The Week When Time Stood Still

Those of us living in the DC area received a little gift from Mother Nature called Snowmaggedon 2010. I say gift because, unless you were in one of the areas that experienced power outages - and I feel for those who were, you probably got several unexpected days off from work and your kids got several days off from school. In total, most DMV residents got about 10 days off! For a period of about 4 days, everything was shut down. While some people grumbled about it, I loved it. Once I got back home from being stranded in Nashville a day longer than planned, I was happy as a lark. No commuting an hour back and forth to work in the freezing temps, trekking to and from the metro. No going into the office working on some project that I really could care less about. No rushing home in the evenings, exhausted and slapping together a quick dinner before herding the masses off to bed. None of it! Just a leisurely week of downtime, laughter, and quality time with my family.

We painted a ceramic caterpillar piggy bank; we made a bread pudding just for Dad; we played "bowling" in the family room; we made stuffed friends at Build-a-Bear; we went out for lunch; we made a chocolate ice cream "Mud Pie;" we made candy bead necklaces; we watched movies; we even did "school" one day. It was great.

I think what I appreciated most was the lack of time constraints. The rushing that my day-to-day life involves really wears on my soul. We had no deadlines, no worries of being late anywhere, no real need to adhere to a strict bedtime. For a whole week, time stood still.

And now I'm late again.

#StrandedAtBlissdom

It's Sunday night and the Blissdom '10 conference has officially been over for 24 hours. Yet, somehow I am still in Nashville, Tennessee, in my hotel room, at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel. There's a contingent of about 8 of us that are stuck here, unable to fly home because of DC Snowpocalypse 2010. Normally, I would jump at the chance to sleep in a hotel bed, alone and without interruption, watch grownup programming on TV and eat out without having to worry if the restaurant serves apple juice, but not this time. I've been away since Thursday night and I miss my family!

I'm imagining them doing all sorts of warm and cozy family things like playing board games, drinking hot chocolate and watching movies by the fireplace. I could be catching up on a ton of things that I've been meaning to do for and with them, like sort out their closets and let them brush my hair. When will I ever get the chance to be cooped up in the house with my gang for 72 hours straight?

In know that in reality, they are probably tearing up the house, running roughshod over everything and generally driving each other and Hubby nuts with their hooting and hollering. It's a long way from the peaceful silence of my hotel room.

And I miss it.

Falling for Fall

It took me awhile, but I'm finally excited that fall is here. It did take some time letting go of summer, but there is something about the prospect of Halloween, changing leaves, pumpkin patch visits and apple picking that makes me feel like a kid all over again...We're gearing up for our annual apple picking excursion this weekend and I'm really looking forward to it. I'm also planning on dusting off my fall decorations (late of course) and adding some spice to my house. Next project is to find Halloween costumes for my troop. My first request? An Orange Blossom costume, size 4T. Then we've got Giggles' school field trip to the Pumpkin Festival. Finish off the month with homemade apple pies and the Florida vs Georgia game and we'll be more than ready to take on the winter holiday season.

A Letter

August 3, 2009

Dear DC Summer,

I was wondering where you had gone to? We've been enjoying gorgeous weather with crisp, sunny mornings and breezy afternoons. The rainfall has been light and I've been able to wear my hair out without a care. My kids have been enjoying the park in the afternoons and even riding bikes in the evening. Dinner on the deck is sublime and we even open our windows on occasion.

But now, you're back in town.

And so we're back to 88-degree temperatures at sunrise. Humidity that's off the charts. Parents racing to get their kids to the park by 10am to avoid heatstroke. Delivery men sweating through their rounds (shout out to the poor, sweaty Utz delivery guy I saw today). My hair's back in a ponytail and I'm opting to bring my lunch to work to avoid having to weather the high-noon sun.

Oh DC summer, where had you gone to? And don't you want to go back?