Thursday, January 5, 2023

So. Much. Snow.

You guys, we have so much snow. I don't think the pictures below even do it justice. Before we got this latest dumping of snow this week, we had already had something like 35" of snow. What in the what. I have done so much shoveling!! The way we (typically) split the snow removal is that Phil snow blows the sidewalks/entry to our garage. I typically shovel the walkways and steps (we have so many steps since we live on a hill!!) that we can't get to with the snow blower. Because of my 23 in '23 challenge, I can tell you it took me exactly 23 minutes to shovel all the steps/paths on Tuesday afternoon. I actually kind of like shoveling. It's really satisfying to see the fruits of your labor and it's a great natural workout. 

This was after I shoveled on Tuesday afternoon when we got the first 4-5". 

We were both planning to go into the office yesterday. When we went to bed, Phil said we might need to leave a little later than usual as he'd likely have to shovel the alley area so we could get our Camry out. So I got up at 5:45 yesterday, showered, blow dried my hair, and put on make-up thinking it would be a status quo in-office day. Then Phil came down, looked outside and said, I don't think we are going anywhere today. We had gotten MORE snow over night, and it was still snowing and the plows hadn't been through our alley or the street by our house. As of the morning we had 13" of snow and it just kept snowing, although less heavily.

Indeed, we were snowed in with our young kids. During Phil's busiest week of the month. Paul is easy peasy - Will? Not so much. Sarah, I applaud you for loving 2-year olds. He is adorable and sweet and funny, but OMG I find this age extremely challenging! And Will has zero interest in screens yet - by this age, Paul would sit and watch Little Baby Bum for 1-2 hours. No, that is not ideal but it how we got through having him home for the first 7 weeks of the pandemic in 2020 when he was a newly minted 2-year old. And I would love it if Will could be entertained by 30-60 minutes of a show when we are stuck at home. 

This lasted for about 15 minutes - they were watching The Grinch

Luckily the weather was mild, so we were able to go outside. Will loved the first half of our morning walk/sled ride - and then screamed for the second half. 


We went out for a 2nd time that morning and brought Paul along with us. I shoveled the front walk while the boys played in the snow and then built them a snowman. 



Seriously - so much snow.

Paul had enough at this point. Honestly, there's too much snow for the kids to really play in it. It's so deep so it's not like they can play in our yard. 

Will was still happy so I brought him out back while I shoveled the back sidewalk. And then he lost his mind because his little mittened hands can't hold the child-sized shovel we have. Being 2 is hard. 

"helping" me shovel

I really hope we get a break from the snow after this. I would take snow over extreme cold, but this amount of snow is a bit much!! 

As of last night, our snowfall so far this winter was around 45” total. Our average snowfall for the entire season is 51” so this is nuts. Oh and it’s still snowing - but our alley was plowed so we were able to go into work and drop our kids at school! Hooray!! 

Do you have snow where you live? If so have you gotten way more than usual like us??


14 comments:

Hilde said...

I live in the South of France and the temperatures are unseasonally high over here. There is a massive lack of snow in the Alps! We were planning on a weekend ski trip end of January but the weather will have to drastically change for that to happen. So in Europe it’s quite the opposite!

Rachael said...

Keep trying w the tv!! Lol. My first boy also would watch tons of TV and my second never would. He also was a more grumpy, prone to temper tantrum, 2 year old. He’s 3 1/2 now and in the past year he can now watch a whole movie! It sounds so funny because our goal is always to keep our first born off of screens, but as you know, it’s such a lifesaver to have that option!

NGS said...

Oh, no! Meanwhile, we have a fraction of an inch of snow (checks forecast) and nothing but rain predicted for the next week. I sort of enjoy shoveling, too, and would gladly take some of your snow! We got a dump of snow in December, which was unusual, but it's been a very rainy January and it's depressing as all get out. At least the snow would make it look cheerful outside.

Minneapolis is the city where I've lived that has the most number of sunny days per year (about 196 days per year) and I remember really cold winter days with clear skies and lots of sun and feeling like winter wasn't really so bad. My husband and I now call those "Minneapolis days" and they are few and far between here. Compared to Madison (185) where I live now and (158) where I grew up, those extra days of sun in the winter really meant something to me.

Nicole said...

Wow, that is a LOT of snow! Yikes. We haven't had fresh snow for probably two weeks, so the snow on the ground is getting all icy and solidified, and the streets are dry. Driving in that kind of snow is scary insane. Hope you get a break from it!

Elisabeth said...

I hate snow and we've had no snow (flurries twice) this winter and I AM LOVING IT! I'm so sorry you've had such terrible winter weather this year. It's a lot with little kids. The year my son was born we had an epic (like smashing records) snowfall and we were basically trapped inside for MONTHS and I almost felt sick to even look at the white stuff. But since that year (2014), we've never had an overly bad winter.

Also: Being 2 IS hard. For both the child and the parents. I love my kids, but parenting is so tough. These people who talk about wanting and having a huge family? I just cannot relate. I feel like I am stretched to my absolute max with 2. I do find things easier as the kids get older but, it's still hard at these stages, too. Worth it, but hard. Sometimes I think I must be doing everything wrong to find it so exhausting/tedious/hard - but I think it's normal? At least for my introverted, low-energy personality type?! Again: I LOVE MY CHILDREN! I'M SO GRATEFUL TO BE A PARENT. But...it's hard!

Emilie said...

It has been so mild here - 60 degrees yesterday! Pete said it felt like spring when he went for a run. But we have had lots of snow in the past. In 2013 we got over 40” in one shot and it’s such a claustrophobic feeling being outside with that much snow. I don’t partake in snow removal right now since someone has to stay inside with Hanna but once she is able to walk I’m sure I’ll get the sidewalk duties back!

San said...

Woah, that's a lot of snow. Sometimes I wish we would get snow, but I am glad we don't have to deal with the shoveling...

We've just had a bomb cyclone hit California, so TONS of rain (too much all at once).

Sarah said...

It’s like shoulder height on a toddler!!! THAT’S SO MUCH SNOW!!!! I am a major fan of benign neglect on these kinds of days, but this is how Minnie learned to climb inside her toy kitchen sink, so probably not the best plan LOLOLOL.

Kyria @ Travel Spot said...

That reminds me of being a kid; we used to get like 4 feet of snow at a time. OF course, although I did have to shovel, I also got the day off of school, so I was happy (you can't shovel all day, so a snow day means a reading day for me!) Its so funny (maybe not to you) that Will is not really into TV/screens. For my brother and I, obviously it was a different time, but I (the elder) would retreat to my room with a book while my brother could have watched TV ALL.DAY.LONG, and it is still pretty similar really.

I hope that it peters out a little for you! It is still raining here and is supposed to rain for the next 9 out of 10 days I think. However, that is good for us in the long run and it makes for some excellent skiing in the mountains so I say bring it on (says the woman who is not shoveling or driving in it...)

Coco said...

I haven’t seen snow for over 5 years. Girls would love to play with it.
Hope you get a break from it soon. Meanwhile a lot more snow fun for the kiddo.

Grateful Kae said...

Oh my goodness! You did get a lot of snow! We had a big bunch before Christmas, and then it all melted away and has been oddly warm. We got a dusting Thursday night- of course, as usual, it started right around 4:30/5 pm rush hour time. Ivan has to drive way across town on the interstate, and I hate when he has to drive in the rush hour in snow!!! He never seems bothered, but I'm too nervous. Snow is fun with the kids though! It's nice when it is at least mild enough to go outside and ENJOY the snow a bit!! And it's always pretty...

Jeanie said...

No snow here unless you count the mountains in parking lots. That's way too much snow -- I hope it doesn't cross over the lake and come here. I don't want it! I never thought of there being too much snow for kids to play in but those banks look bigger than Will!

I bet you were exhausted at the end of the day!

Jenny said...

Ha! No snow here. That sound very trying. You were up early and all ready to go in to work... and instead you were snowed in with the boys. In snow, as you pointed out, that was really too deep for them to play in. I hope it's stopped by now!

Stephany said...

Wow, that is SO MUCH SNOW! I can't imagine all the shoveling you had to do. And being snowed in! With two young kids! That's a lot to deal with. I'm glad you were able to get them back to school the next day. A snow day sounds very fun without the responsibilities of taking care of young kids!

It's been pretty warm here - so warm that when the highs were in the low 60s last weekend, it felt like a cold front. Wah.