Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Really? I can do better.


Yesterday was the last day.  The girls had been home for over two weeks and we'd had a blast.  As per our New Year's tradition, we ate homemade soup in homemade bread bowls. 

Later I kissed them goodnight, worked on a quilt and started a list of all to accomplish the next day.


The phone rang and I answered the automated call from the school detailing the two hour delay for the school start due to icy roads.

::Hrmpf::

I scratched non-essentials off the next day's to-do list.



The alarm clock beeped early and Razor informed me that school was cancelled.

Snow day! squealed the girls.

Deep sigh breathed me.


And soon they were bundling up.  Searching high and low.  Digging through drawers.  Searching for clothes.  Hollering questions and excitement from one room to the other.  One can't find her long underwear and asks for help.  Which means I'm first in her room and then the other.  Looking through dressers.  Bristling at the chaos.

Yep. Bristling.


Her pajamas are shoved into the drawer.  Crammed so full it can't be opened and then when it finally is freed, it won't close.  And I yell.  And carry on.  And one thing leads to another.  And the long underwear are finally found.

And I look at my girls half bundled and half not.  Sitting in the middle of the room.  Looking at me in all my bristle-y-ness.



Ouch!

I release the breath it seems I'd been holding.  And relax my shoulders.  And say, "Well, at least we found those."  And they smile.  And I hug them.  And I apologize.  And I feel foolish.


And I decide to be thankful for one more day of break.

Bathrooms can be cleaned tomorrow.

And will.  I've already checked the weather forecast.

-dana

23 comments:

Jennifer Mathis of Ellison Lane said...

Deep breath- :)
Enjoy the snow day and the hopeful school day tomorrow!

Kim said...

January 3rd... always the end of the holidays......it's my birthday! When my kids had snow days and often they were on Jan. 3rd :0) I would join them in all the snow day fun........sledding, snowman building, snow angels....then we'd go make something hot....soup or cocoa, after a warm up we'd start all over again. Go play in the snow Dana..... while they are still little girls!

Have a blessed 2012

Regina said...

I know exactly the feeling... oh I wish though that we shut down with that little snow...

goletagirlwendy said...

Hope the rest of the day gets better. We have some warm weather here in CO, so I hope it makes it to your place soon.

Tina Craig said...

I would have bristled, too! I was so ready for them all to go back to where they belong. They were ready, too.

Artfulife said...

You made me cry a little. It's so easy to get caught up in the list. I find myself doing this quite often. It's easy to forget the excitement of freshly fallen snow & yes I will admit I sometimes wish I could stuff my clothes in my drawers without it making a difference. Here's to kids being kids & a Happy New Year!

QuiltNut Creations said...

(hugs) Dana. your post made me realize that this is the first year in 2(or is it 3?) years where school hasn't been cancelled on the first day back for snow. did that make sense? lol!

hope the rest of your day goes well!

CitricSugar said...

These snow days you have down there.... Hmmm. I grew up in frozen prairie Canada and never once experienced a snow day or even a building or weather-related cancelation. It used to be a safety thing here with farm kids that schools would not close because kids might freeze with nowhere to go. I've seen only one day that schools were closed; a few years ago a blizzard hit the province. School started on time but they were getting kids out by snowmobile until 8pm.

Glad that the snow enhanced your day and the list became secondary. ;)

Nancy said...

Snow days are always a double edged sword.

We didn't even get a delay today. Hope they enjoyed the snow!

Jacque. said...

I love this post. For many reasons. But, especially for the thankfulness at the end.

Kristie said...

Ummmm.....THAT'S a snow day?? Y'all gotta come on up to Canada and toughen up ;).

You are right- it will allllllll wait for you......I only WISH my laundry would go away!!

Jackie's Stitches said...

I'm on the other side - my kids are 21 and 31 - and I have to say that when I was at your point in life, I'm not sure I had the insight to check myself and be thankful.

Leanne said...

In Australia we very seldom get snow. Our kids are more likely to get a day off due to the heat. A snow day would be awesome!!! The photo of your daughter flipped in half is hilarious!!! Hope she is ok. Enjoy your day with no list & Happy New Year...

Lee D said...

our kids are still of until the 9th. Today was clean up the house or else day. They did well helping me to get two real trees out the door and 10 bins of decorations down and packed back into the crawl space. Now for some sewing time!

Corinnea said...

Well done! Now you'll feel so much better when you do get to work on your list.....

susan said...

So cold last night, -20 my car didn't want to start this a.m. Mark had forgotten to aid the Heet to the gas, so, it finally started, we didn't dare turn it off just in case, went and got some Heet and put right in. Tomorrow morning will be the test. He has it parked nose out so if we need to jump it to start he can open garage door and drive his car up to it.
Girls look like they are having a fun time. I spent day picking out bad quilting from my gammil, almost done.
I did a huge fabric order, hand dyed, oh so beautiful fabrics. The order totaled just about $800 was supposed to get to Kauai on the 19th of December, they say it just arrived today and hadn't even opened it...and then she tells me it will be consignment...not what I was told when I began the dyeing process....took days. I am a bit upset about this...if nothing else I will have her mail back first class and try and sell up here, got a few places interested.
So glad things are going well. Have a very very merry and prosperous new year!!!!

**nicke... said...

i totally understand! xoxo. i feel and share your frustration and your pain and your guilt. we are the same! ;)

Lucy | Charm About You said...

I love your truthfulness and so glad you caught yourself, it's so easy not to! It looks like a fun day (after all) and the soup looks yummy :)

Dena said...

You are not alone in that. Remember that. We had a lot of togetherness this break and while the break is good I am so happy school started today with routine once again. Enjoy your snow. Hugs.

craftytammie said...

i found myself being bristly just this morning, trying to get our kids up and ready for the bus. thanks for sharing that you're a real person :)

Lene said...

I need the reminder to just breathe more than I care to admit.

And the beauty of living where I do is not EVER worrying about snow days.

Deb said...

that little bit of snow..that dusting...canceled school??? for real??? not in these here parts...takes at LEAST 12"-18" of the white stuff combined with sub-sero temperatures before that happens! you must live in the south where snow is a fluke and the proper snow removal equipment doesn't exist?? happy for your snow day~

amylouwhosews said...

sounds like me every school morning. I need to get over it, breathe and move on.