It Takes a Village

Tuesday, a week ago, started out like any other morning.  It was a good morning -relatively quiet and calm!  Frank was home and made breakfast before taking the big children to school.  I tidied the kitchen, made a pot of coffee, and warmed some muffins in preparation for a meeting about Kindergarten Orientation.  My little ones played.  We knew there was a chance of snow flurries, but we weren't expecting too much.  The weather was predicted to hit south of us.  Unusual, but true!  In fact, south Alabama had already cancelled school for Tuesday and Wednesday.  Not here.  Any accumulation was supposed to be 50 miles south.

As we we were having our meeting, snow began to fall.  No big deal.  We are accustomed to getting snow flurries on occasion.  It usually amounts to nothing!  So I finished up my meeting and took Walker to school.  The roads were fine, but snow was definitely falling and beginning to stick.  We arrived just at 10:00.  I stuck around for a bit.   Just in case.  It was likely to get bad quick.  At 10:15 I headed to story time at the library.  This outing is the highlight of my ordinary Tuesday.  She loves it.  I love it.  Betsy played with puzzles, and I chatted with the other moms.  That's what we do and that's why we both love it.  The conversation revolved around the weather -  "What was going to happen?," "Were they going to cancel school?,"  "When?"  And then at 10:30 cell phones started buzzing.  School was dismissed at 10:45.  I slowly made my way out of the library while continuing to visit with another mama.  My plan was to head to the preschool in order to pick up Walker first and then meet my big two on the route that they walk home.

So much for my plan!  I turned out of the library parking lot and started slipping and sliding.  I could only go one direction - backwards!  My tires wouldn't get traction, and I was taking up both lanes in front of the library.  I know I looked ridiculous.  Call me crazy, but I even got out of my car twice to look under it.  Finally, I was able to move in the right direction - forward.  At that point, I abandoned my plan and just wanted to get my car safely to my driveway.

Mission accomplished!  Now, to collect my other three children.  Fortunately, I live where I can walk to get them.  A friend, Claire, grabbed my older two because she was nervous they would get hit with all of the cars slipping and sliding.  Here is the "it takes a village" part.  Claire then sent my two and her one across the street to another friend so she could head to the preschool.  We both walked to the preschool to collect our children.  We ended up hitching a ride back to the neighborhood with another saintly neighbor.  Around 1:15 or so, I finally collected my kiddos and their stuff - hats, gloves, coats, backpacks- from my two friends' homes and made my way home.

Frank walked in the door from downtown about 15 minutes after the rest of us arrived home.  He left as soon as he received the call that the schools were closing.  He picked up stragglers leaving their vehicles as he slowly made his way over the mountain.  

I'm not sure that I have ever been so thankful for all six of us to be under one roof.  There are countless stories of people being stranded on the highway, stuck at the office or at school, separated from their nursing infants, etc.  and there are an equal number of other stories of those helping others.  What a reminder that we can't do this alone.  We need each other!  Truly, it takes a village. 

For two days, we played with friends and neighbors in the snow.  We went sledding, made snow angels, drank hot chocolate, had spend the night company {on a school night} and playdates.  We watched movies, played games and grew tired and grumpy from so much stimulation.  

Everyone was probably glad to return to their normal routine yesterday!