU GUYS IF YOU DON'T HAVE AN ELECTRIC GRIDDLE, YOU ARE NOT LIVING.  It is a life-changer.  So we had pancakes and waffles with chocolate syrup, whipped cream, sliced strawberries and sprinkles for breakfast (with some sausage for protein to anchor the ungodly amounts of carbohydrates).  We didn't have to rush to make it to church at a specific time, so we had time to enjoy our breakfast.

The banner I bought this year is missing a T, but I kind of like it this way.  "Valenine's Day" has a nice, slightly inebriated-sounding ring to it, like the party already started a while ago and you're coming in at the best part, where everyone's already laughing and dancing and punching each other on the shoulder.

These little waffles took literally HOURS to make, one at a time.  I think next year, I need to get a normal-sized waffle iron, and make mostly Normal Waffles, with one Token Heart Waffle per person.  I told Todd they should have marketed the heart waffle iron as the Lonely Hearts Club Waffle Iron for One.

Then we opened gifts - Atticus got a book on WWI fighter planes, Penelope got a Green Gables cookbook and a jar of buttons, Finneas got a couple pairs of fingerless gloves (that kid loves fingerless gloves), Lolo got some kitchen knives and a pair of giant fake glasses (she has been yearning for glasses like her siblings, and has bemoaned her 20/20 vision for many a long year), Rocco got a Playmobil police officer, Callista got a set of necklaces, and Juni got a tutu.  Plus, they got a ton of candy.  It was all very too too.

Juni, with her true love: iced coffee.  It's very TDDUP with them.

Todd made me a sweet Johnny Cash print, and signed me up for a one-year Instacart membership (which I have already put to good use), and I got him a weight vest that weighs more than half our children.  (Not combined.)

After lunch, we did our traditional Flower Ceremony, where the gentlemen give the ladies flowers.  Everyone loves this part of the day.

For dinner, we did a cheeseboard, and then we watched Robin Hood and ate popcorn and pink M&M's.  Every year, I love Valentine's Day more and more.  It is such a fun day to celebrate nothing other than how much we really adore having each other to love.

Lissa Lou, 'reading' me the book she 'wrote' me for Valenine's Day.

Monday morning, we hit the ground running with break week.  In addition to the occasional(ish) bickering between the kids, there was a lot of teamwork and fun together time.  I had a lot of help making oatmeal on Monday morning...

...then the kids set up one of their world-famous 'salons' in our living room.  (And in the bathroom, and in Juni's room, and in the girls' room.)  By lunch time each day, the house kind of looked like a bomb went off.  

Oh, no, no, no.  Of course no little people actually want to PLAY with these Little People in the kitchen; they would like to just keep them here for a while in the hopes that I step on one on the tile and have it shoot out from under me and land me on my back like a scene in Home Alone.  Obviously.

Also, let's just put a few of these up here for good measure.  

But that's okay, because the tiny terrorists look like this:

And you just can't stay mad at a terrorist who looks like that.

Much of the rest of the week was dictated by the snow.  I was supposed to have a grocery pickup on Monday, but due to road conditions, I waited until today.  So we ate simple things from the pantry and freezer all week, which means I didn't have to cook all that much.  (Minus the split pea soup I made with breakfast sausage instead of kielbasa, since I did not have kielbasa on hand... it was not good.  So not good, in fact, that instead of eating leftovers last night like we had planned to do, Todd surprised us with Buffalo Wild Wings.  That's an expensive way to avoid bad leftovers, but you won't find me complaining about it.)  It was still snowing and cold on Wednesday, so we didn't go to the Amish.  We're headed there this morning instead.

So it was a pretty restful week of playing and resting indoors.  I did get a bit of light housework done, but my washer pipes froze so I didn't even have laundry to do most of the week!

Now that we're rested up, and the house is as in-order as it ever is or will ever be, we are ready to head back to school next week to finish out our last long stretch before the end of the year.  We can do this!