Feeling cozy

We got quite a bit of snowfall yesterday, and today we woke up to cooooold temperatures. Definitely the most of winter we've seen so far this year. It took me quite a while to get home from work last night, as blowing and drifting snow was creating whiteout conditions. It's particularly bad here on campus, where some of the wide open spaces between the main spine of buildings and the busier roadways are a haven for aforementioned blowing snow.

But crazily enough, I enjoy such weather. I'm definitely a four full seasons kind of girl. This morning, Mike went out to apply the snowblower to our driveway, and Hank and I stayed inside to get a crockpot full of chili ready for tonight's dinner. He was super cute, helping me put ingredients into the crockpot, washing out the cans of beans and then taking them downstairs to the recycling bin. It was totally adorable. One of those instances wherein I get babies on the brain...

I'm working today, but Henry is home with Mike for the full week. I'll be off starting Thursday though, so it's not too bad. Mike is very good with the stay-at-home-parent role during these breaks when Hank doesn't have preschool. When I was on maternity leave and home full-time I was a crazy woman. My hormone level was hovering around the super galactic level and I jumped and cried at every sound Hank made. My prayer is that should God bless us with another child, my knowledge of and experience with those post-baby blues will aid me in having a much better experience right after the birth. That was one instance in which winter was not my friend. Hank was born in November, and being shut up in the house by myself with a newborn all day, feeling afraid to take him out, was tough stuff. Next time, I'll be informed and plan differently. Grandmothers are more than thrilled to come stay with the baby for an hour so that I can get out to the store by myself, and next time, I'll take advantage of it.

I just called the school district to make my appointment to register Hank for kidnergarten. My baby!

Anyway, I digress. Today, Henry and Mike traveled to a second mall in our area (we went to the one near our house last night) in search of half price calendars. We're calendar freaks in this family. Disappointingly, our stop at 2 separate Day-by-Day Calendar kiosks elicited no wall sized Thomas Kinkade calendar nor the Monet one Mike wanted. Their stock seemed to be much slimmer this year. Mike and Hank's second trip today didn't go any better. The kiosk was closed in the other mall and no calendar salesperson was in sight. Many sighs of disappointment ensued. They were going to try the local Barnes & Noble this afternoon, otherwise we may have to order them online. This is a change from our usual pattern and we're very opposed to change around here. Every December 28th or so, we nerdily put on our winter gear and head to the calendar kiosk, all excited. We come home with 4 or so calendars (freaks, remember?) and hang them up gleefully in the kitchen, our bedroom and the office. Hank actually has a wood Melissa and Doug magnetic calendar, which he loves and eagerly changes the magnets on each month. He's obviously inherited the calendar freak gene. Precious dumpling.