snow – Sweat & Sparkle

Quotes about snow don’t typically get my attention here in the sunny, hot south, but the last few days have been anything but typical. After a long, cold night of freezing rain earlier this week, we woke up to a thick layer of white, glistening ice.

I remember the first snow of every season, growing up in the north. No matter how old I was, that first snow was always exciting. Before anyone stepped foot in it, or drove in it, or touched it in any way, it was so beautiful and peaceful, a smooth, calming blanket of sparkly white.

Something else that was exciting about those long-ago days was getting a day off school if the snow was heavy enough, and that thrill hasn’t changed, either. The best part of this oddball snow and ice storm has been this: my husband and I found ourselves with three straight snow days!

We couldn’t resist venturing out into the ice, crunching our way around the yard, dashing back inside, shivering, to warm back up before heading right back out. He thought he was clever and asked me to come out and look at something, just so he could throw a snowball at me. One look at his trouble-making, smiling face, and I knew what he was up to, but I went outside anyway, just so he could let loose and then laugh like a little boy (albeit, a very tall little boy).

This weekend will warm up quite a bit, and the sun will likely erase every speck of snow and ice, leaving us with mud, muck, and memories. I can’t say I want a repeat of the arctic cold and the polar ice any time soon, but I can say, there is no one else I would rather be snowed in with than my snowball-tossing, snuggling, laughing, best friend and blanket sharer.

snowflake-3317-423a9ae38f3342e0c130c5473fee6d3c@1x Well, there was much excitement in this snoozing little town this morning! For the first time in nearly 30 years, we had snow. I was so happy the kids were with us for this. They have never seen snow, so my husband and I woke them up so they could watch the fat, white flurries. It didn’t last long, and it’s all melted already, but I got some great pictures from it, and my stepson even got to toss a mini snowball at his dad.

My office opened late due to the torrential snow storm and ensuing mayhem (ahem!). I grew up in the north, so this itty-bitty, barely-there dusting of snow throwing everyone into nail-biting panic and horror amuses me. But if my company wanted to give me some time extra off this morning, who was I to argue?

After work, however, the fun and the laughter and the excitement will abruptly be over. This evening we have to take the kids back to Hickville. I always worry about them when they are not with us, but now I am downright scared about taking them back. Psycho has never been accused of being a mentally stable individual (or even close to it), but some things that have happened lately show that her crazy is dialed up to “off the charts”. And the kids’ already-rocky, tumultuous other home is now in total chaos and drowning in even more unnecessary drama.

I can tell the kids enjoyed being with us the last few days and being calm and secure for a while, and I definitely felt more relaxed and peaceful with them here, knowing they are safe and happy. I am dreading the moment when it’s time to tell them to get ready to load up and head back over there.

Psycho has never shown any sign of caring about the kids as anything more than inanimate pawns for her to push around and manipulate. But lately it’s worse, from her bizarre behavior, her poor choices, unbridled lying, her rabid fascination with me, her pathetic, renewed attempts to get attention from my husband. I just feel like her usual insanity is whipped into a senseless, selfish frenzy, and when it ultimately and inevitably blows up, the kids are going to be the ones standing right there to take all the shrapnel.