After five days of ice with the hope of it all melting away a couple of days from now...our hopes have been shattered and we are told to expect snow by this weekend.

Luckily, OKC metro area hasn't lost power, but local stores have just restocked (pretty amazing to see empty shelves in huge grocery stores), but will run out again by tomorrow (after tonight's newscasts).

I've been accumulating a long-term "stash" of essentials for quite awhile now--we could easily go a month on our own without restocking (actually, a LOT more than that...if you disregard appetite fatigue)--but right now my main concern is keeping DW and DD's from going stir-crazy <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Any suggestions?

DW & DDs? Wife and daughters?

Books seem optimal. Radio probably helpful.

-john

TV's not even helpful <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

Tonight's project is keeping the outside kitties from freezing to death. To wit, accomplished: fed high-fat diet (my beloved Vienna Sausages), stuffed 5 pounds of rice into a tube-sock (no, I didn't think it would fit, either) and microwaved into long-lasting heatsource, stuffed under (temporary) shelter constructed of 1) folding chair and 2) blankies.

We also let the little buggers into the bathroom for twenty minutes each to warm 'em up and feed 'em. I'm in the process of designing a "cat house" (no sniggering in the back, it's only legal in Vegas!), that will keep them a) warm in sub-freezing temps and 2) cool in the *!@&%# hot summer.

At least the wife's occupied <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> She goes slightly stir-crazy when stuck in the house for days.

How about some board games or cards?

We had a sneak attack here today. They called for snow last week and it mostly fizzled out. Then today we were only supposed to get rain and got... a surprise of 2-3" of the white stuff everywhere at the lower elevations, and plenty at the higher elevations. This made the roads a nightmare and the plow trucks have been working to keep up.

I think the weather forecasters should be fired! <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Whatever is bringing in the wild weather -- El Nino, global warming, climate change, etc. -- it's a definite reminder to stay prepared. I will be digging into my canned stash and having some chili tonight. <img src="/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

*sniffle* I'm down to one can of chili....but I s'pose I could grind up that buffalo new york strip in the freezer to subsitute <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Cards may work, at least for the wife. I think with the kiddos I'm going to have to get more elaborate, like having them costume up and put on a show...

I'd almost rather lose power; it limits your options in ways they can't deny ("But daddy I want to watch the Sponge Bob Seventy Two Hour Marathon!!!")

Oops. I missed that you had power.

-john

Oh man... Sponge Bob for 72 hours?

Maybe you should just go flip the breaker switches. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

How old are the DD's? Someone else mentioned card games, that's what my parents used to keep me and my brothers from killing each other when we'd get snowed in up in Minnesota. Much later on I realized they also used the card games to help us practice our math.

Risk or Monopoly games can last just about forever depending on how you bend the rules. Other sorts of competitions might help if the girls are close in skill levels. Challange them to build the tallest free-standing Lego tower (or a tower made of canned food if you don't mind dents). Get some rope and award chocolate to the first person to memorize five knots (your DW might go for that if she's anything like mine).

Get some candy recipes and have yourself a good old-fashioned taffee pull or make popcorn balls or fudge.

Blow off excess energy with a pillow fight or a marshmallow war.

Good luck.
-Blast

years ago, I was stationed on the USCGC BISCAYNE BAY (WTGB-104), an icebreaking tug out of St. Ignace, Mi. When I was home, we used towels (different colors) to make costumes and our daughters would act out a fairey tale, for their and our's entertainment. This was some of the best family fun we ever had. It is great when you are iced and/or snowed in.