The New Year in the Paus Haus

Yesterday we had another relatively slow day. After the usual breakfast ceremony we figured that it would be best to give the mother a rest with Blake and that we would pack up the kids and do something, like going to a playground or going shopping etc.
Ana approved of my shopping list and off we (mum and I) went with the kids to drive to the Shaws in Belmont, along Pleasant Street.
When we arrived a light snow fall started, small, fine snow flakes, but we were not yet really alarmed. We got our shopping done comfortably, letting the kids do some searching and finding and got to the register, where of course some woman had purchased something nobody knew the price off and got stuck for a while. After the price was determined and we got our stuff through the register we stepped outside in the intense snow fall. The streets had already about 1-2 cm of snow on them and it was clear that we would not get up our driveway. We made another short stop at the TJMax to buy a toaster and I found a nice A-B-C rug for the kids and two sheet sets for our bed, which we really needed quite urgently, but no toaster. By now the streets had more like 3-4 cm of snow and we only gave the driveway a half-hearted shot. Of course we got stuck and finally left the car on the street.
We carried up the rug and some groceries and I dropped them off inside. Afterwards I cleaned up the driveway, which was pretty quick, using my new shovel technique. I brought up the car and emptied the remaining groceries. It continued to snow while we where getting lunch and had our usual early afternoon routine, with ‘grosi’ taking a nap and me selecting and printing more photos for the family album.
Later I noticed that we had forgotten to get wine and champagne to start the new year in style. I went off to buy some in the little Woburn mall (the one with the Whole Foods Market) after having cleaned the driveway, again. It was an interesting ride as the streets were not yet cleaned and it was continuing to snow. I got down the driveway fine and also got down the hill quite fine but after getting my 2 bottles and wine and Italian prosecco I had to continue uphill…. I just barely made it with advanced sliding techniques. When I was back it was 17:20 which was well in time for the central European new year. I got myself a good cigar and started to to the final shoveling of the premises. The city had also decided that it had stopped snowing which I concluded from the snow trucks finally plowing all roads around our house.
I got in right in time to connect our big TV with the computer which was sending directly from the ‘Plaza d’Espagna’ in Madrid the bells to the new year. Ana and my mother had prepared the grapes and we ate them as prescribed one with each toll of the bell until we had all twelve eaten. The kids were not yet really into it but they have some time to get used to it. Of course we opened our prosecco right after the bells and had a good sip, kisses and best wishes.
We called around through skype/phone and found Robin, Nacho, Pup …. it was fun and the new age of high connectivity seems to be hitting the ‘older’ generations. It is a lot of fun!!