Snow days bring such lovely thoughts to mind — staying home wrapped in a blanket, taking in a good book and drinking hot chocolate.
But, as a stay-at-home mom with two little boys (ages five and three), it’s more like being trapped in a box with wild animals desperately trying to get out of their cage. With no good release for their excess energy, watch out … on edge, wild animals will rely on their instincts as opposed to their learned (better) behavior.
Essentially your house becomes the hunting grounds. The predators’ plans are simple: attack, destroy and eat everything in sight. And believe me, they take no prisoners.
You are just going to have to let the idea of having a clean and organized house go … for now. That’s why they call it spring cleaning anyway. If you want a tidy house all year, you should probably send your children to Florida for the winter. But if you have boys, you might want to give up on the idea altogether. Boys (even grown ones) aren’t just messy, they have the ability to destroy a room in mere seconds. I’m thinking of trading my furniture in for bean bags and an indoor trampoline.
While I am certainly envious of my children’s energy, I just wish they had a little less of it. My idea of fun this time of year is cuddling under the covers and stuffing cookies in my face.
I’ve decided winter simply serves as a test of our abilities as parents. Making it through is all about willpower and survival skills. Remember, you must approach wild animals with the utmost care and respect. They bite.
Knowing this, I am giving it my best to embrace my boys’ wild side. I have given in and let them do things I normally don’t let then do ‑ like jump on their beds and on the old couch downstairs. I realize they need time to release their inner beasts, and physical exertion is the only way to really do this. And it’s all worth it when the animals finally give up and crash hard on the jungle floor. They are so cute — and look almost cuddly — when they are fast asleep.
While some days I stare out at the snow and wish I was on some beach, somewhere … perhaps having a cocktail … I realize deep down there is nowhere I would rather be. Even when the animals are wild and unruly, and leave a path of havoc everywhere they go, they bring endless joy and laughter to my life. There is certainly never a dull moment when they are around.
Still, I am increasingly pleased that spring is just around the corner, and I will be able to send the animals back outside where they belong.
