The L-O-N-G-E-S-T Weekend

Well, I am just about certifiably insane! We are having our 3rd snow day today and it really has been a VERY long weekend.

It all started with the rumors of snow coming on Thursday. It is all the school/teachers/news talked about since last Tuesday. I think my boy's teachers were really working it with the kids! Last Wednesday, I asked Matthew's kindergarten teacher how I would know if the Coffee County schools would be closed. The news here mostly covers Nashville which is now a good hour and 45 minutes North of us. I was concerned it would not report the rural schools this far South. She informed me of a local Manchester radio station and showed me the link to their website. Awesome! Now I could sign up to have a text go to my phone if our school was going to be closed. So, Thursday dawned, too early, as always, and I went straight to the window to see how much snow had been dumped on us overnight. none. It was actually warmer in our house than normal and I, once again, felt silly for actually believing the weathermen. I even felt a bit let down. I don't mind the snow, it makes the world look beautiful and magical. So I go look for my phone to double check that school would be in session. There was a text. It said that the Murfreesboro City Schools were closed, no mention of our county. OK, time to get the kids up and moving. I will save you the details of the horror that is involved in getting my children out the door on time.

We make it to the school with 10 minutes before the final bell. I am so proud of us. We come in from the back of the school, so you can't see the front at all until you pull into the front 'parking lot' (I use this term loosely here. It is more of a pothole infested piece of what I can only assume used to be asphalt.) THERE IS NOT A SOUL IN SIGHT! YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME! That's why that neighbor kid gave me the crazy-look as we pulled in! The kids are ecstatic, no school!! I am confused, it is 20 degrees warmer today than it has been all week and there is not one single snowflake in sight. Granted it is still only in the 20's but it usually is like 3 degrees outside when we get up in the morning.

We head back home and have a really good day together. We play Wii, bake and frost cookies, do puzzels, and read books. Great day! All the while I do not see one single solitary snowflake!

The snow finally starts. The 6 inch blizzard, amounts to a dusting on the grass and covered sidewalks and streets. It does snow the rest of the day but it does not seem to be sticking. School is canceled for Friday (I am pretty sure that was the plan since Tuesday.) We have an OK day on Friday, I beg my children to please sleep in until 8. I for one do not think it is too much to ask. It didn't work. Ben needs to be seen at the doctors and I figured this was as good a day as any. So we ended up running errands from 11:30 until about 5:30. It was a tiring day.

Saturday was nice and lazy. It is just too cold to be out. We all stay in our PJ's for the whole day. I get to play on my Cricut and do some crafting. I also made some yummy banana bread and muffins and a few pumpkin pies. No, we don't need it but I am starting to go stir crazy by the afternoon.

Sunday, church, primary, whatever. That sounds bad but, it was uneventful. Which is good because we normally have drama. Oh, we did have a bit of drama on the way to church in that the roads have iced over! I would have said back roads but ALL the roads here are back roads. We got on some doozies and had to back track to get to a main road -and- safety. That was fun. We were late to church even though we left on time. When we got home we had yummy chicken tacos! I heart my crock pot!! Especially when you are on the late shift for church and live 45 minutes to an hour and a half away, depending on the roads! Oh, and more drama, Caitlyn has a half bath connected to her room. We have been affectionately referring to it as the 'icebox'. No one will use it, they are afraid their backsides will freeze to the toilet! Anyway, pretty sure the pipes froze. Spencer had to run to Wal-mart to buy another heat lamp and a heater for her room/bath. FUN! We have already had to put heat lamps under our house for the kitchen and the well, both of which froze last week. So, strike that about Sunday being uneventful. I should have said church was uneventful, except for the burning spirit that stayed with me through the whole meeting! :)

I triple-quadruple checked on school, Sunday night. It's out. Black ice on the roads. I am not going to fight that one since I experienced it firsthand on Sunday. I woke up this morning freezing, our house was only 60 degrees. That doesn't sound too bad 60 is not that cold, right? No way. It feels drafty, and I am always cold. I think it has something to do with being so spread out from other houses. You are literally on your own when the wind starts to blow. The heater didn't seem to be working. Spencer checked to see if we still had propane, we do. I guess it is just so cold the heater can only do so much. Spencer moved some furniture in the living room so we could test a heater that is in the wall. I didn't know all this was going on as I was still under my 4 blankets in bed. He gets in the shower and I start to smell burning. Oh. Great. Now the house is on fire. At least I will finally thaw my bones! The house isn't on fire it is just the old heater that hasn't been used in ? your guess is as good as mine. I am happy to report that the heater is no longer smelly and seems to be working just fine.

So, if you actually made it through to this point, congratulations! Maybe I should have titled this The Longest Post.

UPdate No school tomorrow, Tuesday the 12. I would appreciate your thoughts as I pick out which mental institution I am going to check myself into. Spencer please come home!!