Never Enough Time

Remember when a snow day meant people could relax and play? Well, not for moms. I can remember snow days when my little ones would want to go out to play in the snow...I would get them all ready to go out and as they went out the door...one would say, "I gotta go potty" Then it was undress, go potty, and redress. Sometimes they would only stay out for a few minutes....wanting to come back in the house...(to see what I was doing). If I went out with them...they would bombard me with snowballs. Fun for mom...LuAnn loved puddles. When the snow would melt...there she would be, walking down the curb splashing in the puddles....holding an icicle that she was eating. Her cheeks were so rosy and she was the one who could tolerate the cold better than her brothers. Then there was  John. He had asthma and was sick quite a bit during the winter, but when he went out...he looked like the Michelin man. Poor little boy couldn't bend over, I had him so over dressed. I imagine that I made his asthma worse. There was the year when we got a toboggan. A story I'll never forget is where Tim, who was in charge of garbage...decided he would load the cans on the toboggan and pull it out to the curb. This took him forever...it would have been easier to do it the regular way. Oh, I forgot...he pulled it out by tying it on to the mini bike. This made for memories for us...we always tell it during the winter. After playing outside, they would want hot chocolate. You couldn't have hot chocolate without cookies. Sometimes we made cookies. The kitchen was a mess after baking and eating lunch...usually tomato soup and peanut butter sandwiches. ....a mom's best friend. Then they would be bored...so blankets were brought into the living room and draped over the furniture...making forts and tunnels. Once they tipped the couch over to make a tunnel. Little faces peaking out at me... asking for snacks in the fort. Crackers with squirt cheese in a can were later treats. Cups of drinks were spilled and cleaned up. In those days, they didn't watch a lot of TV, so the entertainment was homemade.Those days were so hectic, but as I remember them now...so precious. We were all so innocent and simple things made us happy.My memories are so precious to me. right now. Especially when you lose a chld...you want to remember every little thing that they did.Those memories come back...especially at Christmas.

Well, this morning we awoke to icy conditions...we couldn't drive to the pool. Here we were...a snow day for old folks. What did we do? I decided to cook. I didn't have navy beans, but used pinto beans to make a bean soup, then roasted red peppers, onions and Italian sausage and made that into a big kettle of pasta sauce for the freezer. I got the bucket out and washed the floors, while everything was cooking. Joe turned on some music for me to work to :) It was frantic, classical music....I finally said enough with that frantic music. I want something slow and easy listening. That's what is playing now...I felt like a wind up top twirling around with my mop. Why have I always worked so hard on snow days? I guess it's that Mom in me trying to make everyone else happy.but if it weren't for those days...we wouldn't have such fun memories. Think I'll brew a cup of tea...
Balisha