"Way Better Than a Friend"

Nope, not talking about the snow here in my title, folks...Wow.  Are we really in NC?  We are on day 7 of snow days this year and I am sure that tomorrow will be our 8th.  And, I am sure that Landon will not have a spring break but we have already paid for a beach house for the week...for the first time ever we have plans to go away on Spring Break to give Landon a treat.  Oh well.

Yesterday, I was really feeling the sting of these snow days.  You see, I had arranged a day off from work months ago to do what moms do on their day off- organize this house.  I was actually really excited about it- the closets, the pantry, the drawers...  I imagined what they would look like after I went to Ross or Target and found more organizational doo-dads..no more extra bags of cereal from Sam's falling on my head when I pull out the cereal container that is too full to put the rest of that cereal in...no more inability to close to hall closet door because of complete disorganization of kids games and crafts that the kids have gotten into when I couldn't because I was in the middle of cooking dinner or potty training...no more little pieces of "special crap" to sort through when trying to find my keys (in case you don't know what "special crap" is, it is a collection of tiny pieces of paper, sticks, rocks, trash, etc. that for some unknown reason your kids will not let you throw away- until you do...when they are not around...and they never miss that "oh, so special" item)...no more Tupperware falling in the floor when I just open that cabinet door...no more bins taking up space in my closet because I haven't had time to get them to the consignment store or goodwill...and...no more finding that ricotta cheese I knew I had but couldn't find it in the furry of dinner drama a month later with mold inside because it fell behind the cluttered shelf in the fridge.  Oh, how freeing!!!

Then. Another snow day. After the tease of a 3 hour delay.

I admit, my attitude was not stellar.

I have been trying really hard to enjoy these days with the kids and I really think we have.  But, yesterday, my patience and creativity were just running low.  Plus, I was disappointed to have to give up a day that was going to "make my life with three kids easier" and "make me less frustrated."

To start the day, I decided Landon needed to do some school work.  Structure is good for kids. Amen?  So, he asked if we could sit by the fire and do it.  Sure!  While I gathered myself and got dressed, he waited for me at the kitchen table and did his first bit of homework by himself.  This was a huge deal!  Landon had read his short story and had answered all of the questions in complete sentences without any help from me!  I was amazed and thrilled and super proud.  Usually, reading is like pulling teeth to him and we honestly struggle through it with many silent prayers ushered under my breath while I try to help him.

On a roll, we went and sat in front of the fire and I brought my laptop to work on some left over work I had to do.  Amazed, I sat and worked on my work and he on his.  This is the first time I have experienced this!  I was able to help him with a couple of words and thoughts, but he did the large majority without me actually helping...it was better than anything I could have hoped for for yet another snow day that rendered my own plans useless.

"The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law."  Deuteronomy 29:29

I read this verse this morning and was reminded of just how in control God is of all of our circumstances.  God is in the snow days, the disruptions of life, the unexpected surprises and disappointments.  He reveals his plans to us when it is His time, not ours.  Though the thought of another snow day was difficult to settle into, I am so thankful that that little secret, the secret that God knew, the secret that Landon would read beside me by himself for the first time, was revealed and set my day off with my sweet boy.

I let him play a little xbox while I finished up my work, we watched Big Hero 6 while I ran on my treadmill (4.5 miles!) since my half marathon training does not stop for the snow, we went to Dunkin for lunch, I took that bin to the consignment store, we got groceries and gas in preparation for the snowpocalypse 2015, we got frozen yogurt and he even helped me find bathing suits (I know, I am just really ready for spring at this point).

I told him how much I enjoyed our day.  I said, "Landon, it sure was nice having a little friend to run all these errands with today!"  He replied, "Mommy, I am way better than a friend."

That. Sums. Up. My. Post.