When the snow started late last Saturday, I was thrilled at the prospect of being snowed in with my little family. I stocked up on groceries and wine, arranged craft projects and looked forward to days on end in pajamas watching movies. Sunday and Monday (supposed to be the first day back to school) were exactly what I'd had in mind. We painted wooden boats, I completed a piece of "art" for the dining room and tried multiple recipe pins from my overstuffed Pinterest account - many of which were promptly unpinned after they turned out to be shite.
On Tuesday, despite the icy and uncleared roads in our city, my husband had to go back to his office while schools remained closed. I typically spend lots of time at home with my boys but being holed up was starting to take its toll. I needed a shower, we'd watched way too much TV and my wine supply had run dry. I put the babe down for his nap and attempted to get some work done while the 5 year old watched his 73rd episode of Ninjago. The babe woke up bawling just 30 minutes later and when I went to pluck him from the crib to soothe him, he looked more like Raging Bull than the cutest 9 month old on the planet (well, he is) thanks to a still unidentified allergic reaction. The emergency trip to our doctor was followed by a Target run for his prescription which turned out to be just the thing we needed. We had the store to ourselves, found fun Yo Gabba Gabba footie pajamas for the 5 year old on clearance, bought more wine and groceries and sat down for some coffee at Starbucks. It was almost as restorative as a trip to Tahiti might be.
Schools were closed Wednesday and late that afternoon, word spread Thursday classes would be cancelled as well. That's approximately the moment I snapped. My patience had worn thin and my husband could tell I needed a break from the tone of my texts. He suggested I ask some fellow mothers (also on the verge of a breakdown) out for a drink. Genius! Three of us mums flew our coops for a few glasses of wine and greasy food. It was the perfect antidote to 4 straight days on lockdown with a 5th day looming.
When I woke up on Thursday, I felt like a new woman. But we needed to look at fresh faces. I took my boys to my brother's house where my boys could play with their cousins and I could hang with my sister in law. Later, while the older kids made a snow fort and tunnel, I went on another Target run (for wine...and other things) with the babe.
Also on this day, I learned a friend who had been battling an aggressive and quickly spreading cancer had passed away. She was a mother of three young boys whose beautiful exterior matched her inner being. Her Facebook posts were incredibly touching these past few months and her grace and strength inspiring. My struggles from the previous few days were certainly put into perspective. I am thankful to be alive and healthy and present for my family. My hope is that I can access this gratitude during future trying, yet trivial, moments - of which I'm sure there will be many.
I filled Friday with errands and a trip to our fantastic science museum for kids followed by an extended family lunch. I ended the day by getting in a much needed workout then cuddling up with the 5 year old and my husband to watch Hugo (I fell asleep quickly).
Today is Saturday and I'm looking forward to a quiet, normal weekend while the dreary rain washes away the 10+ inches of snow on the ground. I'm fairly certain school will be in session on Monday. It better be.
