In our family...

In our family....we do second chances...we do grace...we do real...we do mistakes...we do I'm sorry (and I forgive you)...we do loud really well...we do hugs...we do family...we do love.















Thursday, January 15, 2009

Life in the deep freeze

It is -29 with a wind chill of -50 here today. Schools have been cancelled once again due to the deep freeze, which means I get another day off from work since I work at a school. I should be happy about this free day but really I’m not. Now, if it meant a free day home ALONE or with my husband, that would be a whole different story…that could mean sleep and sex, which seems to be 2 thing’s I am deprived of these days, thus would be too good to be true. Since my reality includes 2 little people, who’s sole purpose in life is to drive me to crazy town, I have to settle with the insanity at hand…leaving me to just fantasize about sleep and sex. The little people are stir crazy from not playing outside in many days, let alone not leaving the house, which in turn is driving me crazy. Seriously.

We are all still in our pj’s and I am trying to think of what we could do, that we haven’t already done, to make this day at least bearable for all of us. I am not complaining because it could be worse…like having to go out in it with 2 little people…no thank you. My heart goes out to my husband, who will spend at least 13 hours, in and out of this deep freeze again today. He is a milk man…and I love making jokes about the milk man to him. He drives an old refrigerated truck, that doesn’t get warm enough on a not so cold day, let alone on days like we have been having. He comes home cold to the bones, tired and ready to go to bed…just to warm up. The thing is, if he had the choice of being in my warm shoes, or in his cold boots, he would choose his cold boots. Now what does that say?

Sure I have enjoyed getting to sit here at the computer and catch up on blogs and drink coffee, while the little people are running around our home, like it is a gymnasium. They have a lot of pent up energy which they are trying to wear off by running in circles. It’s not working.

Here’s the thing. Thursday’s are my long day at work because after a 2 hour break, I go back and work during the evening classes. During this 2 hour break I go and visit a friend… since none of my friends have little ones anymore…this is a friend that doesn’t mind me coming over with 2 little people in tow. It’s the only time in 7 days that I have contact and face to face conversation, with another adult besides my husband. I look forward to Thursday’s…in my small world, it’s part of what keeps me sane. Sure, I could bundle the little people up and take them to McDonald’s but just going outside to start the car’s(we keep starting the car‘s and letting them run every 5 hours to keep them running, even at night..ugh), my eye’s water and face stings from the cold. So, as tempting as it is to escape our house, we will not be going anywhere. Even though they keep asking to go outside or go someplace…do they actually think that I am magically going to say “yes” one of these times? Maybe?

I guess the saying that in Minnesota you can have a whole conversation about the weather is true…just listen to me here. I’m sorry if this sounds like I am complaining, which I guess I am. Just know, that I know, that it could be a lot worse and that my life isn’t so bad. Maybe, it’s the sleep and sex deprivation talking?

Presently, I have the little people in one spot, painting, which they are calling “art” class, because they have been playing school. Seriously, they have been pretending to go to math, science, English, social studies and exercise classes all morning and then came to me and asked what they could do for art class. I was informed that I am the secretary(since I am at the computer), the daycare person(yep, I’ve been watching lots of dolls today)and the one in charge(they couldn‘t remember the word principle)…dang right I’m the one in charge here, and don’t you forget it! I say this and they laugh. Can you tell I work at a school and that they spend their days around high school students?

I suppose, since art class is ending, I should be off to do our cooking class or as little man say’s, “it’s time for us to pretend to be Emerald”, which by the way is one of his favorite shows. Today, we are cooking up some chicken, wild rice soup for supper and let me tell you I have some very excited helpers. God help me. Maybe, I should first go drink a cup or two of sanitea? Or vodka.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

You should call your Thursday friend and invite her over to your house for that cup of sanitea! (sounds like clean tea)

I am sorry to tell you that in LA it was 80 degrees when Amelia and I finished dinner last night. It was amazing... but I call that "earthquake weather." And I would take deep freeze over earthquake any day.

Put the kids in the bath tub to play. That will make another hour go by.

I find your humor in all of this today although I see it is not as much fun as even you make it sound.

Your interview is on it's way after laundry, unpacking, home schooling, diapering, cooking and cleaning.

ps. vodka goes good in just about anything sweet. Even Koolaid. (wink)

Busy Bee Suz said...

Oh, you are doing a great job of finding the good in your dreaded day.
you make me laugh so much.
Those little people sound so cute. I am sure cute wears off after a while, but goodness they are trying to have fun.
You need to schedule a few hours with your husband. Do you have anyone that can watch the kids this weekend. Even in the day? go have lunch and "dessert".
It will help you get out of that funk.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for reminding me that the -9 degree weather we'll have tonight, and the evening I'll spend at home with my self-amusing 14-year-old, could be worse.

Perhaps it's time to pop a Disney movie in the trusty DVD player?

I Am Woody said...

I can't get past the temp!! And I thought I was cold!!

Angel said...

GGODLORD WOMAN!!! the TEMP is -29???!!!! DAY-UM!!! Now THAT is cold!

and how bout tea WITH vodka??? ;)

Anonymous said...

Okay, I am shutting up about my flu and the 54 degree weather we have here - you are worse off than I am.

I hope it gets better and starts to warm up soon so you can be less deprived - I bet your husband is feeling the same way too so I can just imagine when it warms up - oh boy! LOL

Smart Mouth Broad said...

I grew up in the midwest and it got really cold but I don't think it was ever lower than -20 and that was very rare. I can't even imagine how cold that must be. I've lived in Florida so long and we just forget how cold that is. Warm wishes to you my friend.

Pseudo said...

Sending you warm wishes. It must be hard stuck inside with two little ones with cabin fever.

Our schools are closed tomorrow because of a wind and rain storm....

Anonymous said...

BRRRRR!!!! I am COLD just reading your post! Try to stay warm, dear!

gram said...

i too am from northeren minnesota, the coldest i can remember is -40 with a wind chill of -75. and thats no kidding either. the lake (superior) effect is true, it can be brutal.
maybe the kids can string popcorn for next years christmas tree, ha, ha. only kidding. they might have fun eating it too!
i deal with adult daycare, (in the construction field) aging from 20 year old to as old as 65. i think sometimes working with these guys is worse than little ones on a bad day at daycare! i'm only have to deal with 61 men at the moment, we'll climb up to about 150 here in february. then we'll be having all kinds of fun.
well stay warm, hopefully you can get in some quality time with hubby one of these days.
as far as vodka goes they have a new (blue colored) mountain dew out(has rasberry in it) and i am going to try some vodka with that, i think it is going to be pretty yummy, other wise i reccomend a large glass of wine. stay warm my friend and have a great weekend!!
:)

SciFi Dad said...

Wait... is he like a Milk Man? As in, he delivers milk door to door? My grandfather used to do that YEARS ago. I didn't think they still did that.

Anonymous said...

Good grief!! I don't know how you can stand that cold. When it got to 10 here and zero wind chill I thought I couldn't go outside for anything. It was a balmy 70 degrees here today and while that's entirely too warm for winter.....I'll take that any day over what you're having. Ugh....bundle up and stay warm for gosh sakes!

Anonymous said...

I liked this post a lot... but it does sound like it takes a lot of energy to be the principal and to chase around after lots of little kids. I used to have that much energy, where did it all go?
When I was young my sister and I used to make a "museum" out of things we found in the house, making labels to go beside them with "information" about the items then charge my mum to go visit the museum... good times! Minus 29 does sound very VERY cold, it must be a nightmasre for you and the kids to not have any freshair or run-around time. Have to invent some indoor sport contests, such as musical chairs, or musical statues, the game where you dress up in old adult clothes to pick up smarties with a fork (could use raisins or grapes to be healthy) while the others roll a dice... know what game i'm talking about? that will tire them out! And I loved it when I was wee!

Anonymous said...

oh yes...i remember those cold days...went to university in Saskatchewan. Thanks for the reminder about how much easier it is here, mudslides and all...

Your dinner sounds like it was yummy!

Unknown said...

I spent last weekend in upstate New York. It is just damn cold. I felt like such a whiner the whole time with my friends because I just kept saying "I'm cold"

How are you?

So Cold

What's your name?

I'm freaking Cold

What do you do?

I'm cold