Category Archives weather

Halloween and Hurricane Sandy

For weeks, the boys have been preparing for Halloween. This was the first year that JSL picked out his own costume and did not wear something that he inherited from his big brother. NHL knew just what he wanted to wear and JSL had to go with a slightly different choice (they don’t make Buzz Lightyear costumes past a certain toddler size). We have had everything ready, just sitting there and waiting.

Halloween Costumes Ready

I knew that the weather was not looking too great for a while. The other day, I picked up some cookies to bake for the boys just in case we could not go out in the rain. The only reason I did this is because I did not buy candy to give out to kids trick-or-treating this year. Of course, then the power outage scares made me get some other items (a toy) just in case we can’t make the kids those special Mickey Mouse cookies.

Mickey Mouse Halloween cookies

The weekend was dry, so it dawned on me that it was time to break out the costumes and get photos of the boys just in case we can not do it on Wednesday. So, we pulled all of the pieces together and got the boys dressed and went outside. It was Harry Potter versus Captain America.

Captain America and Harry Potter Halloween costumes

The boys were SO happy to be outside, run around, and show off their costumes to some of the neighbors. It also let us capture the moment and get some fun photos. No, Hurricane Sandy will not ruin Halloween for us, it will just be different.

Harry Potter and Captain America for Halloween

The reality is that the boys could care less about going out to get candy, they wanted to play in their costumes. It was run to watch Harry Potter chasing around after Captain America putting spells onto him. Of course, the little guy had no clue that they were ones that a good wizard should not be making. Oy!

Safe Halloween wishes to everyone, especially those in the path of Hurricane Sandy.

It's Me

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Getting Ready for Hurricane Sandy

Right now people up and down the East Coast of the United States are getting ready for what meteorologist and the media have dubbed the Frankenstorm. Hurricane Sandy has also caused lives to be lost in her path, and more destruction from extreme win and rain are likely. Thanks to Hurricane Irene just over a year ago, we have all learned to listen to weather reports and take them seriously. It is better to be more cautious about things than have regrets later on. The hardest part, the waiting game and watching the always changing news reports. Where will Sandy make landfall, where will she go after that, and how much wind and rain will everyone really see. A huge thank you to my friend Sandy in Pennsylvania for sharing this photo from the news in her area.

Superstorm Sandy

To all of my friends and family who are in the line of Hurricane Sandy, stay safe. Our thoughts and prayers are with you as we get ready for what she tosses your way. It certainly looks to be windy, rainy, and possibly issues with flooding in many areas. We have had to regroup with the boys just in case we can not go out for Halloween on Wednesday. I asked someone the other day if the Capital Region has ever canceled school for a hurricane or tropical storm, and it does not seem like it. Lots of Nor Easters, but nothing that combines the two together.

While I am nervous, this time I am able to concentrate a lot more on the reality of the storm. With Hurricane Irene, I was forced to cancel a 10th Anniversary Trip to Walt Disney World with TechyDad. That distraction meant that I was not thinking about food if we lost power. I went grocery shopping very early Saturday morning. We usually get groceries on Sunday, so we needed items. I avoided the crowds and bought thing that were needed and useful should we lose power.

Please remember safety first. If you need to evacuate your area, do it immediately. Your life and loved ones are worth so much more than material items.

It's Me

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Parachute Fun with Kids

As a child, I have strong memories of playing parachute games at school and during girl scouts. The parachute we used was huge. Lots of girls from our troop and others could gather around it to play games, run, jump, sing, and have a great time. Fast forward to this summer when I won a parachute from Let’s Play on Selfish Mom. On Saturday, we had a party to share the Unreal Candy (more on that soon) that we had received. Since the weather was beautiful, we packed up the scooters, helmets, parachute, and some other outside toys.

Parachute fun in the sun

The kids all had a great time playing with the parachute. I actually wish I had taken some time to research some parachute games for them to play before we arrived. Unfortunately, I forgot to do this. Thank goodness, kids have great imaginations. They were able to make things up. Once back home, I looked on Pinterest and found a bunch of games that I remember playing as a child. Kid Activities had a great variety, but Woodlands Junior School had fantastic photos of their suggestions. The kids actually managed to do some variations of two of them, and added a new superhero approach.

Parachute Game Fun

We tried a variation of popcorn, but the balls we had were too big for the parachute. Next time, I will make sure we pull out some bean bags or other smaller items to use. Of course, the parachute was also a great place to sit down and watch the kids as they were running, jumping, and playing together for some fun in the sun while the sun was shining.

Resting on the parachute

Have you ever played parachute games as a child or with your children? I would love to know what you have done so I can add to my list of possibilities for when the weather cooperates.

It's Me

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Keeping Cool During the Summer

The weather around the country and beyond has been strange over the last year. Crazy storms, flooding rains last spring/summer, warmer than usual winter, and now unbelievable heat and fires in many regions. It has been very warm here, but for the most part it has not been too humid (YET). With fans and AC units, we can keep the house where we are much more comfortable than being outside.

When the temperatures are so warm, I wish we had a pool. We have a little kiddie pool I can toss it in the backyard for the kids to cool off for a bit.

Little Swimming Pool

The reality is that the kids are getting too big for this and the adults in the family can not really use it for more than dipping feet in. I miss my Nana and Papa’s pool where the entire family could splash, play, and laugh together more. It was also a place where we could learn to swim and practice.

Since we have no family pools to go to now, we have to look for alternatives. Thank goodness parks in the area have put a lot of spray grounds in. We have tried a few of them and definitely have a favorite now. Just the other day, TechyDad came home from work and went to cool off for about an hour before dinner with the boys. Here they are in “water jail” while enjoying the time there.

Park Spray Area

So my question to you this week is inspired by the photo above:

Do your kids like going to a spray ground or do they prefer pools? If you have any other suggestions on staying cool with the kids outside, I would love to hear them.

It's Me

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Thanks to Kailani at An Island Life for starting this fun for Friday. Please be sure to head over to her blog to say hello and sign the linky there if you are participating.

Aloha Friday by Kailani at An<br<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
    /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
    Island<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
    Life

Aloha #211

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Spring or Summer

Winter turning into Spring is a pretty big event in our neck of the woods. It typically means that  the snow fall amounts will lessen, and the bone chilling temperatures fade away some. What you do not expect is to see temperatures well into the upper 70’s on the last official day of winter. Remember, I live in New York State, not Florida.

Flowers are not typically something that we see quite this early. Normal highs for this time are in the upper 40’s. So when you walk out your front door to the following, you stop to take a photo.

Spring is here

When I took JSL to nursery school the other day, I noticed that they had a lot of daffodils already out of the ground and open. When I pulled into the driveway, I spotted yellow by the fence. I pulled my camera out to capture these beauties before the bunnies and birds get to them.

Daffodils are out

The weather is gorgeous, but it is HOT in the house. We went from trying to stay warm with the heat on at 63, to the living room reading 79 last night. So my question to you this week is inspired by the warmer than usual temperatures.

Assuming you have air conditioning units, or central AC, when is the earliest you will use them and why?

We do not have our window AC units in yet. Kind of early since the temperatures are likely going to shift. For now, fans are working really well since the house is warm, but not sticky like it gets in the summer. The cooler temperatures should arrive back this weekend and I will enjoy wearing my sweatshirt outside when taking walks.

It's Me

___________________________________________________________________________

Thanks to Kailani at An Island Life for starting this fun for Friday. Please be sure to head over to her blog to say hello and sign the linky there if you are participating.

Aloha Friday by Kailani at An<br<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
    /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
    Island<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
    Life

Aloha #195

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