This is my winter song . . .

 

We are blanketed again in the downy soft snow. Cold wind blows outside and we watch from warm nooks and crannies and thank God for the wisdom of houses. Home life buzzes about, like the inside of a cozy hive.
Daniel has been sick these last few days with stomach 'yuckies". He has been a trooper about the whole ordeal, and the other night, when he was in the throes of "heaving" he kept saying through tears, "I'll be happy now. I'll be happy." as though he could will himself to be better, happier, than he was at that moment, hanging over the side of the bowl. It broke my heart. I wanted so badly to help him. I did what I could, but some things you have to do on your own.
Yesterday, our gift of a snow day was happily received, since I had been up from 3 a.m. with aforementioned sick little boy! That call at 6:30 am was a relief! I crawled back on the couch where I was sleeping with Danny, and closed my eyes to get a little more rest before the big boys woke up.
And indeed, they did wake up.
They got some cereal while I made coffee. I was going to need it!
The boys played Legos and some video games (a privilege they only get on weekends) and we read some Mattimeo (from the Redwall series) aloud together.
The older boys spent a little time shoveling the yard, and tossing a few snowballs around.
I took a nap with Daniel, who continued to be sick through part of the day.
In the afternoon, Joe rescued mom from the snow and she came to stay with us.
We had pizza and nachos for dinner, and then made hot cocoa and ate oatmeal cookies and watched America's Funniest Home Videos together. My kids love that show. It can be pretty corny, but it can be pretty funny too, and we had a good time laughing together.
Before I knew it, the day was over, and my kids were tucked into their beds, worn out from their day off.
I know some people complain about the cold and the snow and having to stay home, or having to battle the slushy, slippery conditions if they do have to venture out, but as for me, I love me a snow day! I love getting an extra day home with the boys.
And really, the snow is so . . . beautiful. At least for a while, before it gets all black and mushy. But for a while, it is white. So white. And it sparkles like a million slivered diamonds in the streetlights. I watched it in silence for a long time last night, out the window. Falling. And I thought about the God who created each snowflake, and who blows them down to the earth on the wind of His breath. And I thought, if He wanted a snow day, who was I to argue, anyway?