Sunday, February 24, 2013

Finding the Silver Lining

Because it is pouring out,

Because this is the 3rd weekend of crappo (that is for you, mom) weather,

Because K has a raging ear infection which punctured her ear drum,

Because today is the last day of February break,

Because I like my blog to be more positive than negative,

I give you the world's cutest nephew and niece.



There, now isn't that better?

*Credit to my mom for the first picture.

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Erosion

Back in 2009, when B was 10, we made a video explaining erosion. It must have been after some storm or perhaps she was studying it at school.

Wait. You want to see it?

OK, here it is.




The Cape has been hammered by storms this winter, so B, her friend M and I went to check out some big time erosion on Coast Guard Beach in Eastham.

Head the warnings, if you can stop laughing at the picture of the guy falling.
The white in the pictures is snow. The black is not asphalt, I believe it is called silt and is a layer under the regular sand.


If you make this picture bigger, you can see a house in the distance. I am not sure how many more storms until it is teetering on the edge.

Here is some perspective on how large the dunes are now. It almost looked like a bulldozer had come in and scooped the sand away.

Someone has some work to do because all the paths and stairs to the beaches have been washed away. It is sad, but also is a good reminder at how powerful the ocean can be.

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Happy Valentine's Day

It's our annual Valentine's Day photos! Want to see previous years? Check out this. Hope you had a day filled with chocolate and flowers!!





Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Nemo: The Storm not the Fish

We had a little storm here this past weekend. You may have heard about it? It was called Nemo. When did people start naming blizzards after fish with cute names or really, with names? Anyway, on the Cape it rained hard on Friday, then it switched overnight to the white stuff. The wind was crazy strong with gusts in the seventies.

This is the view from my kitchen window.

B was outside for 5 minutes on Saturday. It was too windy to stand up.


We were very lucky, no major power outage and only this for property damage. We have lots and lots of branches to pick up, though.

The next day dawned cold and sunny. I dropped a minivan full of girls off at the local sledding hill and took a tour around. The waves on the outer beach were so huge, we could actually see them from the Fish Pier.  

One house did not fair so well. That once was a barrier beach with many beach houses on it. Once you could drive out to the houses, but now because of some fierce ocean storms in the past 5 years, the beach is getting smaller and new inlets have broken through.

There are still people without power today, but the Nstar crews are working hard to get everyone up and running again. You know, before the next storm....

Friday, February 8, 2013

Frag'n Friday

Mommy's Idea

Perfect day for a Fragment Friday.

*We are getting a bit of a storm tonight and tomorrow. Maybe you have heard about it? Stormtopia.com put up a great picture of our friendly storm, Nemo.


*My sister braved the wind and went down to the Lighthouse and snapped a picture of the storm flags.


Me, I have been using every appliance that uses electricity before the power goes out. I have baked brownies, made pot roast, done the dishes, still (always) doing laundry.... Of course, it is still just snow/raining here. We had a half day of school and the Governor has said that there shall be no driving after 4:00. Obviously, he is in Boston because he may not have made that severe of a rule if he were down here. Guess I better return kids to their proper homes and pick up one of mine before 4 :)

*We had a busy weekend planned with a swim meet and a music concert, but they have all been canceled. Now there will be plenty of time for sledding as long as the no driving ban gets lifted before the snow all melts.

*I have a few cracks in my thumb and fingers from washing my hands so much. At school, a kid sneezes on me, I wash my hands. I finger paint in art, I wash my hands. Someone looks at me, I wash my hands. I might bleed Purel at this point.

So these cracks are more painful than childbirth. How can something so small be so painful? I cringe when I have to tie a shoe, open some one's snack, zip a jacket or reach to grab something. It's so stupid that it is so painful. I may just soak my hands in lotion all day tomorrow.

*My brother lives outside of Boston and could be slammed with more than 2 feet of snow. The man (haha, I wanted to write "boy") loves his landscaping tools and his snowplow more than the average man. This was our exchange earlier today....


I have no doubt that he was waxing and polishing it last night and the reason his neighbors will be excited is that he gets so overzealous, he plows them all out, too!!! I wish he lived next door to me!

*Stay tuned.... I am sure that I will have some storm updates and pictures as the weekend goes on! If you are in the path of this cute little fish, I mean very scary storm, BE SAFE!!

Sunday, February 3, 2013

Shhh, I Love Snow




In the separation, I got the girls, he got the dog. Sometimes, though, I get the dog, too.

That is how I found myself on an early morning walk today in the new fallen snow.

Shhhhh, I love snow. It's not something I can shout from the rooftops around many adults, but give me a room of 6 year olds and I would become the Grand PooBa.

Something about the snow brings out the kid in me. We walked on an untouched bike path; Gretel sniffing through every bush and me making interesting footprints. That's right, if someone were to go out and follow us, they might be wondering what the person belonging to the big footprints was up to. I walked sideways, I marched, I dragged my feet and I walked backwards. I stopped at a circle manhole cover and made a smiley face. Because I had a dog with me, it seemed more normal. I am pretty sure I would not have gotten up early and walked around on the bike path to make footprints without her and if I did someone might have called the police.

I loved snow as a child. I skied, I sledded, I made snow forts, I threw snowballs, I ice-skated on ponds...winter was fun! As an adult, it is not as fun. I picture the grayish people in Frosty the Snowman complaining about the snow when I think of adults and snow. When it snows, you don't call up your adult friends and say, "hey let's go make some funny footprints". Adults have to worry about the shoveling, the snow on the roof, the icy steps, the unplowed roads, basically, you have to be RESPONSIBLE.

There is not a lot of snow on Cape Cod in a typical winter. I have grown to accept this. Well, at least I have repressed my childhood love of a great snowstorm and realize that the Cape has more sand than snow.  That is, until it snows a little and I find myself outside in an untouched yard and lay down and make a snow angel.