The Winter That Never Was

Yesterday evening, my boys were getting antsy. 

Bickering.

Bouncing off the walls. 

It was time to Get Their Energy Out.

So, we made a trip to Remy's school playground where they can shoot hoops. 

It was cold.

Just about the coldest it has been all winter. 

And the weathermen were teasing us with the possibility of snow. 

Snow. 

We haven't had a drop of ice or snow all winter. 

The boys and I did a snow dance. 

Just 1 bad weather day. 

That's all we wanted.

JUST ONE!

So we could stay home and enjoy snow. 

But, alas, it was not to be. 

And now winter is practically over.

(and to think, last winter was snowmagedon!)

Frozen Moment

Here are pictures of a fountain where I work...

This is what it normally looks like:

And here it is during Snowmagedon 2011:

We rarely have frozen water around here!

Party Crackers: Not to be confused with Poppers

I bought a bunch of British holiday crackers over Christmas. 

What is a cracker?

"Crackers" are decorative party favors

widely used in Great Britain

(since Victorian times) 

to celebrate

a variety of special occasions

and festive events.

It's a decorated cardboard tube

that you and a friend can pull on both ends,

and with a loud POP,

the tube breaks open

and a paper crown, a joke and suprise novelty gift

are revealed.

As we enter our 3rd day of being iced in 

during the North Texas 2011 Snowmagedon,

my restless 9-year-old son found a box of unused crackers.

And proceded to pop them all.

So, now I'm jumpy, and he has a pile of crap goodies to play with.

A tiny ruler, folded up scissors, a piercing silver whistle, a dolphin keychain

and colored golf tees.

Randomly strange.

And when I tweeted about this,

I accidently called them "poppers" instead of crackers.

And poppers are apparently drugs.

Oops.

Have you ever seen these British Crackers before?

What was your prize?