I cared slightly more about Valentine's this year than I usually do, mostly because of Ruby. (I've quite enjoyed the past few years and being able to get away with not really celebrating certain holidays) There are little heart-shaped window clings on our window and the door is covered in a sad attempt at a family craft project (can you say Pinterest FAIL?).

At daycare they had a little party in her class. I had questioned whether or not it was really necessary to bring v-day cards for 3yo's* but apparently it's legit. I had some free time that day so I went to daycare to hang out with her at the party. There was one other parent there and we ended up passing out treats and divvying up v-day cards into bags for the kids while the teacher tended to a little girl who was screaming her head off.  Afterwards Ruby asked to go home with me so I brought her home. Twenty minutes later she asked to go back to daycare. Twenty minutes after that the sugar kicked in and I was wishing I could take her back! 

At home we enjoyed a large assortment of meats, cheeses, and olives. There was also crackers but I don't even bother with those. It's all about the prosciutto and olives for me! We each had our own wine type drinks, Jam Jar for H, Lambic's Framboise for me, and sparking grape juice for Ruby.  Ruby didn't like the grape juice. I thought we'd have to pry the bottle out of her sticky little fingers! She did however really like the goat cheese with garlic, gouda, and havarti. After Ruby went to bed H and I continued plowing through episodes of Breaking Bad. We just finished season 3. 

Originally we'd had plans to go to dinner on Saturday night, just H and I, but bad weather kept his parents away and we cancelled our reservations. H takes things like this much more in stride than I do. I was terribly disappointed that we had to cancel, as we haven't had any time to ourselves since before Ruby switched to her new daycare, about 6 weeks. I seriously don't know how some people can go months, even years without being away from their kids. H was totally down with bringing her with us to the restaurant but after the Noodles & Co. incident there was no way in hell. Instead we watched more Breaking Bad and raided the leftover olives.

How did you celebrate V-day? If at all! 

*you know how many shits those kids gave about the cards? Approximately zero. I tried showing them to Ruby the next day but all she cared about was the Spongebob gummy crabby patties. (gross) 

Typically our winters here go like this. It usually doesn't get below 30 until almost January, there are bits of snow here and there but they never stick around for more than a few days before things warm up and melt it all away. We rarely have to shovel sidewalks (it makes me wonder how many people actually own shovels around here) and if there are official City of Lexington snow plows I've never seen them. There is occasionally ice. In late January/early February, after the buds have appeared on the trees and my hyacinths have started peaking out of the ground, there is usually a cold snap with some snow which kills the aforementioned hyacinths. At work, this cold spell has people clamoring for warm coats, hats, and gloves, all of which have already been marked down and are all sold out.  By mid-March all is peachy keen with the world and we get to enjoy a month or two of mild temps before it gets viciously hot outside and people start complaining about the heat. 

I took this photo of Ruby playing on the playground a couple of Saturdays ago: 

and just a few days later it looked like this: 

I realize that in the grand scheme of winters, Kentucky winters are pretty wussy. I know my Canadian and Minnesota friends would kill for what we deal with! But still, I am over winter. This year has definitely been the longest, most winter-like winter that I've experienced since moving here. I've shoveled several times (one of only a few people in the neighborhood that even bother) and the bag of ice melt that's been sitting, virtually untouched for four years, is almost gone. They've canceled school ten times which has pushed the last day of school into June. I'm going to be so irritated when Ruby enters the school system...But for now I'm grateful that Ruby is in daycare because of course, it would have to be the Apocalypse before any retailers close. The main roads are clean but most side streets are still a lovely lasagna of ice, snow, ice, snow, ice, snow (thanks for the analogy, Rachel!) And let's not talk about how high my electric bill was...Gees!

It's not all bad though, really. I get to tap into my Minnesota roots, shoveling snow Like a Boss, demonstrating my stellar winter driving skillz, with windows completely scraped off, thank you. None of this half-ass crap that I see around me on the roads. Also, our lives have been full of delicious chili (which Ruby won't eat) and the Keurig has been hard at work making lots of dark roasts (for Heath) and lot of cappuccino (for me and very occasionally, Ruby), keeping us warm. Plus with no beautiful weather making me feel guilty about staying inside I have a perfectly good excuse to catch up on Breaking Bad.

Ruby doesn't seem phased by the weather whatsoever. I took her outside to play a few days ago and she was all like, "Hell yeah!" and ran around like a nut making snow angels, eating snow, and trying to find icicles to nom on. Obviously we don't have the most ideal of snow gear for her but she seemed to do fine with multiple layers and the occasional changing of wet mittens.

We've inadvertantly started a new family tradition here in the Appleby-Williams household. It's called Family Nap Time. I can't remember exactly when FNT started, probably a couple months ago during the sick times. Thankfully, we've been funk free for over a month now but Terrible Three's Ruby is wearin' us the heck out so FNT has continued. 

FNT takes place only on the weekends, between the hours of 2pm-5pm, give or take, basically whenever Ruby takes her nap. Sure, I could be doing vital things around the house like the dishes, laundry, or any number of boring household chores. Certainly, my house isn't the tidiest place in the world (bedroom floor, we have one??), but frankly I don't care. I'm not trying to impress anyone and I know that "keeping the house cleaner" isn't going to be on my list of Things I Regret Not Doing. 

At first H didn't participate in FNT. Instead he'd play video games. He's always said that naps are a waste of time, but recently I think that he's come to understand just why naps are so, so awesome. "Waste of time." Pffft. 

I have no idea how long FNT will continue. Obviously Ruby will be going to school as some point. Or, heaven forbid, she could just stop wanting to take naps altogether. Until then though, I am going to enjoy the heck out of it!