Finally Cold Enough!

Our kids have always loved seeing this experiment preformed and were so happy to have the chance yesterday to try it themselves.

Who knew that starting the day at -42° could bring such a great ending to the day.

It was very cold though.  We made the kids dress head to toe in their winter gear.  With much grumbling they put it on.

When I showed them this picture of mommy being out for just a few minutes later in the day they kind of got it...

Now we have one or two kids who actually might take this as a challenge to see who can grow the most frost on their face.  Hopefully that wont occur to them (isn't that sad that as their mom, it did occur to me though?).

So to those family and friends, living the warm life of 24° or 45° in Utah, Arizona or Oregon, we love you, but we enjoy our -temps too!

When the wind blows...

it makes the temps feel like -30 below.  No chance of a cradle rocking here....

We had our first REALLY cold day here yesterday.  You didn't dare go out with full gear and everyone's cheeks were still nice and pink when they got inside.

It was only -13, but with the wind blowing and bringing in the chill factor it felt more like -30.

The bad thing was, unlike in Utah were you go out to take the kids to school and everyone shivers and shakes and says how cold it is...this sneaks up on you.  You know its cold, but the shivering doesn't start.  You start feeling burning in any exposed skin and then it hits you that you have something uncovered.

Then to make it worse, you enter a warm building and the burning really begins for the next half hour or so depending on how long you were out...

So lesson learned...wear your hat, gloves, facemask or whatever your mom has told you.   Because duh!  Mom told you and she knows!...also cause it's cold outside!

Road Less Traveled

I always did like Robert Frost's Poem about the road less traveled by...tell I lived in Alaska....well in Buckland, Alaska.

There isn't any such thing as a road less traveled by.  The wind has been blowing for two days and we have entirely new roads to travel by so we would make do just fine with a path that everyone went down.

I know that isn't what the poem is about, but you get my point.

It is has been interesting to walk to places.  You step one foot in front of the other, and your mostly good.  One wrong move though and a short person like me ends up hip deep in a drift.

30 day challenge

 

 

For cub scouts we are doing a 30 day challenge...and yes it is kicking my butt!

 

But the good thing is, I am not the only one feeling the burn.  It is hilarious seeing these kids do

push-ups, sit-ups, crunches, jumping jacks, squats and best yet a wall sit.

 

We did look up the wall sit online before we did it, and holy cow - not only does it look hard, it is!

 

The first day Ender was all swagger about how easy everything was...that was until we got down in the plank position.

 

He wanted to know why this was even something to do, cause it was too easy.  But then the timer started...5 seconds was cake....10 started to burn...by 15 he was letting me know he felt it...and twenty he was glad it was over (not to much more than I was though!)

 

They are already looking forward to the rest day listed on the calendar...At least they can walk normal unlike me.  I have that shuffling gait that tells you a person is trying a new exercise routine...and you usually laugh inside..grateful that it isn't you...

 

Well I am not laughing inside..cause it is me!

 

But we are doing another challenge as well.

 

This year we are going to make it ALL the way through the Book of Mormon.  We always do pretty well tell summer hits, then you know how it goes. We always make Alma, but from there things happen.... But I told Nia it was her job (chore she calls them) to keep us on our A game and make sure we do it, so with her on board I think our chances have increased probably 50 %. 

 

 

 

 

Bringing in 2018!

 This is how they bring in the New Year Buckland Alaska style.  May you have brought in yours in as fun a manner!

 

We started our countdown at 1 p.m.

Miss Nia started us off and you can see for yourself how the rest unfolded.

 

1 pm decorating cakes and cupcakes

 

2 pm making gingerbread house

 

3 pm pass the orange

 



 

4 pm hot potato balloon

 

 

5 pm play with cozmo

 

6 pm pizza time

 



 

7 pm Q-tip dart contest

 

8 pm M&M pickup contest

 



 

9 pm exploding kittens (very fun game)

 

10 pm polar bear prowl (instead of swim) and puzzle contest

 



 

11 pm epic nerf gun battle to end all battles (lasted almost an hour)!

 

12 am Welcome New Year!

 



 

1 am they at least made it to their beds, if not in them...

 

 

Bringing in the New Year

My goal this year is to stay more on top of blogging.  There is so much we do on a daily basis that I forget to share, cause it is our daily basis.  But family reminds me of how unusual or unique our life is every time I talk to them.

So here is to a New Year resolution of blogging if not on a daily basis at least a weekly one!

Happy New Year and welcome to 2018!

Not on my laurels

Well I haven't been sitting on my laurels that's for sure.

I looked at the last entry and was amazed that it has been that long since I wrote last.

What have I been doing?  Pretty much everything.

I have been subbing every other week which keeps me plenty busy cause when we get home there is plenty catch up work to do.

We have been enjoying the outdoors as well.  Until recently it hadn't been too cold so even with all the snow the kids have been out a lot in it.

I think the most recent happiest day of their lives was when our Jet Sled got here. 

I ordered it to help with mail and groceries, but of course their first thought was of sledding.

We also have had quite a few opportunities to see moose, foxes and caribou coming through.  The foxes amazed me.  I wasn't expecting them so when I quite almost literally ran into one in my own yard I was startled but amazed.

I also learned that the caribou can move like no buddies business.  When they are on the go, they are ON the GO!

I am not sure what to call the above pictured phenomenon.  I saw something similar once in Utah and they camp guide I was with called them moon dogies.  I just know they are quite pretty.  Reminds you of the Northern Lights but not as big or as many shades of color with them.