December 29, 2012-Day 5 without Power!

Cousins come to warm up & play!
(click here for today's pictures)
  • With us all huddled in the bonus room the last two nights, it is like we are sleeping in a hotel room and you know how much we love hotel living.  The kids slept until 7:45 this morning and then snuggled with us for a few minutes.  Then Anderson saw the continental breakfast sitting on the bathroom cabinet and started passing it out himself.  This made everyone jump up pretty quickly!
  • The first thing that Campbell asked this morning was "can I go get in bed with Grannymom?" and "what's that smell?"  It was Grannymom and Grandpa's coffee from downstairs.  They had coffee brewing in their suite along with a heater, lamp and tv.  Then they came up for breakfast and the kids were thrilled to see that they actually did spend the night at our house.  
  • This little return to Little House on the Prairie living couldn't have happened at a better time: Robby is off work and we aren't trying to do school as well.  Though I do feel as though I have not been able to take advantage of my first week off of school-I just may postpone our winter break another week.  
  • We are giving red box a run for their money and keeping well stocked in them.  So this morning we watched another movie.  I guess we should have been cleaning but that truly seems futile since we can really only do it halfway since it is too cold and too dark in the main part of the house to do it thoroughly.  Or possibly those are just our excuses and we are actually enjoying lounging around, playing games with the kids and watching movies.  
  • Pops' generator arrived today so the outing was to go to his house this morning to hook it all up.  Grandpa and Grannymom came with us.  Grandpa helped ground it and before long, Pops had his fridge, tv and lamp working.  He was most excited about having a lamp-again, it is the simple things in life.
  • After they hooked that all up, we all had sandwiches for lunch.  I must just be hungry these days but all of the food we have had during this event has really been yummy.  Robby then took Grannymom and Grandpa home (to their 41 degree house) to retrieve their church clothes and car for tomorrow.  Next Robby ran a few errands-more gas, return the redbox movies, buy propane for his grill and some groceries for tonight's supper-tacos.
  • He picked us up and we all headed home.  Before we could all unload, Dana, Cash and Lilly arrived to warm up and hang out.   My kids were getting a bit wild this morning so things really got nuts when cousins arrived.  We had tried to get ours to play outside when we came home but the thought of putting on coats and changing into play shoes was just too daunting for them so they headed upstairs to play. 
  • The kids played air hockey, watched a movie, played a few games, worked on a craft project, fought over the ipad while the adults read a few magazines, refereed the kids, watched some of the movie and enjoyed hot chocolate.  When everyone was upstairs, which was most of the afternoon, there were 12 people up here.  That being said, we managed pretty well.
  • Around 5, we started cooking.  Robby set up his camping table in the mud room so he could use his little camping grill there instead of in the kitchen.  We set up a card table upstairs to help with the food setup.  We actually never thought that we would be cooking in our mud room-this really is like camping out.  Actually, Anderson must have smelled the food and opened the bonus room door to ask "are we barbequeing in the house?"  
  • We are pretty impressed with how adaptable the kids have been during all of this-sleep in a tent, stay in one room, wear your pajamas all day, keep the doors closed and the list goes on.  But they handle it all in stride and even Campbell remembers (for the most part) where to put the flashlights and what to do with her bedding in the morning.  
  • Nonna, Pops and Jason were coming over for supper tonight but felt that they should cook up their food so they skipped out.  Soon we got the call that their power was back on.  Followed shortly by a call from Dana's neighbor saying her power was on.  This led to us checking on Grannymom's answering maching and their power was on as well.  Jason's power hasn't yet come on-by the entergy map, I am guessing his will tomorrow.  Also by the entergy map, I think ours will be Monday or later. But who knows, it could be now...or now....or now.
  • Supper was delicious-tacos and all of the fixings along with pecan pie and ice cream.  I knew I had bought that pecan pie for a reason.   Dana offered for Reagan and Campbell to come home with her and Lilly.  So Cash stayed here with the boys.  Campbell was so excited to get to go-except she was a bit worried about Wilson (the dog) biting her.  She is a mess and a half.  It was too daunting of a task to retrieve their church clothes and too much trouble to fetch them in the morning, so they are getting a pass on going to church tomorrow.  
  • The boys played pretty hard this evening.  My boys did get into trouble at different times.  Robby told them to go and sit on the steps.  They both waltzed to the bonus room door, opened it and then turned around looking at us with huge eyes.  Without lights, the house is dark and they were none too thrilled with having to sit out there in the dark.  They didn't make it 30 seconds each before they were apologizing and asking to come back.  
  • The boys could have played for hours with blocks and their race cars.  Robby and I were talking about how that is how we played-no electronic devices.  Might just be my new years resolution to cut down on the kids device time-but that will not be until after we have power and after we have recovered from not having power!  
  • Keaton again missed her nap this morning and this afternoon so she was pretty clingy and fussy tonight.  Poor thing, it is hard to put her down for a nap when we are two feet away from her pack n play.  Though she is adjusting fairly well to all of this commotion.  Robby and I were just talking about how we are not uncomfortable-warm room, cold food, comfy couch-but this is just a lot of work.  But I think we will be bit disappointed (a fraction of a bit) when the power comes back on and we have to get back to our old routine.