Mountain Sun has a wonderful monthly tradition of allowing the children to bring in a "Share" (as opposed to the traditional "Show And Tell" that they can bring around the circle and allow the rest of the kids to touch with "one finger," "two fingers," or "whole hand." In Annie's case, her special "share" of Ollie was allowed to hop around the circle. And Annie was thrilled to hold him as we brought him home (while still in the Buffalo rental car)!
I simply cannot believe that I was driving in these conditions! I literally couldn't see the road on the way to Terry's from the birthday restaurant! This is what it was like to and from Niagara Falls as well. As I was driving on the road, I was looking at other people like they were nuts. They all had faces on like "it's just a normal day." I am in awe of what these Buffalonians have to do in order to live here in the winter. Without a garage, ... and after you go anywhere (Church, shopping, a restaurant, etc.) you ALWAYS have to brush and scrape the car. Brush because the snow has built up on it while you inside for only a little while; scrape because the snow that fell first was warmed by the car and then froze to ice. You are literally brushing/scraping the car five times a day. Incredible! Then there are the icicles. I finally figured out that nothing ever really has time to fully melt, ... so even if it gets above freezing for an hour or so, the water drips down, and over days and weeks forms these icicles, ... look at the one Leia has, ... it was like a baseball bat! The other thing that was a surprise to me was the sheer height of the snow packed down where it hasn't been shoveled, ... like in the picture of the girls at Park School. It's like people create these tunnels to their homes and on their sidewalks, ... and the snow that is never shoveled (the snow in the yard) just builds up until it melts in the spring. It's like driveway claustrophobia! Finally, driving back, and probably the last once-in-a-lifetime experience, we drove in full snow, ... under a blue sky!
Even though it was totally the wrong day for it (i.e. the snow was super wet, and not good for sledding), ... it was another experience we just HAD to have: going sledding with Oma at Park School. Mom grew up sledding here, at the school at the end of Fruehauf. And where Mom is here in the first picture, is where I sledded with April, Dad, and Mom when I was 11. Lots of nostalgia here. Because it wasn't quite right for much sledding, we took a walk to the pond (where Oma would ice skate), built a tiny snowman, and then took Grandma out to Red Lobster (on this, her actual birthday) in order to enjoy yet another once-in-a-lifetime experience of having a lobster actually pinch me. LOL! : )
One of the other things that was mandatory about visiting Buffalo was visiting the Original Pancake House to have their famous Baked Apple Pancake, ... a favorite of my Grandfather's. And it was an added blessing today to be joined by my dear friend Nina! Nina, of course, is Karin's mom, ... and someone who I've grown very close to as a dear friend after Karin's death. It was fun to share smiles and stories with Nina, ... and we thank her so much for making the trip from Canada to see us! (And just look at the great picture that Nina took of the two girls! Gonna frame that one!)
Great Grandma Betty's house on a Sunday morning with a trip to (of course) Christ the King Catholic Church, ... where Mom's whole family received most all of the Sacraments. And we even took a picture of Annie with Saint Ann (and little Mary)! Annie actually took a nap today [Gasp!] While Leia Rose did some art, ... and as you can see, both girls did lots of wonderful coloring throughout our trip. Lots of fun!
