Cold, and it's getting colder...

Yay winter.  I really would rather look at snow than grey bleakness, but I can do without the snowy/icy roads... 

We headed back to the dentist in the middle of some nasty weather.  I dropped Cadence off at the farm so we got to enjoy all kinds of country road conditions.  Lots of slush and snow and dropping temperatures. But we made it and her teeth are fixed!  Woot woot!  She got to watch part of "How to Train your Dragon" which is now her favorite movie (she says).  We were back at the farm before lunch so we stayed for a little bit.

 We're going to move Cadence in with the big girls, at least for a little while, so she needed a dresser.  I ordered a small, cheap one that will hopefully not take up too much space in the room.  Little miss "Me Help!" insisted on supervising. 

 I let her help pound the nails to attach the back.  She was pretty pleased; with the hammer and with her face in the camera.  Then a few days ago I regretted letting her 'help' when I caught her heading into the living room with the same hammer.... this is why we can't have nice things.

 Emmy got to pound some nails in too. (No Emmy turn, Me turn!)

 We had a quiet weekend that week.  Cecily had a stomach bug very briefly and no one else caught it, thankfully.  Then on Monday I got to go to both the Doctor and the Dentist.  Huzzah.  I got to do the glucose test again... and passed... again.  It was raining/sleeting when I left for Peoria and while I was at the doctor's office the temperature dropped and everything was super icy.  I was being extra careful, but I still ended up sitting down hard rather abruptly in the parking lot after eating lunch.  Woe is me.
I cheered myself up by going sewing machine shopping.  My old beloved mechanical Singer workhorse has been with me since my parents gave it to me for college graduation.  We've been through a lot together and sewn a lot of things.  The more I learn and branch out in sewing, the more I've pushed the boundaries of its capabilities.  Soooo... I used Christmas money (Thanks G & G Wyss and G & G Beutel!!) to upgrade to a Brother.  It has lots more stitch options, including several button holes, that I'm excited about.  It also has the ability to do free motion quilting!  Woot woot.  I'm a little afraid to push it like I do my Singer.... I'm afraid I'll break it.  Emmy wanted to try ALL the stitches... hehe.    

 Then the polar vortex came to town and we didn't leave the house for two days.  School was cancelled and Cecily got to do her snow-day packet (which she loved).  I had all kinds of ideas of fun things we could do while she was home and we were housebound... and then they all three got up waaay early both mornings and were grouchy and fought all. day. long.  So I spent my time refereeing and we really didn't do anything exciting.  I was inspired to finish the last t-shirt quilt that has been sitting in my unfinished pile for several years.  Since I needed to try out the new machine, you know.  My lack of helpers is why projects take so long.... ha.

 When it's cold and you woke up too early and you finished your hot dog and you want more ketchup and mom won't give you any more because you still have some on your plate and you don't even have anything to dip in it.  #itshardbeingtwo  

 We love after school because Cecily has to read for 20 minutes a day and we love story time!

 I've learned that with three girls who have been able to wear each other's hand-me-downs that it is more cost effective to buy new (on sale) than second hand.  Because second hand has already been through several kids and they wear out pretty fast and I end up replacing more often... these were garage sale pants we got this spring that all developed holes in the knees.  We're going to see if these cute patches help us limp through to the end of the season... Mom reminded me I'm putting new cloth in an old garment... haha... but, 50 cent patches are better than replacing them when they're almost outgrown.

 I've been working down in our workshop lately, painting Cadence's dresser and doing some organizing.  Thankfully, because I'm not down there often and I don't know when we would have realized that the sewer line was clogged and that it was starting to back up into the basement.  At first we thought it was all the snow melting along the side of the house seeping up along the foundation.  Then we started seeing toilet paper around the floor drain.  Ick.  Soooo... our favorite local plumber doesn't unclog sewer lines- he recommended a guy that was able to come out on Saturday.  He used his equipment to try and clear the line from outside, while we were supposed to run water from the inside.  So much fun... watching basement drains and hoping they don't start backing up....  we made the girls quick pick up the toys in the basement just in case and they were panicking because they thought it would flood and they would be trapped or something.  
Bob loooooves sewer and plumbing issues.  Not.  Haha.  

 At least I have fun U of I rain boots for such a time as this.    

So Dave got the line clear and said there was a geyser out at the check valve when he finally broke through.  It took him quite a bit of line... yikes...  his theory is that newer low flush toilets don't create enough water pressure to both open the check valve (necessary to protect us from back flow from our lovely little village's aging sewer system for which we also have to pay a 'debt service fee' for the next 20 years so they can upgrade it. yay.), and wash waste through.  I'm not convinced that it's from our new toilet though, we replaced an older low flush toilet with a new low flush toilet and you don't fill a sewer line that fast. There's also a pretty good chance the line isn't sloped enough... considering its age and some of the other interesting plumbing in the house (It was the 60's. Enough said.)... and he did find roots in the check valve so it's probably a combination of all of the things. 
This week we are getting ready for Valentine's day.  And staying inside because it's alternately cold and slushy, sloppy wet.
Blessings.