Frozen Peas
Move over cellulite, Bill O’Reilly and socks with sandals. My disdain for you pales in comparison to my new nemesis.
At some point yesterday morning our furnace gave out. I’m guessing it had to do with the record low temperatures (it was a nice 13 degrees when I headed to the garage for my workout), and I think this really just supports Sarah Palin’s contention that global warming is merely “agenda driven science.”
We managed to stay warm throughout the morning with hot “apple crisp.”
I heated a Fuji and topped it with cinnamon, stevia, Kashi Go Lean and granola and ate it in front of a nice warm fire.
By late afternoon the temperature in our house was dropping faster than Chris Brown’s record sales.
Learning from our friends the polar bears, we tried to eat to insulate ourselves.
Gigi wanted popcorn.
Lulu wanted oatmeal…
…and the salt and Earth Balance out of Gigi’s popcorn bowl.
Around 4 p.m. we couldn’t ignore the cold anymore, and did what all American women do in times of crisis: we went shopping. Our objective was to find Gigi a nice dress to wear to her Christmas program tonight. Unfortunately, every dress that I had my FOUR YEAR OLD try on looked like she was headed on a date with Tiger or to her quincinera to break open a Sponge Bob pinata.
This number had the least amount of sheer material, crushed velvet or sequins. Lulu’s thinking, “If you buy her that dress, I swear, I’ll jump.”
But finally, we found a dress that was a little more age appropriate.
We headed home to eat a quick dinner in our coats before we treked up to my parents to spend the night.
I made a quick burrito bowl of broccoli, black beans, mushrooms, salsa and a few crushed baked tortilla chips.
I also had a side of carrot fries for their self-tanning properties.
I tried to pack quickly to avoid my tears over not getting to watch The Office from freezing as they rolled down my cheeks. If there is ever a natural disaster/crisis wherein I have to leave my house within five minutes, I hope my will is current, because I’m screwed.
An hour and three suitcases later, we arrived at my parents (Le Hotel de Mimi and Poppy), dumped our stuff on the floor and made ourselves at home, viewing sports,
eating fresh baked cookies,
engineering tree encircling railways,
and reading our favorite stories.
Lulu and I had a pretty rough night on the living room floor, since she refused to sleep in a bed or crib that was not her own. I’ve decided I’d rather sleep in the Arctic Tundra than on that floor again.
We rushed home this morning to get Gigi off to school and Daddy off to work. We were met with an icehouse.
I might carve a hole in the living room floor, grab a pole and go fishing.
We’ve got the fire going, a space heater running and Lulu is on her second cup of hot chocolate. If you have a sister, I don’t have to explain why she’s drinking out of THAT mug.
Our friend who does HVAC is coming in the morning. I’m just praying that this isn’t God’s way of telling us we shouldn’t have bought a new camera and saved our money for the furnace. Do cameras burn well?
I’m off to throw an armchair on the fire. Stay warm, kids.
Sandals with socks…HORRIBLE.
And Gigi’s dress is adorable!
I hope your furnace gets fixed today! Our furnace (which is a zillion years old) died last weekend. I pretty much spent the day crying inside wrapped in my jacket, snow hat, attached to my heating pad and under two comforters while we waited for the repair man to come. When he did arrive I was this close to cheating on my fiance I was so happy! Stay warm and do lots of snuggling!
Your room with the tree looks so cozy! So sad you had to leave there. I love the dress you got for GiGi and how photogenic she is. It seems like she loves the camera!
Ahh, stay warm somehow!! Hang in there!!
Your poor family–hope things work out! I start complaining below 65 indoors
Mama needs a bowl of piping hot Carrot Cashew Ginger soup STAT. I just ate a bowl because it’s 65 degrees in my house and us Floridians refuse to turn on the heat (or something like that?) so I’m covered in fleece and wow, that soup has some amazing warming properties! Oh, and so does vegan hot chocolate. I wish the warmth comes to you soon!
P.S. I want an adult sized version of Gigi’s dress. Peter Pan collars and plaid ARE SO IN RIGHT NOW.
I hope it’s just a simple fix with your furnace. That happened to us once and it sucks!
I got your xmas card yesterday and it was adorable! Love the Pea family!
I LOVE the christmas dress. I miss getting a new christmas dress every year
maybe Ill treat myself to one today hmmm but a black cocktail dress isnt the same, no?
My parents heat was broken for a few days & I had to be the one to go over and wait for the repair man. It took 2 days for him to get there ( no lie) so I feel your pain.
Hang in there and keep warm and cozy!
My family’s furnace brooke last year on Christmas eve.. nothing screams happy holidays more than sleeping in your 6th Grade Columbia Ski Jacket.. hope yours is fixed soon!!!!
I love her dress.. adorable!
What an incriminating picture of Lulu
I hope everything gets fixed!!
Isn’t that how it always happens? You finally buy something and something else breaks. It’s the same way with us.
It’s pretty cold here too…I know, cue the mini violins for the poor girl who lives in freezing-cold Los Angeles.
Sorry about your furnace!!! I hope it gets fixed the way Tiger Woods likes his women —
Fast and Cheap.
XO,
Erin
Wow – stay warm while that HVAC does his/her job! And that ‘winner’ dress is DARLING!
My furnace went out last year during the biggest snow storm of the season–below zero temps–so I can relate. I usually keep it around 64 and fashionably done my fuzzy robe and slippers for warmth, but 46 is ridiculous
I will trade you my space heater for your culinary skills…that salad and hot chocolate included.
Your girls look so cute
gigi is so cute. very nice dress.
yikes on the hvac issue. hopefully it’s not too bad.
53 degrees – that’s about normal at our house. I kid you not. Why do you think I own 3 space heaters, a heating pad, and a Snuggie.
So sorry about your furnace Mama Pea, and I hope your friend is able to fix it soon…sleepless nights on the floor are not fun. Thank goodness for warm hot cocoa in your sister’s mug.
That is the exact reason why I will always live with a gas fireplace in my house. We had to live for 5 days without power and heat before. House temp got down to 20degrees and wow did that suck major.
Hope you get things straightened out soon and get some heat under those peas!
Your husband totally looks like Ben Linus in “Lost” in that picture! I mean that in a good way- he’s my favorite character and I think he’s cute!
Your daughter’s dress is adorable, by the way.
I love the dress you picked out for her. So cute!
I’m sending Southern California warmth over to the Peas. I can’t believe how cold it is in Oregon! CRAZY
Don’t know if you have this in your neck of the woods, but on our DVR we have a channel called “Primetime On Demand” and you can pretty much watch any good show on the major networks ABC, NBC, CBS, etc anytime you want. It’s been a lifesaver in my marriage with a CSI watching husband and a Grey’s Anatomy AND The Office watching self.
Oh, man, that’s the worst!!!
My heater died two years ago in Minnesota winter. I moved into my friends’ house for a week, because there was no way that I could stay in that ice chest.
I hope your heat comes back soon. STAY WARM!!!!!
I hope your heater is fixed ASAP…13 degrees? We can’t even handle 55 in L.A. today!!
Those fries look delectable!
http://katiechangesforkatie.blogspot.com/
It’s funny because if my house was at 65 degrees I would be throwing layers off and wondering if I was going through menopause 30 years too soon. For some reason we college kids feel that heat is a way lower priority than boxes of wine and a Forever 21 shopping sprees. I’m glad you have your priorities straight and that you can have a warm house soon!
Hey, how do you make your carrot fries? They look delicious!
Hope your house heats up soon…I feel your pain, it’s about 40* in our living room right now and I’m hugging the space heater every chance I get. Brrrrrr.
Ha sweet pea (ha! that suites you!) I am so sorry you guys are without heat. Soon you will be a snugged up in a warm house again. This will have been an adventure and a great story.
I am always amazed by the hooker clothes they make for little girls. I was with a friend shopping for a Christmas dress for her 18 month old and it was nearly impossible to find something cute and appropriate. Love the little plaid dress- perfect program attire!
Hope your igloo warms up soon!
Oh, sorry about the heater! Our air conditioner did that twice in the past two years during the hottest months in the year. It is funny to see how much you can bear with two kids and extreme weather! I hope the heater gets fixed quickly. As for now, I say get a hot cup of seasonal coffee and sit on that fire!
The dress you picked out is absolutely ADORABLE and definitely age appropriate – I wish we could all watch her at her Christmas program – I know she’ll be cutest one there
Hope it warms up soon over there – the girls will make great cuddle companions 
hehe
Think hottt thoughts in the form of Brad Pitt!!!
I hope your furnace gets fixed ASAP!
Yikes–hoping you’re warm by now! Glad you found an adorable dress for Gigi. I’ve been appalled at children’s clothing selection whenever I’ve shopped for my nieces. I don’t especially want my brothers/sisters thinking I’m getting their kid ready to work the corner or something.
hope ice fishing goes well. you poor thing.
Jumping jacks warm the soul….. but mostly the body. That’s what I do when blankets cannot keep me warm.
The high in my house is 68.. we’re stingy
and the low is 65. We don’t have much variety.
But 53? My already small bosom would disappear. My brother’s would start calling me Samuel, instead of Samantha. Inappropriate? Yes. But true.
Love the dress you gals picked out!
Have a great weekend
Ahhh! Oh no!! This happened to us a few years ago. Our pipe lines froze at the same time, so no heat, no hot water, and NO INTERNET! It was disastrous! But thankfully, short lived. Hope you get everything back up and running in the morning.
Stay warm!!!
PLEASE dont take this the wrong way… but the cute factor of those kids is a huge reason for my constant viewing of your site. I know youre probably entirely kickass on your own… the shear “eat-em-up” quality of those sassy muffins are addicting. Just sayin… haha
MA
None taken! On my old blog I quit posting pictures of them for awhile and people rioted. It’s a double edged sword, because while I’m miffed that no one gives me a second glance when we go out because they are ogling my kids, it also means I can let my own grooming slide a little.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Not the furnace! That happened to me when Chris was out of town (like it knows) and I was sleeping in full sweats and multiple ski hats. It was awful!
Good thing we’re not Facebook friends because my status is from one of the best lines of The Office last night. There’s a whole speech where you’ll just slap furniture because there’s no time to laugh!
Be warm soon!
Oh man – our furnace went out this time last year. Total nightmare! Hope things warm up over there!!
If worst comes to worst, Joel is on tonight so that has to warm you up a little bit!
i’m so glad to hear someone shares my hatred for socks with sandals.
i never wore eyeliner as lip liner though
gigi = precious
the quincenera comment killed me. being mexican, i totally know what you’re talking about. and may have taken a few swings at a spongebob pinata in a short sparkly dress myself
hope you’re warming up.!why is it that after an expensive purchase is made something breaks???
xoxo
Try HULU!
Sorry you are freezing. Stay warm. I think it is time for snuggling on the couch with big blankets.
ahhh sorry its so cold!
i just gave you a SHOUTOUT on my blog btw!
towards the end!
oh, M. Pea…I love your blog. I had to leave early this morning before you posted (Northeastern dweller) and I couldn”t wait to come home and check it. The dress is perfect. And Lulu, well what is it with 2nd borns. I just love her attitude. Enjoy our evening and stay warm!
YIKES!! I am sending you lots of warmth and fuzzy hugs right now! I really hope you have your furnace fixed – I feel like a penguin if the temperature in our house drops to 65 let alone 53!!! Thank goodness your folks don’t live too far away, though I’m sorry you and Lulu didn’t get much sleep.
On a brighter note, Gigi looks absolutely adorable in her Christmas dress and I hope the program went really well!
I’m still laughing at the Bill O’Reailly and “socks with sandals” comment..
Hoping you’re warm and cozy right now!
why do stores make kids dress like miley cyrus. i hate that. what happened to normal clothes that we grew up on? do i sound like a gradnma or what?
so anyways, our apartment had the same issue today and – oh – yeah EVERY day. gah. im going to have to think of a solution better than sticking my head in the oven. it sounds kinda nice given my other options (snapping off my blue fingers and toes).
why does lulu look like she grows by the inch each day!? ok, now i REALLY sound like a grandma.
OH NO MAMA! i hope your furnace is fixed soon!!!
digging the tanner, chris brown, and tiger jokes. you are too much! i never know what’s guna come outcho keyboard GURRRRRRRL.
stay warm!
That dress is PERFECT on her! Mission accomplished. Just hearing about your house makes me cold. Crash at your parents’ for the weekend!
oh my…hope things warm up for you soon.
we had the exact same thermostat at our last home and I was having flashbacks.
LOVE GIGI’S DRESS CHOICES…She’s such a lil girl…wanna smooch her!
I meant to say enjoy YOUR evening!
Gigi is such a cutie! Flashed back to my Mom’s questionable choices for dresses for me when I was younger – full of lace and bows and frills. Shudder. Hope the heat gets working in your house soon because that is dang cold. Yikes!
Oh noooo! How awful. Keep the hot chocolate coming and stay warm! Poor Lulu and you on the floor all night
That is terrible about your furnace; it must be so frustrating! Nonetheless, I appreciate all the humor and charm with which you recount the past few days; you convey such optimism. I hope fixing your furnace goes smoothly and that it works efficiently soon.
Glad to have found your blog! Hope you guys didn’t turn into popcicles! Your girls are beautiful!
Oh no!! Hope you all have a functioning furnace again soon!
As a side note, I love you can turn a negative into a fun blog read.
“If you buy her that dress, I swear, I’ll jump.”
HAHA That made me laugh out loud. I love your clever captions!
Very cute dresses!
Oh my goodness, Gigi’s dress is precious!!!
Stay warm!!!! Brrrr…
Oh my goodness, hope your heat has been fixed!
Gigi looks stunning in that dress! Simply adorable.
Ah, another one of life’s exciting adventures, isn’t it?! OK I know, being cold ALL THE TIME is really no fun at all!! But it does make you appreciate shopping malls and family’s houses for refuge purposes, doesn’t it?
Feel warm soon!