.....hookie.....

.....we woke up to the surprise of snow this morning.....forecasted to be more of a wintery mix, Stefan was reciting the news to me as I was half functioning at his absurdly early waking hour.....I heard something about actual snow and then he said something about a 90 minute delay for schools as he was wrestling with his tie.....

....as I began to try and remember what day today was, I immediately fell into the most relaxed state when Wednesday came to my mind.....yes, Wednesday......Elsie only goes to school until 11:45 am, so why would I rush everyone out of the house so she could attend school for an hour and a half?......

....that was just as absurd as it was early.....

.....Elsie stumbled into our bedroom just as I was coming to this realization and I pulled back the bedcovers, inviting her in.....our morning routine is that we always take a few minutes to nestle close together before the morning begins.....she is my earliest riser in this season of ever changing early birds and I cherish the moments of one on one before the morning gets crazy......I whispered in her ear, today I am going to teach you how to play hookie......

....what does hookie mean?.....

......no school today, lovie.....Momma has other things in mind......but for now, let's just close our eyes until we hear Brody......

.....Brody was up two minutes later and Stefan happened to leak the big news that it snowed.....so within 3 minutes, all three kids were in my bed, jumping up and down and begging to play.......

.....we were outside and fully bundled faster than we've been all winter......and the three of them didn't even stop for breakfast or acknowledge my badgering about eating at least a banana.....the girls can completely prep for the snow now, even remembering to pull their waterproof pants down over their boots....Brody kept his mittens on and gladly donned his snow gear for the first time this winter without screaming.....and for over an hour this morning, we all played and then the girls cheerfully helped Momma with the outdoor chores.....

......it didn't actually occur to me that I should shovel my driveway until I saw all of the neighbors making their way out with their shovels.....I checked my phone and saw that icy rain was coming....I have been in the northeast long enough to know that rain on top of snow can be a messy and dangerous mix.....I figured that everyone was trying to be proactive and that we should too before the snow turned to slick ice.......although I should mention that this Florida girl has never shoveled a driveway......ever....

....we all began shoveling, plowing and shaking our salt until we had a nice, safe walkway for Daddy's return home......

.....I must admit that I was completely exhausted and breathless by the time we were done.....I'm sure it didn't help that for part of the driveway, I shoveled holding Brody on my hip as he shook his red, chapped, wet hands.....the mittens can only stay on for so long.....

......I sense a hot bath to soak muscles that have not been used in ages in my near future......

....however, the girls were extremely proud of the accomplishment and asked several times if Daddy would be happy he could walk safely to our house.....that alone was worth all the muscle aches and motrin I'll be taking this evening......

.....we worked up a good appetite and breakfast at 10am made today feel like a Saturday......I can't get enough of the way Brody loves Mickey Mouse, so I attempted the pancakes that Stefan usually makes.....not bad for a non breakfast maker and just hearing his excitement at the sight of his pancake was a good fill for my soul.....

.......pancakes aside, though, we are still in full force on our quest to eat more colorful meals.....I am not exaggerating when I say that there were many dinners in December that consisted of plain noodles with three cookies on the side.....it was sort of a down hill spiral post Halloween.....and knowing that my children are hardly the adventurous type when it comes to food, I have decided to try to incorporate some new things into our menus that taste similar to what they are used to eating......

....so instead of a plain strawberry smoothie, I added some *kale and told the kids Momma wanted a smoothie in her favorite color......

.....little brother can not get enough of these......I literally have to double the batch to feed the four of us breakfast......

....we also have substituted french fries for *baked cauliflower.....the kids get a crunchy side dish that they can dip in either ketchup or ranch dressing and I am thrilled they are inhaling a veggie they would typically wince at.....

....add a bit of parmesan cheese and they are begging for seconds......

....all except Callie....she can't be fooled as easily, but I will take two thirds digging the baked veggie.....not a bad statistic when it comes to cauliflower.....

.....good food habits are just one of the reasons I am starting to feel more settled......routines are being established, rooms are starting to evolve, ideas for layout are being planned.....by no means is the house full, as there are plenty of empty rooms that desire some design love......but we are doing less organizing and I am now moving on to fun and exciting projects......soft, beautiful and cozy things are in the works to help make this house feel more like a home.....

....we are not only feeling settled at home, but the girls are also finding their groove at school.....

....Elsie with her reading, typing and science and Callie with her imaginary, artistic and class performances.....

.....and we are wrapping up one extra curricular activity in exchange for another.....

....and I have also found my camera.....three different living places in 10 weeks was a lot of boxes......

.....but we are reunited and it feels so good......

.....I may need to dedicate the next post to all of the pics I have taken this week with the canon......the iphone sure does make an easy crutch, though......

.....happy hump day.....happy snow day......happy hookie day.....

Kale Smoothies 

*2-3 kale leaves pulled off center stalk and torn into small pieces

*1 frozen banana (I peel and freeze all my bananas that are too ripe to feed the kids and use in smoothies)

*5-10 frozen strawberries

*1.5-2 cups of almond milk (Cow milk would work too, but we are cutting back on our dairy intake)

*1 tsp of agave nectar (Any sweetener will work)

*2 Tb of protein powder

*1 Tb of flax seed oil

Blend for two minutes or until smooth. Delicious! Enjoy!

Cauliflower and parmesan fries

*1 head of cauliflower

*1-2 Tb of olive oil

*3-5 Tb of parmesan cheese

*Salt and pepper

Wash and separate cauliflower into florets. Mix florets, olive oil and salt and pepper in a mixing bowl. cover evenly. Spread florets on a greased cookie sheet. Sprinkle parmesan cheese. Bake for 20 minutes on 400 degrees, tossing every 5 minutes to ensure oil and cheese are evenly distributed over cauliflower florets. Broil for last 5 minutes to help brown and crisp florets.

Serve immediately.