Snow Day #2.

Snow Days. Now that the kids are all grown up…I love them. Let’s face it, when you have children Snow Days are Extra Work Days for moms. Snow clothes, hot cocoa, breaking up fights…at least that was the way it was here at Smith Abbey. Whilst in the midst of it, I was not such a big fan. Looking back, however, I miss it. Sort of. Okay, a little. But I love Snow Days now!

I put up a fake tree for the first time, ever. It’s in the dining room. My OCD kicked in…big time…and I spent two hours just pulling apart and arranging the branches. Another two hours spent on the lights and the ornaments. It’s a sickness, y’all. I’m still not happy with the tree. It was supposed to be our White House Ornament Tree. It morphed into our White House Ornament/Peanuts Ornaments/Patriotic Mickey Mouse Ornaments Tree. I suppose, technically, all of the decorations are American Themed. I’m okay with it. I am not okay with this, however:

I also did some baking yesterday so I had plenty of time to do some thinking. A few of the things I was pondering:

Me. Blessed. Beyond measure. I began counting how. Couldn’t count that high. Sure, started with the obvious: Man, Children, Family, Friends, Home. Began to break it down and name names; name blessings. Blown. A. Way.

The joy I feel when I do something for someone that brings them joy. Selfish? Sure. Sue me. I love doing things for others. Because I love them. The fact that it also brings me joy is just a bonus. Even more so when they don’t know it was me!

I know I have whined talked a lot about The Wild Boy heading off to college. It all came together and became uber real this weekend when we visited Radford and Ferrum. As we walked around Radford, I could totally picture him there. He was silent, as always, about his thoughts. He processes. Then he speaks. The Wild Boy and My Man are the same way. Is it a guy thing? Cuz My Girl and I blab blab blab nonstop about everything and you always know what each of us is thinking. Come to find out, pretty much on the way home to Springfield two days later, that he loved Radford. Ferrum was nice, also.Still rather difficult to believe that we will soon be technically empty-nesters. I say technically since the two oldest are still at home. And don’t appear to have any immediate plans of leaving. Ever.

I found my Christmas binder, by the way. And will be updating it this morning after my Quiet Time. I did a bunch of online Christmas shopping Sunday and yesterday. Not feeling so overwhelmed about it now. Need to get out this week and finish up, at least for the packages I need to get in the mail. I do the bulk of my shopping online and have for the last 5 years or so. I actually suspect I spend more online since it is so easy to do.What do y’all do? Mostly online or mostly in stores? For the record, I hate shopping in stores. I would rather go to the dentist and get my gums scraped than go shopping in stores.

Confession: while sitting here typing this last night, I consumed an entire order of chips and guac from Chipotle.

Since My Man didn’t get the word this morning that OPM closed the feds in DC, he was up and dressed and ready to go when I told him. So he headed up to Starbucks to get me a Venti Christmas Blend. A Venti because it’s a Snow Day. He. Rocks.

The Big Boy came up from his dungeon to see what all the ruckus was about. Apparently, we sound like a Herd of buffalo in the kitchen. His dungeon room is right under all the main traffic ways on the main level. He’s become quite short about it all. Maybe it is time for him to Move. Out. I will definitely make that suggestion the next time he stomps up the stairs complaining we woke him up.

For the first time, Chloella DeEvil is intrigued with the Christmas Tree. I have moved all of the lowest ornaments up from the lower branches because, like a child, she can not resist messing with them every time she is near the tree. She and Tux love to snuggle into the tree skirt. And then they start to wrestling and the tree skirt ends up across the living room floor. Exciting times at the Smith Household.

Off to wipe down the kitchen before I begin some baking. Pecan Pie and some sort of cookies are on the list today.

Love you guys. Happy Snow Day!