It's also been harder only having one car these last few days. I want to take the kids to the library, Michael has to go to work - that sort of thing.
I haven't yet mustered up the courage to check out the bus schedules and figure out how they work and drag the kids to the bus stop. I should really do this. I'd like to do a trial run myself before dragging the kids along, however, in case I end up on the wrong bus or end up riding the bus too long or end up getting off at the incorrect stop.
I'm wracking my brain to think of something fun for me to do with the kids, but the only thing fun that comes to mind is me, by myself, going to Panera Bread and writing or reading all alone at a lovely solitary table with my computer and a Chai and maybe a book to read. I long to read or write without interruption.
I know that people keep telling me I will be sorry when these days are over. I am sure that I will be. But I really will like having a little time to myself. I love my children. I love spending time with them, but a person has got to stay sane.
I do have a not so fun at the time but funny now story to relate regarding the past few days in the snow.
Two days ago I thought I would be a hero fun mom and take my kids out sledding.
We borrowed a sled from the neighbors and headed out to the hill across the street from our house.
The snow was very deep, so I decided I would take a trip down the hill first, in order to make a path for the sled so that the kids could go down quickly instead of having to drag themselves down the first time. I made it to the bottom, picking up the sled at the end to scamper back to the top of the hill as I had done so many times in my youth.
Unfortunately, it would not be so easy.
I found that I couldn't actually get back up the hill.
Everything was covered with ice and with only one hand free (since I was carrying the sled), I was unable to navigate to the top of the hill.
Both children were standing there, watching, and Jonah decided that he should come down to help.
"No, Jonah! Just stay there!"
"Mommy, I want to help you!"
He slid down the hill on his bottom. Now there were two of us stuck.
"I will carry the sled to the top!" Jonah said.
I let him try while I tried to get up without the sled.
Meanwhile, Maeryn was freaking out at the top of the hill.
"Mama! Nana (Jonah)!" She started to take steps down the hill.
"NO, Maeryn! Stay there, Mommy is coming!"
(a few more steps down the hill - the snow was almost to her waist) "Mamaaaaaa!"
"Maeryn, STOP!" She burst into tears.
Jonah: "Mommy, I can't get back up!"
"I know, Buddy, I told you not to come down!"
"But I can't get up!"
I ignore him and finally pull myself to the top of the hill, leaving Jonah and the neighbor's sled at the bottom.
"Mama!" Maeryn takes another step and begins to slide down the hill. I run over and snatch her before she can sink any farther and tell Jonah I'm taking her to the house.
Jonah is left at the bottom of the hill.
In the house, I take off Maeryn's snow-covered clothes (she is SCREAMING now).
My 21 month old is now safe in the house, but my five year old is trapped with the neighbor's sled at the bottom of the hill.
I leave her home alone.
"Be a good girl, Maeryn, I need to go and get Jonah." She is crying as I run out the door, across the street, and down the hill. I pray that when I return to the house she has not played with the knife set on the kitchen counter or burned down the house by turning the knobs on the stove...
Since I don't want to be trapped at the bottom of the hill again, I hold onto a tree branch and reach down and tell Jonah to grab my hand. It takes eternity for him to get all the way up to my hand and grab on. All I can think about is the little monster back in the house terrorizing everything. I am worried she is hurt or scared or that I'm going to get arrested for child neglect because some policeman is going to canvas our neighborhood and find the toddler alone in the house with the mother across the street with her five year old trapped in the middle of the biggest snow we have had since 1889.
Jonah falls and doddles and takes about fifty years to get back across the street while I panick about Maeryn's safety and the condition of our home with regard to this.
I run to the door and throw it open.
Maeryn, in socks and diaper, toddles out to the living room holding a chocolate chip banana muffin from a plate in the kitchen.
"Hi, Mama!" She says cheerily, taking a bite of the muffin.
I later find the she has also skillfully replaced the Saran Wrap over the muffin plate after retrieving her prize.
Apparently she is able to last independently for long periods without supervision and not burn down the entire neighborhood...
But don't worry, I'm thinking it won't happen again.
No comments:
Post a Comment