"Snow Day" #5

To be fair, this is what our driveway still looks like. It will melt today. . .between the sunshine and the predicted high of 41 degrees. Our county is rural and with the shaded mountain roads, this is still what many of the roads look like. And there isn't any equipment to clear them and for the most part they aren't treated in any way. But it's tough, all this unexpected time off. We are a go-go-go family and although the occasional "at home" day is terrific, we're all ready to get back to routine.

Monday I did get to play tennis with my group. There are a couple of indoor courts that 10 of us regularly play on (8 ladies each week) and the kids just come with me and hang out. They are really good about it. . .mainly because they're bribed with donuts or McDonald's. . .but I'd also like to hope that part of their behavior is out of respect for me and how much I enjoy this time each week. We play early (8 a.m.) so we had to push to get out on time. Then there were errands to run. . .I had to run by the Y to drop something off, go have my blood drawn, picked up one of Thomas's friends, did McDonald's (YUCK), ran by the university I'm attending for a parking pass that I will need when I start school on Thursday (!!!), and then home to let the kids run off some energy. In fact, they were outside playing and I thought maybe, just maybe, the good weather was here to stay :) I had to work for a couple of hours at the Y Monday night so we headed back for that, then home for dinner together around the table. . .love those nights!

The counties called school off Tuesday early Monday afternoon so I agreed to go in and work Tuesday morning. . .on snow days where the main roads aren't too bad the YMCA can see 100+ kids in their childcare area! That is a lot for us. . .we average more like 50 normally so it was a busy morning. I worked 9-12 then had invited some of the boys' friends to come swim with us. Another girlfriend showed up with her 3 boys and newborn (!!!) but our swimming party was cut off less than an hour in because the Y had a class in the pool at 1 p.m. Since my girlfriend and I are both employees of the YMCA they allowed us to take the 10 kids we had to the childcare area. They played Wii, did crafts, and played on the big playplace our Y is fortunate enough to have. I eventually went out for pizza for the kids too. . .it was a spur-of-the-minute party!!! Great fun, but since I hadn't expected to be gone ALL DAY I had to hurry to take kids home, get home myself (we live 17 minutes away) so Margaret could get ready for dance and back to town in time for her 4:15 class!! Although Frederick's swim practice had been canceled due to schools being out, Thomas still had his practice so he had more pool time. I took Marie and Frederick to the library and we refreshed our library book bag then off to do pick-ups. Tom met me at the Y to trade cars and bring the kids home and I got a girls' night out!!! We went and saw Blind Side. . .wow!!! I had heard how good it was (in fact one of the ladies that went had already seen it!) and it sure was. I was in love with Leigh Anne Tuohy three minutes into the movie. What an incredible story.

Today not much is on the books. I would like to work out, but I need some time at home too. I've read all of Rachel Anne's challenges for the week but have been unable to really work through the housekeeping schedule she is challenging us to do because I haven't had time. I need to make that time TODAY. This is important to me. I do need to get a few hours in at the Y (I am filling in for the sports coordinator while she is on maternity leave) and would love to work out too. . .I've got another two hours to get that in if I'm going to. I'd also like to do some school work with the kids since we haven't done anything this week since we've been out the door around 8 a.m. each day. This morning I am letting them lay around a bit. . .but they will help with the house clean-up too. I want to finish the art project I started last week and need to go pick up a canvas for that. . .and I have to work from 4:30-7 tonight. . .should probably put something in the crockpot for dinner too. . .I thank God for the ability to do all this and spend the time with my children and the opportunities that He gives us to be a family and live and love and enjoy His blessings.

Well, I guess this was mainly all for me anyway. . .a way to journal how I spent my days in mid-January 2010 with an 11, 9, 7, and 6-yr-old :) Tomorrow is a full-packed day so I hope they are in school!!! 9 a.m. dr.'s appt for me, 11:30 monthly tennis luncheon, 4 p.m. boy's swim practice, and I have my first class of the semester at 6 p.m. Whew! Yep, rest up today for sure. . .and maybe go out for another movie after work tonight. . .would that be too much??? I've heard there are so many good things out right now. . .and I've found a girlfriend who enjoys the movies as much as I do!!!