E is for Electricity!!!!

And we finally got it back!!!

At about 2:37 AM Saturday morning, our power came back on and with it nearly everything in our house! The girls didn't really believe that we could be without power and had turned everything on- we forgot to turn everything back off.

We managed to weather the storm without any real damage. We rented a water pump for our basement and then was able to borrow a generator about 1/2-way through the week.

The girls did really well and hardly missed a beat with anything throughout it all. Everything was one big adventure after another in their eyes.

Here are some pictures from our adventures during and after Hurrican Irene.

Our power was wiped out around 7:15 AM on Sunday, which resulted in chocolate doughnuts for breakfast!

The girls kept busy playing with many activities and crafts that they haven't played with much during the summer-- first off, moon sand muffins and cakes!

We also painted several pictures and put together a few puzzles.

After their afternoon nap, the girls watched a couple cartoons on the

portable DVD player.

The girls had fun with a sticky scrunchi-paper craft featuring tinerkerbell and friends.

There are colorful pictures with sticky parts to them and sparkly paper to scrunch up and then stick to the picture-- to give it a textured 3-D effect.

The final product!

Next up, making animal foam paper puppets.

Whoa! What is daddy doing outside during the Hurricane!??

After a long day of sitting around crafting-- the girls burned off some energy singing and dancing to their own beat-- what fun that was!

Me cooking soup on our make-shift sterno stove.

Ya just know things are 'really bad' when the teens come in and start

playing playdough with the little girls.

Doesn't Xavier look thrilled?

Finally, we ended the night watching a few more cartoons on the DVD player in the van-- which is the REAL reason to make sure your tank is full when a big storm is coming!

We were without power all week-- which was a PITA but not the end of the world.

The girl's daycare was closed only on Monday due to not having power.

This gave me time to run a few errands and get some equipment to deal with our basement yadda yadda.

AND . . . .. . to answer a big question that many have asked--

on Monday afternoon, amid several tears . . . . .

We released the 'Little Grasshopper. Little Grasshopper."

I don't want him to leave!!! I am making him a nest right here!

The girls made it to swimming class and we were able to shower at the YMCA.

Everyone tended to hit the hay early-- and the girls were really excited to get to eat McDonalds for dinner  (what is IT about McDonalds?)

Thanks for taking us to the big M place with the french fries!  They make the bestest food EVER!

The big kids missed the entire first week of school-- they start on Tuesday now.

Some of the school districts are cancelling February vacation week-- I think that sounds like a good idea-- A whole week missed and Winter hasn't even hit yet!!!