Back to School

We can see grass! Actual green grass is now showing across most of our yard. There is still plenty of snow, but at least things are somewhat back to normal.

I am starting my 4th day back at home with everyone else going to school on a normal schedule. It's been busy with dentist appointments, orthodontist appointments, awards ceremony, but I don't have to do that on top of working full time. I went back to school Friday last week just to make sure the transition went well and that Lindsay found everything. I had to wait about 15 minutes for the block to end. I sat in the teachers' room and talked to some friends about school and home. I feel needed and wanted there. The teachers all get along well and are helpful and kind to each other and me--something that apparently doesn't happen at every school. I enjoy knowing the students and talking with them. The teachers appreciate that I follow their lesson plans and grade papers when I sub. I thought that was standard, but apparently it's not. As I walked out of the building, I had to shake the "fairy dust" from my mind. It's a trap. On the way home I chided myself for not writing the reasons why I felt so strongly that I need to be home and not at school. I did follow through and do that when I got home, but it's been over a month since I finished. Things are fuzzy. I tried to recreate those emotions of walking into the house to face a kitchen full of dishes from breakfast, knowing that I had a night of work ahead of me. I want to remember the disappointment Peter expressed when I couldn't be at school for his party or be there in the morning to wake him up. I need to continue to remind myself that I don't want to "...spend my labor on what does not satisfy," as Isaiah says. I don't want to give my best energies to students who could really care less and have nothing left for my family. Being home is no picnic sometimes, and there isn't a lot of acclamation--they need me here, but they don't appreciate that yet. Perhaps this time I will obey the Lord and do what I know He's called me to do. I hope so. My heart breaks for the moms who feel they have no choice but to work. I'm so thankful that I can be a stay at home mom. I was surprised to hear many of the teachers express their desire to be at home. I assumed that they wanted to be teaching. I've learned so much through this experience. I just hope it sticks!

Snow pictures

Outside the back door in the middle of the storm.

The snow covers the bottom of the tire swing.

Snow covering the tires of the car and the van

Goldie swimming through the snow.
The boys sliding across the pond trying to get traction.

Here are some snow pictures as we await another 10-15 inches today. It looks like we may be on the lower side of these totals this time, thankfully. What a winter! The snow is so beautiful, especially with the sun shining on it. We've noticed that the difference between Virginia and Ohio in the snow is that here the sun actually comes out after it snows.

Snow days

So what do you do when you are facing your 6th "snowed in" day in a month and 5th snow day out from school? Well, for those of you who live where it actually snows regularly, you laugh at the people who are paralyzed by the 20+ inches today. We've done a bit of this, a bit of that, a day of Wii, eating, board games, fighting, cleaning. We are getting ready to exercise after lunch digests. Keeping four boys occupied for this long is difficult, but probably not nearly as difficult as when they were all under 10. No one lives near enough to come over, so we are ALONE. This is more difficult for some of us. I was fortunate enough to escape to a coffee shop with a friend as the storm started for some renewal. So far, everyone is alive and well. The snow continues to stream down and blow around, and we already have 17 inches. We know that because we (meaning they) just measured it when they had to shovel a path through the yard so the dog could get to the barn. She came to the front porch this morning when there was only 8 inches. I looked out during a break in the Risk action to see her "swimming" through snow up to her chest in order to get back to the barn. Right now spring looks awfully inviting.

And more snow....

This is what I saw Sunday morning when I got up to have my quiet time. The full moon was amazingly bright over the trees. It looked so peaceful and lonely. The sky is deceptively dark in the pictures. It was really about 7 in the morning, but I haven't figured out how to get the pictures more accurate. We had another snow storm on Saturday. They called for 2-3 inches for us, and we ended up with 7. It snowed 3 more last night, and they are calling for another "significant event" from the south for Friday/Saturday. We've had 31 inches so far this year. It's been an amazing snow year for Virginia.

I'm officially done (so I hope to post more often), but it doesn't feel like it. Monday was a teacher work day which ended up being delayed and then made optional because of all of the snow. By Tuesday I thought they would go to school for sure since it had snowed on Saturday. As I took Peter to a friend's who lives even farther out than we do, I realized that school Tuesday was not going to happen. The roads out there were still too bad for Virginia school buses. Then, of course, today we have more snow, wet this time and heavy, so they are home again. I am not counting these days as "officially done" days since everyone is still here. For the most part, everyone has gotten along fine. Yesterday two friends came over to help break up the "togetherness." Today we are going to the library, the store, and to see some puppies. That will help. I pray they go to school tomorrow because it looks like we are in for another several days at home from this next storm.