In the form of 4 snow days sandwiching a weekend.
We couldn't do anything but calm down and just plain be together. It was the perfect excuse to wear tall socks and stay up late and be with friends and oh yes, eat snow icecream all day every day.
Did anyone else have a minor freak-out about all this down time? I think I finally had taken it down a few notches to the appropriate level of chill by day #3. Why does it take me so long to listen to that God voice inside and "relax and realize the house is going to be trashed and these here days, they are a gift, and woman, time to SIT DOWN and love the bliss of doing nothing with the people you love!!"
Thank goodness I finally did. It was the best time out EVER!
These friends acted super impressed. Then later they let it slip that they had built an igloo - that a grown up could stand up in - in their backyard. Um.
There was one low moment where Ryan tried to erect the chicken coop fence despite over a foot of snow surrounding it. The fact that this farm boy could not sit still and had to find some hard work to do....well, that's the man I married! As I held the wires up and he nailed them, I reminded him that in case he forgot, I will never ever ever ever ever live on a farm. I know, never say never. But I'm saying never.
The daycare closed, so Oli, the 6th member of our family, came and played for a couple of days.
Supernanny JoJo brought over snow squirt bottles and peppermint playdough!
And two gigantic milestones...
Eva read her first chapter book. I really couldn't be more proud.
And Sage McCage got her first haircut. 1 week before she turns 2. You know your child is in need of a trim when your friend asks if she can just go ahead and take care of that for you! Alas, the mullet is gone. The 80's have been brought back for long enough. Now onto the 90's. Ryan says that now she looks like, well, let's just say its not a nice thing to say. I think she's adorable!
Let's end here. This cracks me up because they both look just how I feel after exactly 21 minutes in the snow. It is all stomping and snow-angeling and eating and rolling and catching it on your tongue and oh-I-love-this-its-so-gorgeous-ing. And then suddenly I believe I just might lose my mind if I don't get these 5 layers of clothes off and get warm, dang it!!
Thanks, Snow God, for that time-out. Much needed and much much much appreciated!!