The Blizzard
Even though I don't think it was technically a blizzard, Jonas sure felt like one. Thirty-six hours straight of heavy snow and winds in Washington resulted in an accumulation of around twenty inches at our house. Public transportation, schools, and the government shut down for several days. (Many surrounding areas got more snow and schools were shut down all of last week.)
At the Sparks house, we were snowed in for five days (Friday, January 22, through the following Tuesday). Thankfully, we never lost power or ran out of food. Here are five observations from the experience.
1. Our kids are surprisingly determined and tough when they want to play in the snow. On Saturday morning (mid-storm, temps in the 20s F), they asked us when they could go out and play. Harvey told them they could go after lunch and predicted they wouldn't stay out there longer than thirty minutes. After an hour, they were still going strong. Funny how the smallest discomfort can bring on the whining, but when it comes to snow, they'll let their little fingers freeze off and not say a word.
2. Falling snow is peaceful and lovely (as long as I don't have to be out in it). I could sit and watch the snow fall for hours. In fact, when it finally stopped, I was a teeny bit sad.
3. I love a good fire. The blaze. The crackle. The warmth. Our home has a wood-burning fireplace, and Harvey kept the fire going continuously during waking hours. One drawback (or added benefit, depending how you look at it) was that the fire kept the living room so warm that the heater didn't think it needed to work as hard in the rest of the house; thus we all had to (or got to) spend a lot of time in the living room together with the fire to stay warm.
4. It was a lot more work than I thought. For some reason I thought, okay, I don't have to go anywhere, my husband is home with me, my kids can all play together and watch movies all day; I'll have lots of extra time to read, write, watch HGTV, nap ... but no. Normally my kids eat breakfast and lunch at school, so I don't have to prepare and clean up after three meals a day. Plus playing outside in the snow requires layers of clothing that end up dirty and wet. So it was extra meals, extra dishes, extra cleaning, and extra laundry for me. However, I can't complain, because
5. We all survived! And not just survived, but truly enjoyed our extended home-snow-cation. The kids played together well (most of the time), and there were none of the normal stresses of homework or activities. We played games, we watched movies, and in spite of No. 4, I did get some wonderful reading/writing/resting time. No cabin fever for us.
It's warmed up outside, and the snow is melting now. I'm not expecting another Jonas anytime soon, but if his next of kin is anything like him, I'll be looking forward to his arrival!
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| The backyard blanket |
1. Our kids are surprisingly determined and tough when they want to play in the snow. On Saturday morning (mid-storm, temps in the 20s F), they asked us when they could go out and play. Harvey told them they could go after lunch and predicted they wouldn't stay out there longer than thirty minutes. After an hour, they were still going strong. Funny how the smallest discomfort can bring on the whining, but when it comes to snow, they'll let their little fingers freeze off and not say a word.
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| Two days before Jonas, we got a dusting, and this was the best we could do at the time. |
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| Mid-Jonas: A lot more to work with! |
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| Snow joy |
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| From the front porch |
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| The parting of the white sea (courtesy of Harvey and the kids) |
4. It was a lot more work than I thought. For some reason I thought, okay, I don't have to go anywhere, my husband is home with me, my kids can all play together and watch movies all day; I'll have lots of extra time to read, write, watch HGTV, nap ... but no. Normally my kids eat breakfast and lunch at school, so I don't have to prepare and clean up after three meals a day. Plus playing outside in the snow requires layers of clothing that end up dirty and wet. So it was extra meals, extra dishes, extra cleaning, and extra laundry for me. However, I can't complain, because
5. We all survived! And not just survived, but truly enjoyed our extended home-snow-cation. The kids played together well (most of the time), and there were none of the normal stresses of homework or activities. We played games, we watched movies, and in spite of No. 4, I did get some wonderful reading/writing/resting time. No cabin fever for us.
It's warmed up outside, and the snow is melting now. I'm not expecting another Jonas anytime soon, but if his next of kin is anything like him, I'll be looking forward to his arrival!
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