How We Survived the Ice Storm

Well, we did it.

We survived.

Rainman stayed at a hotel for 2 nights, just a few shuffling blocks from work.  They fed him a few times - which was awesome for him, since he put in  a 14 hour day on Wednesday and a 12 hour day on Thursday. 

We had Pooh Bear stay over at our house.  I think he loved us.  We sure ended up loving him.  V-girl cried when he had to go home.  We all moped around the house a bit after he left....even me.  He is a good, quiet, well behaved dog.  (Pssst....Cindy, if you need us to watch him again....you know where we live!)

(Can you see him tucked in right next to A-man?)

We pulled the little girls mattress off their bed and had a camp-out in my room.  D-man declined to join us.  But, he missed out....we had a lot of fun.  (Don't tell Rainman, but we were all a little sad when he came home and everyone had to go back to their own beds!)


We got sleet, freezing rain, and snow.

It sounded like Minnesota.  You know that hushed, peaceful sound of......snow.

It looked  like Minnesota.  (Granted this was a small amount of "Minnesota")

It even smelled like Minnesota.  The cold, crisp air felt really good in my lungs.  You forget those kinds of sensations when you don't have them anymore.  I suppose it is a little bit like going back to your old elementary school and remembering its smell (that you didn't even realize it had when you went there).

I loved it.

Thankfully, we never lost power at our house.  It flickered and went off a few times, but came right back on.  We held our breath everytime....because being housebound and able to watch the Olympics and Hallmark movies you have taped is waaaaay different than being housebound with only boardgames and candles to occupy yourselves!  Although the kids were equal parts fascinated/horrified about how I told them we would be flushing toilets if we lost power.  I kind of wish I would have gotten to demonstrate for them.  :)

I really didn't let the kids go out too much because I was afraid of them being hit with a falling branch because the limbs were so heavy with ice.  They did a little skating around the yard/sidewalk/driveway....but I was too nervous to let them just enjoy it for long.

We lost a lot of branches, but no actual trees.

So, all in all....it was good.  Mean homeschooling mom that I am/was, we went ahead with our normal lesson plan and got school in.  I did break my no t.v. during the week ban though, since we weren't sure we were going to continue to have electricity....so, it was all good!

Thanks for your prayers and well wishes for us during the ice storm.