'Twas the night before Christmas...

We weren't well prepared today. Yesterday we didn't make it to the grocery store and today we weren't sure what the store operating hours would be. It was certain that stores would be closing early because it's Christmas Eve. We knew that it would be busy, packed with last minute shoppers like us, but there wasn't much that we could do because we still needed the groceries for the next couple of days. I was planning on doing some baking. In addition, holiday here (meaning closed stores) is 25th and 26th.

Chris got the kids in the morning and woke me around 10:00. By the time I got up and we all got ready with our winter gear it was already close to 11:00. The first surprise awaited outside when we realized that the light drizzle outside was not regular rain but freezing rain. That meant that we had to get to the car carefully to avoid slipping and also, car deicing was certainly in order. I didn't realize how bad it was until I tried to clear off the windshield. There was a quarter inch of solid ice on it. Once we broke through it, the ice came off in large sheets. I've never seen it that bad so I was a little concerned about getting on the road. I saw the snowplow equipped truck pass on our little side road. Apparently they were sanding the road even this far off the main road so I felt good about that. I saw the truck revisit again late in the day.

We got on the road but everything seemed fine. The car handled the road well. We gassed up and headed to the grocery store. Walking into the store was a little risky but we continued to be careful. We used the kid "car" cart so kids had fun and busied themselves asking for chocolate or candy every time we walked by sweets on the store shelves. Store was packed with people but still well stocked. On our way back to the car our cart (with Mia in it) slowly started drifting out of control and pulling me with it on a slightly uneven pavement. Chris was our hero and saved us from possible injury and embarrassment by grabbing the front of the cart and pulling us away from the slope.

After the grocery trip we headed for McDonald's across the street. We reparked the car to the McDonald's parking lot. A few moments later when we got out of the car again, the frozen rain drizzle has gotten much stronger and I could feel tiny little ice pellets more and more as they bounced off my jacket. By the time we got in and sat down with our food, the rain outside started looking different. After a few moments I realized that it has turned into light snow. Not like the first snow that we had a few days ago where it was more of a 1-2" dusting over two days. Minute after minute it got heavier and started falling in large clumps. It was mesmerizing. As if by magic the weather turned to snow within minutes and snow accumulation was nearly instant. Chris looked outside and said that it looks as if it were a movie, not reality. By the time we got outside, snow had to be cleared off the car.

We made it home without any problems at all just like earlier in the day. By the time we were home there was enough snow for a nice snowball fight. We ran in and got geared up for play in the snow. Chris didn't want to join so the three of us all bundled up bravely headed outside. It was wonderful. Sorry, no pictures. Itw as snowing and I didn't want it to get into the camera parts. Kids ran through the snow and were covered up in white stuff by the time we left the driveway. I headed to my parents house to borrow a sled. We walked around the neighborhood looking for a reasonable slope but weren't quite successful. Nevertheless we had fun. Ivona joined us. We made it back to our parking lot and by now there was plenty of snow for a snowman so we got to work. The snow wasn't "wet" enough though to easily form large snowballs so we abandoned the project and instead ran around and played, screamed, made footsteps in the fresh snow and made snowballs that ended up all over everyone. At one point I brought out two snow shovels (first time proud snow shovel owners here). Then kids kept arguing who will get to use them as they pushed snow around in mounds. Snow kept falling so I started shoveling the parking lot. After a while I sent the wet kids inside and I stayed for almost another hour shoveling snow. By the time I cleared off an area, it was getting covered up again with fresh snow. It was great fun. Neighbors joined in and we made our way through the large parking lot.

Note that I threw caution to the wind and didn't work today as I had planned. It was actually a work day and I have a lot of projects due but couldn't resist letting the day unravel just as it did.

Now when you look outside you can see the snow covered world that will await us in the morning. Snow is predicted for Christmas morning and present opening as well. What an improvement over the last year's Christmas when we weren't in our own home, weather was dreary and the following morning Chris had to leave us for three months.

My mom, unknowingly, helped the magical mood by bringing over dumplings filled with, of all things, sugar plums so that was our dinner. :) My sister's kids came over and it got loud and messy while we were baking in the kitchen. The afternoon was spent making Christmas bread with my mom. Everyone helped. We read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas as our bedtime story and the little ones drifted off to sleep dreaming about the numerous presents waiting for them under the tree.