We are expecting a MAJOR snowstorm to hit tomorrow night through Saturday, so this morning I ran into town while Granma, Granpa, and Squatch looked after Little Man. It was so refreshing to get out and about on my own without the little guy; I have not done anything solo since I was back in Illinois at Christmas and I met a girlfriend for lunch. I was able to hit up WalMart and the little grocery store. Surprisingly, the stores were not very busy, as they have been in the past with these storms coming in. I guess for the new year, the locals have decided to be prepared and have everything they need on hand.

I didn’t need to get anything just for the storm, I just wanted to get out and get a few snacks for Little Man. I was quite pleased to see that grapes were on sale, so I got myself a bag. I do love grapes. I was disappointed; I had a plan to create a library bag for Little Man tomorrow afternoon, and WalMart did not have any canvas bags anywhere in the store. I’ll just have to take the long drive to Hobby Lobby at some point next week to pick one up, along with some puffy paint. I was hoping to find some giant blocks for Little Man to play with, but there is really not much of a selection at this store; one of the downsides to living in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere.

When I say it was cold, man, was it chilly! I didn’t see the thermometer above 8F at all today; it’s -3 right now. I had a spare blanket, 2 hats, 3 pairs of mittens, and a scarf in the back of my SUV, along with some kitty litter, an avalanche shovel, and several heat packs. I’m always amazed at how most people have none of these preparations in their vehicles in the winter, especially when we are so far north and have such extreme weather. I didn’t have my usual backpack, because I didn’t take Little Man with me. That bag has jammies and two changes of clothes for each of us, along with some heavy wool socks, and some toys for Little Man’s entertainment.

Unfortunately, my wonderful toddler who has been taking 3 hour naps has been revolting this week. Today’s nap was just under an hour. 😦 I miss these long naps, because they are when I get to do my blogging, reading, napping, etc. Instead, we got to say goodbye to Squatch as he headed off to work (we usually say out goodbyes after lunch when we head to bed), and then played with some puzzles. Granpa was awesome and took Little Man downstairs for about an hour while Granma and I were in the kitchen. I had some apples that were going soft, and I remembered I had this Apple Rum Cake recipe. So, Granma and I made this cake. Oh man, let me tell you, it smelled so good when it was in the oven. I cannot wait for us to enjoy it later this evening. I know, I know, I said no sugar and no grains, but a small slice of this cake will not kill me, and tomorrow I’l be back to my usual clean eating.

Anyway, tomorrow we are expecting to be snowed in, so I’m coming up with ideas to keep Little Man entertained and quiet while we cannot get out. I was disappointed to not find any of the giant blocks – he loves his Duplo John Deere tractor and the 5 blocks that came with it. We do have several Amazon boxes in the garage; I am thinking of pulling those out and we can build a fort or a castle. Clothes drying racks – I can set them up a few feet apart and drape a blanket or sheet over them, and it’s an instant fort. What other ideas do you guys have to keeping little ones entertained when you’re stuck indoors for a day or more?