Snow Evening

We all went off to school and work this morning, then slowly trickled home as the roads got bad. It was snowing small, dry flakes when I dropped the kids off, and then I drove south of Dallas for a conference. By the time I got to the destination campus and signed in, large, wetter flakes were falling.
I thought the roads would be okay, and Habib decided to work from home rather than sit in traffic for 1.5 hours, so I knew he could pick up Sami at 2- but I didn't want to risk getting caught so far from home, so shortly after 1:00 I headed north. Well, not really north. I decided to go the loop rather than drive straight through the city, where things were snarling up. It wasn't too bad, though a couple of bridges/overpasses were icy. Once I couldn't brake, but hit un-iced road before I hit the car in front of me, and the brakes took. A couple of times I felt myself slide a little.
Habib got home with Sami, and I went off to pick up the bigger kids. They were hoping for enough snow for sledding, but it is unevenly piled in our neighborhood. Apparently we got about an inch.
Evening activities are cancelled, hot chocolate has been drunk, and I'm about to make potato and leek soup and then light the fire.
Funny Sami story- the other night I was opening the doors of one of his cars. He wanted the trunk to open, but it wouldn't. Then he decided it needed a key. I asked him where the key was, and he said "in the kitchen," and headed down to get it. I could just see him losing my car key for him, so I told him the key was inside the car. He looked for it and couldn't see it, of course. Then he sat there, put his head down, and pretended to think, "mmmm." He popped up brightly- "a key!"

Snow on top of the ice

Last night it snowed for the first time since Tuesday.That storm was sleet and ice with a small layer of snow on top. Last night it was soft white flakes that piled up quite high. Of course, there is still ice underneath.

 Last night was pizza for dinner- make your own. These are Leila and Ali's pizzas in the oven. Then for dessert for H and I, and breakfast this morning for Leila and I, rice pudding! Thanks, Smitten Kitchen.

Ali got a big bowl of popcorn yesterday to make up for his sister eating the "Pig (cow) in a Blanket" that he'd left on his plate to finish later.

More snow

We're on snow day number 3. Leila wants to do something- I tell her there is nothing to do, but she says there are millions and millions of things to do.
Yesterday we ventured out to a friend's house down the street. I also got domestic with pancakes yesterday morning for breakfast. Luckily we don't need power to cook, since we had rolling black outs that shut us down a couple of times.

Ali has on two pairs of pajamas to keep warm. Here he is testing the ice. He was only outside a couple of minutes.
Today I had to get creative as we are almost out of bread. We had Pigs in a Blanket for lunch, though Leila was trying to think of another name since we don't eat pork. (These are beef hot dogs cut in half.)

I think Habib is going to venture to the store soon, and maybe he'll return my overdue library dvd, too. I'm thinking pizza for dinner- homemade, of course.

Promised pictures

I'm glad this isn't the kind of horse we have to feed and water. We'd be cracking ice today.

We used to make fun of my mom's love for tomato soup- we just didn't get it. Now I love a hot bowl with grilled cheese sandwiches to dip in. The cilantro was just to be fancy, but it added a nice taste, too. Next time I'll put a lot more.

Snow day

The phone woke us around 5:30 a.m., but we knew what it was- school was canceled for ice and snow. Shortly afterwards, before I'd fallen back asleep, luckily, my cell phone buzzed with a text from work to say the college was closed, too.
Luckily I hadn't stayed up late grading papers.
Leila checked things out this morning before I got up and found the snow wasn't good for snow cones or snow balls- too much ice. Therefore, we've spent the morning inside keeping warm. My fear that the power might go out hasn't happened, yet.
Later I'll post pictures. Just now I'm too comfortable to get up and take one.

Almost like the frozen wastelands in the North.

It's Snowing!