Monday, 21 January 2013

Snow Day... and Memories

This weekend we finally got snow - lots of it... and boy were the children excited. They couldn't wait to get outside and use the sledges we bought them the last time it looked like it might snow - about 3 months ago. But they certainly made up for it yesterday! We were out in the bitter cold and blizzard like conditions for at least an hour. By the time we returned the boys were covered in snow from head to foot. TJ resembled a small snowman....

We had to come home in the end as KC was in floods of tears. The little monster had spent the whole afternoon throwing snowballs at anything that moved - and he has quite a throw. Well, he threw one at Papa who then did the unthinkable - he threw one back and it caught KC full in the face. Cue hysterical tears and an immediate need to go home. I tried to comfort him and explained that if you throw snowballs you have to expect to have them thrown back - that didn't go down too well and KC decided he hated us all, he hated snow and he hated being outside. Fine, I took him home and sat the Incredible Sulk in the kitchen to have a long chat about attitude - he is 8, where on earth has this sudden need to be rude to everyone come from - my little ginger angel is turning into a demon. I expected that at 14 or 15 but not yet....

Today school decided it would close due to the snow and Papa had to work from home because his bus service was cancelled. Apparently the main roads and railways are fine - we just cant get to them as the council decided not to grit the roads that feed onto the main ones - keeps the traffic down I guess.

So we are all at home - but Papa is actually trying to work - which can be tough when there are two bored children tearing around the house. (secretly, I'm pleased they are being such horrors - then Papa can see what I deal with every day!)

I persuaded them to come and choose Papa's birthday present online - hopefully with delivery in time - as they both refused to go shopping for a present. They now know about internet shopping and it has made them very lazy! So we went online and chose something and immediately after they wanted to go out and play in the snow. I think that the snow took precedence over the present as I simply had to show them something and they were shouting 'Yes, get that - that one,' I went to something else, 'Yes, that, that... can we go and play now!' I hope Papa enjoys his box set of 'Classic Car Crashes' - which TJ thought was an ideal gift. TJ did offer to give Papa one of his toys... 'not a good one though,' he added as an afterthought, anything to avoid going to the shops!

But present was duly chosen and purchased and I took the children and their sledges up the hill to give Papa some peace and quiet. Today, it was TJ's turn to turn on the tears. About 30minutes in and he decided that snow was too wet and too cold and could he go back home now. I love that we are raising such hardy young men eager to cope with whatever the world throws at them!

Please let them go back to school tomorrow. I am sure though that as it is a snow day that the school will happily hold a 'make-up' day in the Easter Holidays - I would hate for my children to miss out on their education.....

On a different note we lost my Aunt over the weekend. She fought a brave battle against cancer but finally went peacefully on Saturday night. I spent much of yesterday reminiscing with my Mum the great times we all had as children with my late father and cousins. I won't say much more as it is a family matter but she will be greatly missed and although we had drifted as I got older, we always exchanged birthday and Christmas cards and she was so welcoming when Papa and I got married and later when we adopted the boys sending cards and gifts.

However, one memory remains with me though - the night my father died, her younger brother. I was stuck in Singapore. I couldn't get a flight home as it was two days before Christmas and I had to wait at the airport for a seat to become available. My Aunt was the last person I called while I sat at that airport and she simply asked me if I was alone. By that time I was. She said, 'then I'll stay on the phone with you.' That was the first time I cried and as I sat there in an empty airport bawling my eyes out she simply stayed with me telling me to 'let it all out and that she wouldn't leave me.' I think I was on the phone with her for nearly an hour. I'll never forget it and we'll never forget her.

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