Magic Act.

Couldn't resist.

Snow Day Chores.

So the snow dance had a delayed effect and our snow day was today!  I have an unhealthy obsession with snow, and I had been tracking this particular storm for the past week or so.  At the beginning, there was a pretty small chance that it would actually come together enough to drop snow over DC...something about the two fronts having to "thread a needle" to create a perfect situation.

Then, as time passed, all the various weather models started going crazy and weather people just started throwing up their hands and fluctuating between a bunch of snow, and no snow.

In the end, we had THUNDERSNOW which is something of a "chupacabra" (as in legendary) in the weather world.  I heard a couple rumbles, although I didn't see the lightning.  For a while there, snow was coming down so fast.  Our school let out at regular time since the storm hadn't hit by the time we had to make the call -- my weather nerdiness knew that it was supposed to hit right a dismissal so I was panicked about the thought of driving home in it all day.  As admin, I should have been staying until the last student left, but I had a shining beacon of hope.  Our school consultant was at our school that day, and I usually drive her to the hotel after her visits...fortunately, she needed the ride and my kind, sweet, understanding boss let me take her.

While I felt so guilty leaving with the students when I knew that some staff was going to have to hang tight for 15 more minutes, as soon as I hit the road I was thankful. I was slipping all over the place and the storm had just started.  Half an hour later and the roads looked like this: (sorry for the foul language in the commentary...it was the only video I could find on YouTube that had a street near my home in it.)

It took me over an hour to drive what usually takes about 12 minutes.  I was one of the lucky ones...We had some teachers who left at 4:15pm and didn't get home until past midnight.  DC is just not equipped for snow.

So, in risking life and limb for this Snow Day, I figured I should make the most of it.  Slept in.  Big workout.  Caught up on some work.  Made this long overdue video:

Adventures in Cancun.

It's shameful (again) how lame I've been at updating.  I feel like I should do one of those daily posting things to make up for it, but then I realized that that would be largely boring for anyone who reads it.  My life these days consists of little more than work and sleep.  It sounds worse than it is...since I like work and all.

First things first, I know I promised an update on my winter break -- sorely out-of-date, I know, but since pictures of my nieces are timeless...

Here they are on Christmas Eve after they donned their fancy (and crazy-expensive-for-toddler-clothes) dresses.  The first thing they did when they put them on was twirl.  It totally brought me back to my days as a little girl when I would put on my pink taffeta "twirling dress".  I absolutely loved wearing that thing and kept on wearing it long after it was ratty, too small, etc.  Still, I would wear it and hide it so my mom couldn't throw it away.  Alas, one day I came home from school and found out that my mom was using it to mop the floor.  Tough love.

Jamie and I got in to LA and got spend some time with the Jamie-side of the family.  It was wonderful to spend some time with everyone again -- and to see all of the changes they had been making to the house.  After spending so many days in high school at their house, I have so many great memories there -- it's nice to know that even with all of the changes being made, it still feels like "home".

After a pretty delicious Christmas Eve dinner (thanks, Mom!) we tore open the presents and watched the girls play with their new treasures.  Lots of books and new toys.  In the end, I think they did enjoy the puppet theater that we got them...at least more than the puppets we got them. 

I don't know that they were clear on the concept that the puppets were supposed to go in the puppet tent.

At the crack of dawn we headed to LAX and made the trip to Cancun, Mexico.  I sat next to Leah and was therefore reading a nice little rotation of books for a good portion of the flight. I have since memorized Something from Nothing as I read that particular book several times as Leah gleefully pointed out "Joseph" on every page.

Heaven blue water, swimming, trampolines, beach, and one killer view from our balcony awaited us in Cancun.

So much fun!  Jamie and I did make the trip over to Chichen Itza one day too...

 Those Mayans were short.

 In the end, it was a really restful vacation for Jamie and I (don't know that I can say the same for my brother and sister-in-law).  Did I mention that the rooms had a giant jacuzzi in the middle of the room overlooking the ocean?  It did.  Also, the minibar was free.  Tequila every night!  (Not really.  Jamie and I didn't even break into the free wine in the room until the last night.)  We're totally spoiled by family...

And now...on a completely different note, but because it is necessary when there is a Winter Storm Watch: it's Snow Dance time.

A Taste of What's to Come.

So negligent in my posting duties.  While I am not going to post now, I will post soon.  I offer these pictures as a gesture of friendship and promise to return soon!