Cabin Fever

Sunday night, Drew started coughing. I'm fairly certain the middle of the night coughing is one of those special sounds that sets off the adrenaline pumps inside a mom's body. The bad news is, there is rarely anything you can do to stop the cough, therefore all night long you sit straight up in bed like someone stabbed you with an epi-pen. So, Sunday night, Drew was coughing.

Monday morning he was not looking his best, but Drew is a trooper. He wasn't running a fever and I really needed to be at school. I thought for sure he'd be fine. MOM FAIL. I gave him some medicine just before school started and told his teacher to let me know if she thought he needed to go home. At recess time she came to let me know that he had a complete meltdown in the gym. This is not normal. I knew he needed to go home. So, we packed up, picked up Emily and settled in to recuperate. Not counting a two hour workshop on Tuesday night, and a couple of 10 minute grocery trips, we have not left the house since Monday afternoon. And while it has been nice to slow way down, rub backs, and stay in pajamas, we're all getting a little nuts! We've had to get a little creative with things to do...










Last night it snowed again. When we woke up the sky was brilliant blue and the sun was shining. Drew desperately wanted to go play in the snow. I did not desperately want to play in the snow, but like almost always I was so glad I listened to him. We did not have a no-holds barred superhero snowball fight, but we did take a walk. We talked about how the snow looked like glitter because of the sun. We talked about the animal tracks and the people tracks and how they show where someone-or something-is headed. We made letters in the snow with sticks. Even Emmy let me put her down for a minute or two and made tiny footprints in the snow. I am learning, slowly, slowly, to be in the moment. To savor, even when it's crazy.





I have great memories of eating icicles when I was little. It was probably a little less toxic back then. But I couldn't resist plucking this one off the mailbox and telling Drew he could eat it.


And now, would you mind terribly if I spill a little heart out?

I have always seen lessons in nature. Creation is one of the ways the Creator speaks to me. Yesterday the forecast loomed large. More snow. More time inside. More cold. More sickness. But. Before the clouds rolled back in. Before the snow finally started to fall...the sun. It came pouring through the windows, just for a moment, and I stood and basked. I thought of the green buds Drew discovered in the flower bed. How he said, "Momma, I have a surprise for you!" Those buds are now covered over with snow. But they are there. Reminding, like the sun, this season won't last always. Spring is growing, deep, down in the darkness. And in the Creator's time, it will burst forth. I hope He will give me the grace to wait.