This ice is so dang icy!

I was writing this post when the power went out Thusday afternoon:

Well we are now on day 3 of the ice-storm stay-at-home try-to-do-something-that-we-can-be-proud-of-later vigil. Is it just me, or do you imagine that all the other moms are helping their kids put together puppet shows and write letters to their grandma's? Mine are on their 4th straight hour of wii and I'm just plain thankful the power is on....counting my blessings.

Yesterday the power went out for about 4 hours and it took me two to convince Megan that the tv absolutely was not capable of turning on. I clicked the button over and over to prove it to her and she stared at me like I must be joking. Her next question: "Can I watch a show in your room?"

Mathew cursed the heavens for interrupting Mario Party, but after a few listless moments gave up and went outside to knock down hundreds of icicles.

Just as we were leaving to go get some dinner, the power came back on...hooray!...but we still went out because I was feeling a little claustrophobic from 48 hrs of 5 people in a confined space. We made our way out of the neighborhood and gawked at the hundreds of broken trees. So sad.

Ours was very pitiful: (after I took this photo the remaining limbs have broken off. I'm thinking totem pole? Just give the neighborhood boys some pocket knives and watch the magic happen)

Here is a view of the big trees in the field about half way through the storm:


Then after the weight of the ice had broken the limbs off:

But even though the trees are splintered and power lines are down, I just can't get over how truly beautiful it is. A few more photos:

The Roses of Sharon in the sunlight. I love how the ice forms round globes over each little bud. Super cool.

The fence on the side of the house
The neighbor's tree
I love how the ice takes on the shape of whatever is under it. Cool mailbox post.

And because I value consistency, get a load of that GRASS!
Okay...so enough with the ice pictures, I promise...cross muh heart, hope tuh die, stick uh needle...you know. The storm is now past. We ended up going without power for 4 days. Spent a day at Grandma Jean and Granndpa Joe's, bought a generator (love that thing), and generally enjoyed the adventure of it all.

Item I missed the most: the disposal. NOT diggin wet food in my trash.

Scary: I haven't had to hand wash a dish in AGES. It actually took me a minute of staring at a sink of dirty dishes to remember that there was another way to get them clean besides putting them in the "Magic Box".

Kinda fun: taking Ethan to the laundromat to dry our clothes. What I wouldn't give for a wall full of dryers and a pile of tokens...ALL the clothes dry at once. Awesome.

An added bonus: working side by side with Mark getting everything done. He is THE BEST. He did everything in his power to take care of us and make sure we were safe and warm (changing oil on the generator in the cold=not fun). I seriously love him!

So anyway, power is restored and we get to put up with the local newscasters reporting on "Ice Storm 2009" with ominous voices and the same footage we've seen over and over.

Just one more thing I'd like to put out there:

Do you have any idea how long it takes to finish a game of 'Sorry!' with a 3 year old who insists on doing Eeny Meeny Miny Mo every time she has to decide which piece she will move?

Deeep Breath.