The long ... surprise ... winter

So, where did we last leave off?

Bruise was NOT awarded his Bobcat badge last week ... because, apparently, Pack Meeting was cancelled (since we'll be meeting as a pack for the Blue and Gold Banquet). And everyone was SUPPOSED to receive an email Tuesday ... but that didn't happen. Most of us were (shivering) in our cars in the parking lot until we were told that, "Hey! Thanks for showing up! Go home!" Oh well.

Bruise was disappointed. I was irritated and disappointed. Bucket, though, OH, she burst into tears and roared, "We packed [books/bags] FOR NO REASON!!" ... Oh well ... so, we all went to Target and got the rest of a present for a friend's birthday. And, while we were all there (Michael and Bubbles were along, too), we just browsed around for a little.

Also, the McTeacher Night at a local McDonalds went well. We had dinner (the sacrifices that Michael makes. He does NOT care for Mickey-Ds at ALL) and I got a strawberry and creme pie. So it was all good. We chatted with one of their first-grade teachers, one of the gals from the office, and the principal. Good times.

It snowed Thursday. Michael had gone to work, so I was keeping tabs on the weather.
School was cancelled. The snow kept coming (and coming and coming) down. It was crazy.
Finally, around 10 in the morning, I called Michael and told him to come home early.
It took him about twice as long to get home (couldn't take the freeway, due to a 20-car pile up ... which ended up being more like a 50-car pile-up), but he made it. And stayed home Friday.

I don't remember it ever snowing as much as we got on Thursday (which was around 9 inches), but I'm told that back in '88, we got about eight inches of snow one winter back home.

And it KEPT snowing.

It ended up being 15 inches ... and we're in an area where we barely see more than 2-4 inches of snow at a time, tops. Most people don't have snow shovels. Some of us have chains or studded tires. There are TWO snowplows for the entire state. ... One of which has crashed yesterday. ... Yeah.

So, our town (and many around it) have just about completely shut down. The kids are still of of school today (Monday). We had Sacrament Meeting (one-hour) of church with four wards combined ... and, if you didn't feel like you could make it safely, it was asked that you stay home and safe.

That birthday celebration that the kids were going to go to? Postponed.
Going up to visit the grandfolks, back from Florida? Postponed.
Choir cancelled, since our choir leader and her family can't get out of their house.

And a lot of friends in other areas are laughing that our area has totally shut down with "only" 8-15 inches of snow. Because they're dealing with below-zero (Fahrenheit) temperatures and FEET of snow ... and everyone there KNOWS how to drive in snow. AND their roads get plowed.
So ... yeah.
We know how to deal with floods and crazy amounts of rain ... but we don't have ANY plows in our COUNTY, let alone our city.

So ... yeah. And I'm trying not to freak out. Michael's LOVING all the snow. Bruise and Bucket enjoy it well enough (except for cancelling most of our plans). Bubbles HATES it (If we take her outside into it, she SOBS if we don't hold her. If she's in the car or whatever, she's fine. But she does NOT like to be out in the snow).

I went a bit crazy ... Friday, we fed the Elders (missionaries). We also had a couple of girls over to play with Bruise, Bucket, and Bubbles. I made a beef stew and (crusty, dense) bread, and rice pudding. Saturday, being snowed in for this long, not knowing if we'd lose power or not (we haven't so far. PHEW!), I made a potato-corn-bacon chowder, breadsticks, whole-wheat apple muffins, oatmeal, and a chocolate teff pudding.
Apparently, that burnt me out, since I didn't cook Sunday. But I did binge-watch season two of Downton Abbey. Nine hours after starting, I'm one season closer to getting caught up. It's a start.

Today, I had the kids "clean" their room. I use those quotation marks so that you know that they didn't REALLY get it clean. But there's progress. And I'm trying not to have an aneurysm over it.
I got caught up on the dishes and am working at getting caught up on the laundry. Which will take a while. But we have company (Mom and my Aunt J) coming over in a couple days. So ... yeah.

I'm ready to have NO snow anymore. The roads are getting clearer ... full of slush.
I would be glad not to have to deice the heatpump anymore.
The kids and I are looking forward to school ... I need some time that's QUIET.

And I need to clean out the fridge.
And do a million other things. And I just want to hole up with flannel sheets, down comforters, sparkling cider, hot cocoa, and a dozen books. With maybe some VERY soft classical-type music playing. Instead of TRYING to hear what's being said at Downton (and failing), with the volume turned up to 50, and the kids running around, screeching and screaming.
(Wonder why I have a headache?)

Oh well.

I'm a bit jealous that Michael's gone off to work. His coworkers aren't nearly as loud or demanding (most times, ha ha, I'm sure. Really, he's got a great group there.) as our brood.
Maybe for my birthday, I should ask for noise-cancelling headphones?

In good news, Mom's and my Body Shop order came in. I smell amazing (monoi oil and honey body butter). Season Three of Sherlock should arrive tomorrow. My frying pan should arrive Wednesday (just in time for me to make sure to replenish my supply of cornmeal).

Well, it looks like the White Witch's reign is coming to an end. And not any time too soon.

Especially since my comrade-in-arms deserted me with the kids to go earn that paycheck.
(Can we make telecommuting a thing? Soon??)

Okay. Time to close this up and be a mom again.