FiRE and iCE

On the road again.. we are headed east on Interstate 40 towards Little Rock.  There is another big ice & snowstorm coming to NW Arkansas early tomorrow morning.  We have had a bad ice storm for the past two years, and this will be the third.  We have lost power for about a week each time, so we try to head south to warmer temps (and electrically-powered hotels!).  I’m not so good with no power.  (no computers-after we run their batteries down, no internet, no refrigerator, no ice, no electric blanket, no heat, no lights, no garage door opener, no staying up past 7pm because of no lights, no Office or Jimmy Kimmel, need I go on?)  ..and I don’t have a real attachment to my house.  I *heart* my family, but I could totally live without my house and all that stuff we’ve accumulated.  Even my beloved sewing machines.  If we are together, we are fine.

We decided to leave town this morning (before I’d even unpacked my suitcase from Branson!).  Ches made a reservation for us in Lewisville, Texas where we’ve stopped for the past couple years (sometimes we go on to Houston).  But about 3:15, he called and said he’d canceled the reservation, and made a new one in Little Rock (boo!).  I am not crazy about Little Rock, but it’ll do.  Apparently the national weather service has also issued a warning for Dallas for sleet and ice beginning at 4am.  We aren’t sure we could get out of there in time.  Our plan was to drive on down to San Antonio (78 degrees today!) to go down to the Riverwalk, kids museum, etc.  So I have to say I’m super disappointed.

Our consolation prize is big ol’ Little Rock tonight.  We may go on to Memphis tomorrow, but we’ve already been there, played at the children’s museum, explored downtown, enjoyed nightlife (on St. Patrick’s Day no less!), seen Graceland, so I’m not sure what we’ll do besides… enjoy Pottery Barn! : )

This morning, I went into Ethan’s school and read to his class.  This week (and maybe next!) is Catholic Schools Week, and they have lots of special things planned.  I was a surprise reader, and I brought cookies for them for snack.  When I was making them, I totally made FiRE!  I was making the break-n-bake chocolate chip cookies, and as I was putting the cookie sheet with the frozen chunks into the preheated oven (and was in a hurry…), three of them hopped right off the sheet and into the heating element!  I only had a few seconds, since they were thawing super fast.  I grabbed a spatula, then a wooden spoon-I was having trouble getting down under the bottom rack!  One started to smoke/steam and one fell off the spatula onto the glass of the door, so I just swatted the one away from the element, and grabbed a paper towel to get them.  When I scooped up the one near the element, my paper towel caught fire!  Instinctively, I blew on it, and ashes flew around, it grew orange, but then went out (thank goodness!), and I threw it into the sink.  It was on fire just long enough to make a smell, so I worried that my cookies would take on that smell.

I had been too lazy to even get my suitcase out of the van, and I was seriously regretting it!  Ches took the kids to school, and I hurried to get ready to go to the school-when I realized I had no makeup and no favorite hair tools--crisis!  I made due with summer squeezy makeup, old powder, and I found a new blush and old eye shadow.  I used hot rollers, and prayed for Ches to hurry back!  I finished up, and made it not too late. : )  What a day!

After that fun, I took all those adorable clothes I got for a friend over to her house-precious little things.  I meant to take pictures of all the Big Sister shirts-they were so sweet!  You have to love it when cute stuff coincides with great bargains. : )

We are now in Little Rock, and Ethan is cracking me up!  He is telling me that our van smells like “stinky barkers”!  (his daddy’s words for stinky feet)  He says it’s Clay’s feet, and he needs to take a bath.  He’s hilarious!  He also says he loves to take trips, and he loves hotels (this we know-he asks all the time to go to a hotel!) and he sees a donut place (Krispy Kreme)! (this is my child, obviously) : )

Peace be with you (and with your electricity tonight)!

Journey to the Center of the Earth (or Arkansas!) in 3D!