Things I'm Loving Today

It snowed quite a bit overnight last night.  So much so that the schools should've been closed.  The streets were slick and hazardous.  This morning I safely shuttled the older two to school then came back to get Little.  Little wasn't happy.  She thought her class project, an Archimedes Screw, was too large.  She was mortified to bring it to school.  And what does a mortified eight-year-old do?  Especially when said child's mother refuses to get a hack saw and make her project smaller?

That child cries.  No.  Scratch that.  She screams.  All the way to school on icy roads.  Now granted her  school is only a mile away.  But a screaming mile is oh so much further than a singing mile.  Just sayin'.

There are also two busy intersections on the way to school, one of which a frazzled Mama, skidding across the ice, went straight through without stopping (though a very serious attempt was made).  Thankfully this skid occurred at just the right time and an accident did not occur.  Things could have been much different.

Did a brush with death stop the temper tantrum?  Oh no.  Not in the least.  Little was kicked out of the car at school -- sent off bawling into the snow storm.  Yes.  This morning started off well.

As it turns out there were several Archimedes Screws of nearly the same design and size.  The fuss was all for naught.

The remainder of my day was spent nesting; cleaning, baking and cooking.  Oh yes.  And I shoveled the walk.  'Tis one of the fringe benefits of a snow storm -- an upper arm workout.

Despite our fragile start to the morning I find myself quite grateful.

Here's what I'm loving today:

• An anonymous neighbor who plowed our sidewalk (thus cutting my shoveling time in half)
• Fresh baked bread
• Winter soups and stews
• Sour beer
• Edwardian Farm to accompany me on the treadmill
• The wherewithal to get on the treadmill after shoveling snow
• Sore muscles borne from hard work
• Kittens who play in the snow
• Near (and thankful) misses while navigating icy roads
• Indoor tulips that hint of spring (even if it's in the 20's tonight)
• Snow ever so slowly sliding from the chicken coop roof
• Three eggs (two brown and one green) despite the auspicious weather
• Hot hot showers
• Thrifted winter boots

xo.