The winter doldrums

Wow!  I can't believe it has been 25 days since I last posted.  It makes me feel like nothing has been going on in these four walls.  It has been quite the opposite, but as we are in the throws of wrestling season, I have had little time to come up for air let alone sit at night time and blog.

As I mentioned, we are smack dab in the middle of the wrestling season, which means we don't have Brian around at least two nights a week and weekends.  It is long about the middle of February that I feel like I am losing my ever-living mind.  I will say, however, the fact that the girls are older and I can tell them to go play for a while on their own makes it a little easier.  Also, having them both in school helps break up the day.

Having gotten a bad case of Shingles last year that encompassed the entire right side of my face was a pretty good indication that I was under a lot of stress.  Since that bout with Shingles, I have tried to be very conscious of my stress levels.  The funny thing about having Shingles is now I feel a bit like Harry Potter and the scar on his forehead.  Every time I get stressed out, my forehead starts to burn.  So when you see me on the street and accidentally call me Harry, I will completely understand.

But, despite the stress level and missing Brian, we have been holding our own around here and trying to have some fun.  I will leave you with just a few of the things we have been doing to occupy our time on these LONG, COLD, DREARY, DARK (you get the idea )winter days.

Supporting Daddy any chance we get.

Ice wreaths

Snowman snacks

Peanut butter bird seed bagels

Paper snowflakes

Snow time with her BFF

Spraying food colored water to make pictures in the snow.

Upside down snow angels

Teamwork

Snow forts

Snowman

Building houses out of firewood

Emma's first trip to the ice rink.

Snowmen made out of popsicle sticks

Finished Product

When I look back on all these pictures I realize that I have been doing a lot with the girls despite the fact that some days seem endless and very uneventful.  I look at the messes we make sometimes and then remember the sign that is hanging over one of my closets.  "Please excuse the mess.  We are making memories in here."  That about sums up the winter so far.