Met Office : Severe Winter Warning

These Brits love a spell of foul weather - something to bond over. And heavy snow expected, too, for London and Surrey by Saturday. If so, this will be the earliest snow in seventeen years. This, though, being the second warmest year on record. The kids amped - it wakes them early for an immediate check on the outside. The "arctic storm" will keep things sub-zero for the next ten days or so; the pond froze over last night and frost covers everything. While most think of a white Christmas, I think : transportation chaos. The dog starts yapping at 5AM so Sonnet and I take the pooch for a walk around the block. For a dog, he sure hates it - "Rusty" would rather sit in front of the heater and who can blame him?

Sonnet visits St Catherine's School, a possible school for Madeleine who will enter secondary school in two years. She notes "warm, friendly, all girls. The Head Mistress, a nun, wore a business suit."

Yesterday's Thanksgiving makes for a slow day in the UK - my emails halved. Katie spends the holiday with Aunt Marcia and Larry in Bronxville where the Seabrings host the turkey this year. Four families trade holiday gatherings which has been "going on for some time," Marcia notes. Per tradition, the men put on their aprons and do the dishes afterwards.

The kids studying the planets in school

Madeleine: "We are all aliens. Did you know that?"

Me:

Madeleine: "We are aliens from outer space."

Eitan: "That is so obvious."

Madeleine: "Does anybody live on Mars?"

Me: "Not yet but scientists are talking about how to visit. The problem is the getting back."

Madeleine: "Can't they build a big gas station or something?"

Me: "Good one. That is the idea."

Eitan spills Cheerios on the floor and I catch him putting back in the box.

Me: "Are you out of your mind?"

Eitan: "What?"

Me: "Would you lick the floor with your tongue?"

Eitan: "Er, yes?"

I promise the kids Nutella and - to their great surprise - I bring a jar home. Eitan glops it onto his oatmeal which gets me a dirty look from Sonnet (Eitan in background growling: "mmmm loving this.")

Sonnet: "You've been wearing that to bed. You cannot where it to school."

Madeleine: "Yes I can."

Sonnet: "Try me."

Photo from the www.