As a lifetime resident of central Ohio I have grown up accustomed to the delightful gift of SNOW DAYS that occur a few times every winter. You will never hear this teacher complain about an un-scheduled day at home. However, one thing I have not come to expect due to my experience is the SNOW WEEK. Never in my recollection have I missed a total of five consecutive days of school due to weather. Tomorrow may be a first in the records for many central Ohio residents. And like I said…you won’t hear me complaining.
Monday was technically President’s Day and school was not scheduled, but by mid-morning on Monday the fluffy flakes began to fall on our small town and I was trapped indoors all day. The snow did not let up on Tuesday or Wednesday landing nearly a foot of snow in total over those three days. Today the extremely low temperatures and wind chill landed nearly all of central/south central Ohio on a school cancellation. And the future looks bleak, my friends. According to some forecasts tomorrow looks to be just as bad as today if not worse. This really may be a 0 day work week.
On the bright side I have had an extremely productive week on the home front. I conquered several tasks on my to-do list and cooked healthy homemade meals every night all while tending to my precious two year-old flu victim.
As my sick toddler sleeps away her bug I can’t help reflecting on the positivity that this week has brought me. Before she was infected with the flu I made many fun memories with my Princess that may not have happened had I been working this week. She has a knack for cooking and art so we spent many of our house-ridden days baking cupcakes (in our “bakery” as she calls the kitchen). One afternoon as I sat grading some projects she sat beside me insisting that she do her “school work” which was her drawing shapes and letters in her own notebook. After bath time when she was beginning to show signs of illness we set her bedroom up like a store and she “bought” the outfit she wanted to wear using some play money and placed them in a shopping cart before putting them on. It’s times like these where I can’t help, but stop whatever I am doing and soak up as much as I can from those adorable moments.
This week has truly been about spending time with my favorite little person. In my first post I mentioned that I learn more from my daughter than I could hope to teach her and that is exactly true. She has taught me to prioritize and love in a totally new way that is unlike marriage love. Life’s little lessons have been sent through such a smart and angelic child and I feel completely blessed to be her mother.
All of these good moments and fun times have culminated today. I’ve done all I can to help her feel comfortable and better as she battles a fight with the flu. From rubbing her back as she vomits to letting her lay on me for hours on end I have done my best to help her get over this nasty sickness. As much as I hate watching her feel so miserable I’ve truly loved the snuggle time I have gotten with my baby today. She is usually a very active girl, but it is nice to have a day to slow down and cuddle. (And maybe not leave the living room couch) 🙂
As the fever is coming down and the energy is re-entering her small body I am so grateful for so many things. I am thankful for her health, her BIG heart, and life’s little lessons. It’s so easy to get caught up in my own life and all of the many things I do, but I’m learning to stop…slow down…and make more MEMORIES.
The Ameri Brit Mom 