Today was officially a "snow day" in our homeschooling. This is what we woke up to!



After the real first snow drop, DD just wanted to go outside and PLAY in the snow! She got all dressed in her cold-weather clothing and donned her new hat. First thing she wanted to do outside though was SHOVEL! (yes really!) 



After DD tried her hand at shoveling the walk, it was time to play! How convenient it is to have another homeschool family just behind us on another court! The two girls played pretty much most of the day. Lunchtime consisted of these really cute "winter motif" chicken nuggets (*gasp* yes, really,) pasta, fresh veggies, pickle, string cheese, an oatmeal cookie and, of course, hot cocoa with marshmallows. While DD ate she watched a little bit of a Little House on the Prairie episode, a Christmas one I had on the DVR.

While she played outside I made a batch (7 doz. worth!) of peanut butter cookies (baked off 3 doz and  froze the remaining in dough balls.) And, since I ended up mailing out cookies & carrying in some to a party, I made another batch (5 doz.) of chocolate chip chunk cookies, too. I also vacuumed/swept the downstairs floors, & did laundry.

Hubby came home from work and shoveled the walk and driveway area. The neighbor has a snow blower but no, he never comes and does our spot, even though we SHARE  a common driveway! LOL

Dinner (chili and cornbread) was delicious. It really hit the spot. It was the first time I made chili using dry beans (instead of canned)... easy peasy (and frugal, too!)! I'll be doing that again!

After shower time DD and I made Maple Syrup Snow Candy (for the first time.) That was an interesting endeavor. LOL Fresh snow is plentiful right outside our back door, so I gathered some up while the pure maple syrup and butter was coming to a boil. I've never "made candy" in my life, and have no candy thermometer (though I did put one on my Christmas list, LOL) so it was a guesstimate how hot it was supposed to get. I kept checking for it's "stiffening stage" and BURNED MY FINGER!!! Yes, really! Right in the MIDDLE of my fore finger, right on the main spot normally used for clicking the mouse!! (argh) It blistered up even though I quickly put my finger into the snow I'd collected. As for the candy, it was simple enough to make. But looking back I now know that I didn't quite boil the mixture long enough after all as the candy never made it to "crack stage" ... ending up more like a thick taffy. Or as my husband said when we tasted it, "This tastes just like a Sugar Daddy!" LOL It was good. We may do it again some day. Here's a few pictures from our candy making experience:

Nighttime reading was The Christmas Bird. We thought it was a LOVELY story. The illustrations were simply beautiful, well nothing simple about them I suppose. They were highly detailed (we discussed things we saw on nearly every page!) and painted just beautifully! And Bartholomew's Passage left us wondering how Bartholomew was ever going to cope being a slave, especially now that he's learned about his parents' whereabouts after the Roman invasion!