And It Rains and Rains

I took this picture as I left to pick up the girls from school Friday at 1:30.  It's not dark and gloomy at all, but the rain is so hard that it soaks us through by the time we get home.  So miserable!

Before we do anything, we get all our wet things in the dryer and then turn on the fireplace and have hot chocolate.  Makes it nice and cozy.  This is the wettest fall I can remember since I've been living here.

Just around the corner and down the parkway is Snoqualmie Falls, a pretty big and beautiful waterfall, the thing that draws so many people to our area.  

This is how it looks on a normal day.

And this was taken yesterday.  It was posted on our community page by my friend Jaime, but I don't know if she's the one who took the picture.  

The girls had heard at school that we were in danger of having floods in the area, and they wanted to "go to the flood."  Luckily, we live on a ridge and are not in danger of much damage, although the low spots fill up pretty fast.  It's down in the old town of Snoqualmie where the river runs through the town that the real damage happens, and that's not a fun thing. There's an 89 to 100% chance of rain today and the next seven days - except for Wednesday - so I don't even want to think how bad things are going to get.  I worry most about landslides and trees falling.  I have to get out to go to OT on Tuesday and to get my booster shot Wednesday, but otherwise I'm not going to go farther than the school and library.

When we first get home from school and get dry and have snacks, we work on the girls' math homework pages.  It's nothing assigned but just some extra stuff we're throwing at them.  It's as much for me to keep one step ahead of them too.  That and reading some.  Given their choice, they would do something on some screen - a movie, app, game - anything - and it's so hard to find things that interest them as much as what they can find on a computer or phone.  

We went digging in the game cabinet when Carly got here yesterday and decided to finally get out one of my last year's Christmas presents:  Cat Lady Old Maid.  

It's enough just to look at these cats and their expressions but mainly their names.  Playing the game is secondary to just enjoying the cats.

We are pretty unconventional in our game playing.  Graysen and Carly sat on the floor, and Katherine and I sat at the table.  They don't mind the inconvenience of getting up and coming over to draw and discard.  We don't really keep up much with turns except for the one with the Old Maid.  She's the one who is always thrusting her hand in your face and saying, "Draw a card!"  After every draw, Carly will take her handful of cards and run into another room and lay them out to see if she has any matches and then come back.  I love it.

I ended up as the Old Maid, just as I planned!  I can actually see everyone's cards or notice how prominently they display the old lady, so I always seem to draw her, much to the delight of all the others.  It's the least I can do!

Layla's opinion of that game.

They later found an old tea set in the cabinet and asked if they could have a tea party.  I gave permission, and they just did it by themselves.  They only asked where the sugar was and got it out themselves and then wanted to know if they could add grapes to their "tea."  Water mixed with sugar and one grape in a cup.  Not your typical tea party.

When Ryan picked up the girls at 5:00, the sky was very interesting.  I was so glad to be headed inside for the night.  

I also ordered these picture hangers from Amazon a couple of weeks ago.  I'm sure you can get them anywhere.  I have a couple of pictures that are heavy, and these were promised to hold 45 pounds, not that mine are that big.  Emily and I spent a good bit of time placing and marking where I wanted the pictures, but Ryan hasn't had time to hang them, so I was looking for something easy enough for me to do.

Elise and Nathan came by for a few hours last weekend, and they insisted on hanging the pictures.  Using the markings and the Claw hangers, Nathan managed to place them perfectly in just a few minutes.  It seems like he just placed them on the wall and pressed hard with his thumb.  Amazing!  He used all five of them, so I'm going to get a few more and finish hanging the rest by myself.

Susan brought me those two pictures when she moved in August, and I really like them here.  I know I need curtains - or something - but I'm afraid the cats would mess them up jumping on and off the window sill.  I need to get some bird feeders out in that area to give them something to watch.

And the clothes hamper is a success.  When I opened it and saw the size, I was almost certain it wasn't going to fit, but here it is with an inch to spare.

I put a plastic bag inside to protect it from the damp towels and bathcloths.  I guess the wrinkles will disappear with time, but it's fine with me the way it is.

It blocks two cubbies, but they are empty right now while I'm still figuring out where to put what.

I like having my masks and lanyards on the top along with my glasses and the few necklaces I wear.  My little weights are on the next shelves along with the hair dryer and hair stuff.  Then the rest is reserved for extras from the bathroom.  The bathroom door is just to the right, so I've gotten one step closer to getting settled in.  

Pajamas and underwear are in a chest in the same closet along with some coats and hanging things, and all my hanging clothes and shoes are in the other closet.  It works!

Soccer tournament this weekend.  Graysen's team.

Katherine is like me.  A soccer tournament in the cold rain is not exactly where she wants to be, but she's cute anyway.