A little Family Fun...

The bad news?

We are "snowed in". It began snowing and blowing stink again last night, and we're expecting 20-25 more cm of the white stuff, complete with howling winds, over the next 24 hours.

The good news?

We're "snowed in" at my parents' house in Stratford.

Snow???

What's a little snow, when you're determined to have a good time????!!

"Hoopla!!" is what we have to say to the weatherman, "Let The Good Times Roll!!!"

The two youngest kids burst out of their beds and hit the ground running at the sound of my father's alarm clock (drat the damn thing to hell, and WHY didn't I check to make sure he had turned it off last night???!!) at 7 o'clock this morning. Which, truth be told, is considered a bit of a "lie-in" for them. The eleven-year-old followed shortly thereafter, because come hell or high water (or snow or high winds), we had made PLANS for the day.

We ate a quick breakfast, bundled up in our flannelette-lined jeans and our warmest woolies, and headed out doors to shovel the loser cruiser out of the driveway. A smaller scoop and a bag of sand are always in my trunk, "just-in-case", which was a good thing, since the roads certainly hadn't been plowed...

One of the first places we hit whenever we're "home" is our favourite toy shop in the entire world, "Family and Company". We were standing on the street with our noses pressed up against the glass when the employees FINALLY unlocked the front door:

And here are some of the Incredible Finds of the Day:

1. A CHICKEN CHUCKER!! Because I've got a "thing" for rubber chickens. How on earth did I live for so long without one of these??? I can catapault tiny rubber chickens across a room with the flip of a teeny-tiny switch, and schmuk offending children before they've even realized that I'm "on to" whatever delinquent behavior they're performing!! Love this thing. LOVE. I might just go back and get the Pig Projectile one for my husband...

2. A Banana Safe. For taking bananas to school for lunch!! It keeps them from getting squished!! Is this genius or what?? It's even got little holes for adequate aeration!! Now, if I could just convince my kids to stay at school to eat...

3. A Freeloader Fork. For my husband (to make up for the Pig Projectile). He is famous for asking, "Um... are you planning to eat all of that (insert name of delicious food here)?" whenever a plate-ful of something decadent arrives on the table in front of me. Now when we dine together, he can just extend the handle on this sucker, and "share" my meal (which I am seldom able to eat in its entirety, anyway) without the fuss of switching plates. Because apparently, this is the kind of thing that "true love" is all about. Yeesh.

4. The Jane Austen Action Figure. How cool is THIS?? An English major's dream-come-true, I assure you. She even comes with a little desk, and a quill pen... I can't wait to set her up on my own desk at home. Now, if they could just make one of Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy, I'd set up a whole freakin' SHRINE...

5. Ludo in a CD Case. I just couldn't resist-- a teeny, tiny, super-portable game! Perfect for our upcoming vacation. And it was just $2.99! Child Number One and I are going to have a tournament as soon as the little ones are safely asleep tonight.

And, last, but not least:

6. Fart: The Game. We'll be playing this one tomorrow afternoon. Want to know why? Well, I'll tell you anyway. I just received a telephone call from some friends who live around the corner. Tomorrow is Stratford's annual "Heartburn Day" Chili Cook-Off, and they are entering their favourite recipe. The girlies and I have been invited to the competition, where we'll be able to sample over 40 different chilis, and vote for the one we like the best. There will be children's entertainment, a "silent" auction (well, as silent as it can be with a room full of people eating beans), and all proceeds will go to the Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation. Man, the things I do for charity. Pass the Zantac...

On the up-side, this MIGHT be the very first time my children don't wipe the floor with me in a card game... Poor little stinkers...