Hot n Cold

The house is unusually quiet. So quiet I can hear the ticking of the clock on the wall. Every once in a while a red-winged blackbird trills from the freshly filled bird feeder. Molly lays curled up at my feet, properly tired out from the rousing game of catch that we just finished in the backyard.

It is 4:20 and the kids are outside soaking up the balmy 48 degree weather. You'd swear it was summer the way they are behaving. Two of my three boys came home from school without their jackets on. "It's so warm! I'm sweating! Can I put on shorts?" they begged.

Homework was completed efficiently and swiftly so that maximum play time could be had. Snacks were handed out and gobbled down and school clothes were striped off and replaced with play clothes in record time.

My heart melted when I'd overheard the boys asking Grace if she would like to play with them too. "Why do you want me to play?" Grace baited them. "Because it's fun with you." they wisely and sweetly said.

Happy to be included as the fourth soldier Grace suited up in her pink play clothes and took off with her boys and down the road they all went to play in the woods.

The other day I was scolding the boys for bullying Grace and they complained about how sassy she can be to them. I reminded them just how lucky the three boys are to have each other to play with but asked them where that left Grace. I reminded them that she often gets left out and even though she has three big brothers she still has no one to play with. They must have taken it to heart because I have noticed the switch. It does this mama's heart good.

These long stretches of quiet always surprise. They still come rarely but as the kids get older they are able to play and amuse themselves for longer stretches without fights and crying and accidents. I take them as I can get them.

This past weekend was a good mix of peaceful, fun, and craziness.

On Friday we packed up the truck and headed up north. It was a bit of madness that we even decided on going up north since a snowstorm was expected but we figured as long as we could leave the snow behind when the weekend was done we could handle just one more weekend of snow.

Sure enough, the cabin received approximately 8 inches of snow on Friday. The roads were dicey on the drive up but the next day the temps were back into the mid 40s. Perfect conditions for the kids to spend the day outside playing in the fresh snow. We even contemplated going skiing but Todd and I decided we'd just hang out at the cabin and relax a bit.

The kids were up bright and early on Saturday morning, eager to get out into the snow. I really haven't seen this much snow at the cabin in the fifteen years I've been fortunate enough to visit. The snowbanks reached the bottom of the shed and the garage. Perfect for feisty young children to climb on top of to get on the roofs. Oh dear. The kids all think it is hilarious how much their mama worries and they love to pretend fall off the roof or pretend they were impaled by icicles. Hilarious.

When the kids tired of that they began making a snowman. Everyone helped.

I knew the kids were getting hungry when they began eating all of the icicles off of the garage. After a short break for lunch the boys went back outside and make an entire snowman family. Our family. Complete with Molly the snowdog.

It was a snow filled day. Warm, but snow filled. The snow was melting quickly and the kids came in three separate times to dry their clothes before going back outside. By Sunday morning the driveway was completely clean of snow and patches of grass could be seen.

It was a nice weekend. I was able to finish two books (The Paris Wife and Heaven Is For Real)and that is always a bonus.

We had a good time but it was definitely nice to come back home to zero snow and 50 degree weather. Hopefully we won't have anymore "surprise" snowstorms for the rest of spring.