This month has been a wild ride. We kicked off 2024, enjoyed a week of school and routine only to be hit by a snowstorm that locked us down similar to Covid. The Covid flashbacks hit as I was walking down my snow covered street and there wasn’t a single car or person moving about. The stillness could only be felt in the absence of noise. It was that eery feeling that only Covid had brought before.Schools were canceled. Businesses were closed for days. We were trapped by the goodness of snow. Here in the South, we don’t get “good” snows. We may get a couple inches once or twice a year that typically melt before lunch time.
But, this was different. Eight-plus inches covered the area. Freezing temperatures made us well aware that it wasn’t going anywhere. But, that feeling of being “trapped” left me with precious time with my kids.
I watched my three-year-old experience his first “good” snow. I watched as he finally gave into his fear and tried solo sledding for the first time. I watched as he threw his arms in the air and let out a boyhood scream of “YEAHHHHHHH” followed by, “I WANT TO DO THAT AGAIN!”
I watched him ride that sled well into the night as darkness covered the sky. I watched him full of energy and excitement each morning as he asked, “Can I go ‘sliding’ again?!”
I watched my girls bonding over Minecraft, creating a spa in the playroom (which ended up costing me $20 for my “treatments”), and lots of art projects. We had movie mornings in my bed followed by afternoon snuggles on the couch. We stayed in pajamas and had nowhere to rush to. We made snow cream and unlimited snow cones. We lived our absolute best lives during this unexpected time.
I watched my kids pack into my oldest’s room to have sleepovers. No fighting over what was going to be watched that evening, just pure joy of being together.
January has also given its own stresses of damage the weeklong snow caused to the gutters and HVAC unit. The days off from work and the lower paycheck. The stress of cooking three meals a day (phew, that’s been the worst).
As my kids get older, I’m well aware of the speed in which time flies. We will always have stress caused by work, money, house repairs, kids’ activities and schedules. But something we won’t always have is slow time with our kids at this age.
January is usually a drag. The coldest and what feels like the longest month of the year after a two week break from school. Spring break feels forever away. The last day of school before summer even further.
