Day Two - no school. We're going a bit nuts. My husband has the chains on the van, so we aren't housebound - but they are here - all day. Last night I needed a break from all of them. There was nowhere to go but outside.
I had recounted a childhood memory to our son the other night. It was my first snowman when I was 10. It was all of 3 feet high. One of the girls making it with me brought pink food coloring in ketchup bottles. We proceeded to girl it up with the pink liquid. It was quite silly. With that thought fresh in my mind I felt the need to find a spray bottle that still had a stream setting. I filled it with red food coloring and water and headed out the door in snow gear.
They tried to follow me. They began to frantically and enthusiastically shout,
"We'll come with you!
We're getting our boots on ... wait...."
I cut them off quickly with a loud and firm,
"NO! This is MY outing.
I'M going out - just ME.
Please stay in here and let me be!
Just let me go outside for five minutes... alone!"
They backed away and headed for their father. I think I worried them with the crazed look in my eyes. It was the look that was quite clear - no negotiating. Also, that I was over the top and really needed the quick break.
So there I was - 25 degrees, bundled up, a squirt bottle attempting something by the light of the LED houselights and street light. I just wanted to write Merry Christmas in the snow.
The challenge was twofold: finding an untouched stretch of snow for my creativity and guiding the stream from the bottle to make legible letters.
I almost accomplished it. My children thought I'd gone crackers. My husband already knows I am.
I managed to get, "Merry Christm..." the "mas" wasn't very legible. I took these this morning. They can see by my scrawl that it was a good idea to back away and stay close to dad. This is not the work of a sane woman.
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