Snow, Snow and More Snow

In case I haven't mentioned it before, it's snowing in Connecticut. In fact, it won't stop snowing. Just look at the forecast from my phone if you don't believe me. I've had just about enough snow to last me a lifetime and I think Lilly would agree. The picture above is the view from our window this morning. We haven't been outside for days (unless you counting walking next door to hang out at Jamie and Parker's, or walking to the car to go somewhere exciting like Target or the grocery store). I'm ready for it to be June. Too bad it's only the end of January...

With the snow comes lots of time at home. The past few days have been Lilly and my own personal snow days. Poor Jim gets up in the morning and spends the better part of his morning shoveling out a car to get to work since UBS never closes for snow, opens late or lets people work from home. It's ludicrous, if you ask me and I'm sure Jim would agree. But Jim trudges off in the snow while Lilly and I spend the morning in our pajamas having lazy breakfasts and endless cups of tea, coffee and juice. We left the house yesterday morning for an hour or so and we've gone next door a few times to play but besides that, we've been home. For 3 days now. All my tutoring has been cancelled (yay!), Lilly's little music class was cancelled yesterday so we've really been home. And a huge part of me loves it. Lilly is learning how to entertain herself. I love hearing her read to her stuffed animals or dance with Daisy. Her current favorite song is Pop, Goes the Weasel. She comes up to me multiple times a day and says, "Pop weasel Mummy" and I think I could put the song on repeat and she'd be content.

We've done puzzles, read books, baked cookies and banana bread, and talked to Gigi, Papa and Edward on Skype. We've danced to Glee, Playschool, music from her music class and then some songs that I actually choose(!) We've played in the snow and watched moomies (which I'll come back to in a second). We've made a million different Mr. & Mrs. Potato heads and built more duplo towers than I can begin to count. Jim and Lilly created a tent in the corner of the living room the other day and it couldn't be cuter. Lilly sits in her chair in the tent with Daisy's one, a book, every stuffed animal and doll she can get her hands on and chats away. She likes it when Jim and I watch her in there but she doesn't like it when we come in. She didn't mind Parker playing in there with her this morning so it must be a size thing. Here are a few pictures from her tent and our cookie making this morning, where I had to take the batter away from Lilly because she was picking out all the m&m's and eating them.

Daisy's one is with her, of course.

Being inside all day can take it's toll by the early evening hours. By the end of the day yesterday, I was ready for some silence. I would even have settled for talking at normal volumes. Yesterday was filled with, "Mummy, yook" (Mummy, look), "scuse me Mummy" and "Mummy, shit down" (still my favorite!) Lilly's at a stage where she talks over me; she talks over everyone. And she gets louder and louder until you acknowledge her. It doesn't phase her that other people are talking. I think she sees these moments as a challenge--to see how loud she can talk without actually screaming. Yes...I spent the entire day yesterday being told what to do by a 21 month old. While I was excited (to say the least) to see Jim when he walked in the door, I wouldn't trade these snowed in days for the world. I love being at home and I hope that Lilly grows up knowing how to be happy at home, without constant entertainment. I know that she's going to be off at school before I know it and I won't be able to get these days back. I remind myself of this when Lilly is "helping" me unpack the dishwasher by taking all the silverware and tossing it into the drawer where it goes. She sees me putting it in the drawer but can't reach herself so she tosses it over the top. Helpful? Not really. But it's the thought that counts. And it's unbelievably cute.

One of my favorite parts of the last few days was our afternoon moomie the other day. Lilly went through some DVDs and picked out a few and handed them to me saying, "moomie, Mum." Well, one of the DVDs was the Ironman Coeur d'Alene 2008 movie that Edward made, so I thought, let's see what she thinks of this. Lilly was beyond excited. This was a moomie featuring people she knows! She spent the whole time pointing to everyone and saying, "Mum...Dad...Doe (Joe)...Eye-ward...Eye-ee...Gigi...Papa...Ca-lyn (Carolyn)...Ween...Derry (Jerry)...Mau (Mel)....Doin (Duane)." I don't think she could believe that a movie exists whose cast of characters includes her favorite people.

She clapped at the start when Mike Reilly told everyone to "give it up one more time, Iron spectators" and then she clapped at the end as everyone crossed the finish line. I think this might be her new favorite moomie, which means she's going to grow up thinking that Ironmans, and people on bikes or wearing wetsuits or decked out in spandex are normal. I guess that's a good thing. I wonder if Lilly will want to take part in one of these crazy events one day? I can tell you one thing. Watching that DVD took me right back to that race and made me want to do another one. Probably later rather than sooner but it will happen; I'm just not sure when.

We followed up CDA 2008 with Florida 2009, which she loved just as much. I laughed out loud multiple times while she was watching these DVDs but one time in particular was hysterical. It just needs a little background.

Ever since Lilly was really little, whenever we have taken her out of the bath and wrapped her in a towel, we've called her, "Rudy Nudy." I have no idea where this came from other than it was something that Mum used to say and Jim and I quickly adopted it. So Lil has always thought that this is hysterical. The other day, she came in while I was getting dressed and I heard this little voice saying, "noony, noony" which is Lilly's version of rudy nudy! And I burst out laughing. She says it whenever one of us gets out of the shower or is getting dressed. Well, when we were watching the Ironman Florida DVD, Lilly started saying, "noony, noony, Papa" when a picture came up of Dad coming out of the ocean after a swim. Lil and I both started laughing and I guess she was right. It's not every day you see someone walking around in a speedo...so to Lilly, Dad was a "noony noony"!

While I am enjoying our snow days, I would love to be able to go outside again soon without coats and hats and scarves and mittens and boots...and without freezing to death.

A girl can dream, right?