West Michigan in an Arctic Freeze
Published February 13, 2016 by Angela snow
All posts tagged snow
Day One of Back To Reality; Here We Go!
Published January 6, 2015 by AngelaI wish I could say I had a spectacular day at work, but it was rather boring. Things tend to be a bit slow at the beginning of the year. My girls got home Sunday afternoon, and were home about 10 minutes before the bickering began. Or should I say continued, from the bickering they had been doing the whole time they were gone.
I was very happy to have them home, and it is nice to be back on schedule. I was very sad that my 10 year old could not stop crying last night because she missed her dad. All I could do was hug her. I had no answers for her when she kept asking “When are we going to see dad again?” I certainly could not tell her next Christmas, which is more than likely true.
Erin is on track with her home schooling, and I already made it very clear to her that we will not be going to bed on any given night until all assessments are turned in that are due that day.
We are still under a Winter Storm Warning here in Michigan. That is supposed to expire Tuesday at noon, and then they will just issue the next one. There is no stop in the snow before Saturday, and with highs of 9 degrees, the wind chill temperature is horrible. The doors on my Mini Cooper were frozen shut this morning and there was no chance of me getting them open to get my safety glasses for work. Thank goodness I have a different car to drive in the Winter!
I hope you are all getting settled into your 2015, working on any resolutions you made, and getting the year started off with a bang!
And So It Begins In West Michigan…
Published November 17, 2014 by Angela…a Winter season that is looking to be as bad as everyone predicted, which is even worse than last year. It is currently 6:15pm here, on November 17th, and there are 104 closings for evening events that were scheduled. I think the school closings will start coming in by about 10 pm.
Another thing that I get out of the Winter season is numerous Doctor, Med-center, and Emergency room visits. Case in point: a 5:00 am trip to the ER this morning with my 16 year old. She has asthma, and as soon as the temperature gets to a certain degree outside, she is pretty much miserable for the entire Winter season. I spent $55.00 on an OTC nebulizer at the pharmacy yesterday which seemed to help, momentarily. Her other inhalers were not doing the trick. But this morning by the time I got out of the shower and dressed for work, she asked to go to the emergency room. I know better than to second guess or question her when she asks, because she will suffer in silence until she can absolutely not deal with it any longer.
And that other lovely side effect of bad Michigan Winters is lots of snow days for my girls. Which means lots of phone calls at work for me, because they cannot get along. Sometimes they do spectacular together, other days, they really all just need to be in separate rooms.
And the worst side effect is that I get seasonal depression. Which is much worse than my regular depression I deal with on a daily basis. As soon as the time changed and it started getting dark at 5:30 pm, I have been short of patience. I have plenty of books on my reading list, and my best defense against this very real seasonal depression is laying in my comfortable bed with my cat, reading great stories.
How do you handle the Winter weather if you are in a snowy state?
What happened to January and February?
Published March 2, 2014 by Angela
I will NOT complain about the heat, I swear! Just make this white junk melt already 🙂
March 1st. Still freezing cold in Michigan, and the country as a whole I would have to say. So, in anticipation of the coming warm weather, (I mean it can’t stay like this forever, can it? CAN IT?? 😦 ) I am going to think warm and fuzzy thoughts!
Complaining about the snow should qualify as an Olympic sport, and I am pretty sure I would medal out on this one! So, no more complaining for me, I promise!
Looking forward to Spring, and especially Easter, I am going to brighten up my kitchen and bathroom with some warm, sunny, pastel colors. I redo my bathroom every year (small bathroom; new shower curtain and rugs, soap dispenser and trash can, a couple pictures for the wall, and a few towels to hang up and I call it good!).
I feel like I am looking forward to Easter as much as I did Thanksgiving and Christmas. Easter is actually my favorite holiday of the year, yes even before St. Patrick’s Day! I am looking forward to warmer weather, flowers blooming, and birds chirping. I am making a promise to myself that I will not complain one single time this year about how hot the Summer is. And they are already predicting higher than normal temps this year. Why not, right?
How have you been dealing with your snow and having cabin fever? I have read so many books it is ridiculous, and my Statistics class is now officially stressing me out! I make no promises about not complaining about my college classes, but I am pretty sure if I can get through this class with a solid B (which is what I need in order for my employer to pay for this class) the rest will be smooth sailing. If I have to pay for a class that did nothing but stress and upset me: YES, I am going to be pissed!
Here’s to a Happy March and warmth and sunshine on the way!
On To A New Week!
Published February 10, 2014 by AngelaI feel like I have been falling behind on several things since 2014 began. I would like to blame college but that 1st class was only 3 weeks long, and it ended a couple weeks ago.
I really think the lack of sunshine is making me so tired (and yes, bitchy! Remember that last post?) I have stocked up on some Vitamin D, hoping this helps. Normally I would go tanning, or fake-and-bake as we say here in Michigan. As much as I love the look of a nice tan, I have stopped doing this a couple years ago due to concern about the safety of it, as well as skin cancer. Being red-headed, fair-skinned, and full of freckles, I should have never had a tan, ever 🙂
I feel like I have been getting off-track on the homeschooling. If Erin is getting behind, it is because I am not pushing her hard enough. And I am not talking about making her do school 8 hours a day (although I wish she would!) I am talking about making the time I need to in order to make sure she is understanding everything, and what she has questions on. Checking her work every day is just not enough, and what used to be hours a day discussing her work feels like less and less.
So as each day here in West Michigan gets a bit longer with more sunshine (even though we don’t see it), I am refocusing on staying on task, and keeping Erin on task. I would like to wrap up her 1st year of homeschooling on a positive note, having accomplished everything we planned out last August. My intention for her 8th grade year is to enroll her in online school. I think that will help keep her on task and more focused. She sure gets distracted easily! And yes, she gets it from me 🙂 Online schooling takes a special kind of discipline, and since I have been going to college like this for more years than I’ll tell you, I think this is definitely going to help both of us with homeschooling.
What The Hell Is Wrong With Me?
Published February 7, 2014 by AngelaNo, this isn’t a hypothetical question. I have seriously been asking myself this question pretty much since the beginning of 2014.
I would like to blame the non-stop snow that has been gracing Michigan since the end of October/beginning of November. OK, so maybe that can take some of the blame. I really do not like being cold. At all. But I have been very, very grouchy. And angry. And bitchy. the small things that I have shrugged off for the past several months are suddenly huge boulders of problems that I am carrying around on my shoulders. No, it isn’t that these small things are just happening over-and-over again and I have finally had enough. It is the little things that would not bother any normal-mood person (including me) are now enough to set me on edge.
I have been feeling incredible for the past several months: I have made some positive changes in my life that have really been a huge improvement on my quality of life, for myself and my 4 girls. I have a wonderful job (no, really, it IS wonderful) that allows me to take care of my girls without any help from anyone, a nice home, my health, 4 healthy girls, a wonderful group of friends and co-workers, and a church family that help me stay grounded.
So why can’t I shake the bad mood? Is it really SAD? You know, seasonal affective disorder? It shouldn’t be. I just know this, without going into all the details 🙂
So why don’t I feel as great now as I have been for the past several months? Believe me, I am not sitting around saying “Poor Me”. I truly know how lucky and blessed I am, and I say thanks for that every, single, day.
I am just tired of the little stuff feeling like huge things. It’s not. It isn’t any bigger than it would have been if it happened last November.
So since I have only lost about the first week of February (we won’t even discuss January), I really need to get it back in perspective, and quit sweating the small stuff.
I know I need some “me” time. My girls and I have been stuck in the house together due to -20 wind chills and non-stop snow. Along with too many snow days to even count. No house is big enough for that much estrogen for that many days without some space.
So here’s to February, and hopefully melting snow in March, and flower buds in April, and a better attitude than I have had. Here’s to being happy, just because I should be!
Why Not? Let’s Have Another Snow Day!
Published January 28, 2014 by Angela
It’s pretty bad when they can only show 1 warning at a time!
School is closed by 6pm for tomorrow. Wind chill warnings and non-stop snow until at least Wednesday. Warned by police to stay off the roads unless necessary, I am sure my employer will find my attendance at work necessary 🙂 It is becoming difficult to find things for my girls to do that keep them quiet during the day while I need to sleep. They are burning up their laptop and the Wii, but have been getting along rather well. I fear the number of days they may have to go to school into their summer vacation due to this cold snap that seems like it will never end.
OK, let’s be honest, them going to school through the summer would honestly make me happy 🙂 There, I said it!
I know the feeling!
Even my online classes are having connection difficulties! We are hunkered down, taking it a day at a time. I stop to the store each morning buying what I think we may need to get through a couple days if we end up completely stuck in the house. The worst is yet to come, so I need to be prepared.
Yes, I think 3 gallons of milk in the fridge is enough (actually, I ran out of room). I guess I could buy more and keep it in my snow bank! My girls are tearing up the latest boxes of cereal I bought, therefore the fear of a personal milk shortage.
What are you doing to keep yourself and your children busy when it’s too cold to leave the house?
Enough Is Enough!
Published January 26, 2014 by Angela
How I felt when winter came early this year!♥
I have been more than polite about it, even enjoyed it coming early in November and embraced it all through the Christmas Season. I didn’t even say on December 26th, as I do every year, “OK, Christmas is over, you can melt now!” I didn’t complain yesterday when my co-worker had to push my car out of a snow drift for me, or when it took 10 minutes to get into my driveway at home. I have been enjoying the snow on a daily basis, embracing the beauty of it, no matter how much I have had to shovel at work and home.
But now I feel I have been quiet long enough.
How I am beginning to feel about this Michigan weather
Honestly, after some jerk stole my snow shovel, I was ready for Winter to be over. But nope, I went a bought another shovel (safely stored in my house, dripping snow and salt all over my foyer floor), and Thank Goodness I did. But this is just ridiculous. I knew we were due for a bad winter here in Michigan, but I didn’t think a couple mild years were going to be made up for in a matter of less than 3 months.
My kids have been home since the middle of December more than they have went to school. They are getting serious cabin fever, and I ran out of ideas to keep them occupied about 2 weeks ago. They even ran out of books to read. Yes, they ran out of books to read in my house!!
Does anyone out there have some sunshine they are enjoying right now? Can you share? PLEASE!!!
Here’s what us West Michiganders can expect today!
Week 2 Over and Done!
Published January 24, 2014 by AngelaWhen I go to college, I tend to live my life in 6-week increments; 6 weeks is how long I have to complete each class. I have to say the best feeling is the last assignment turned in for a class; knowing you can do absolutely nothing else!
This journey has showed me that I need to keep my focus. My focus on my girls, the homeschooling schedule, the church schedule, and squeeze in some me-time 🙂
I love my lists!
With a week to go, I am feeling comfortable that I can do this, and get my MBA. I can teach Erin her homeschooling, and support my other 3 girls in everything they have going on. I can get to church every Sunday morning (I have made it every weekend this year! Do you remember my to-do list for 2014?) And I can work long hours and still get up and cook dinner and eat with my girls, play Mario on the Wii, and watch mindless TV (Sleepy Hollow anyone? anyone?)
It is a snow day, again… Such is life in Michigan. I get to work again this weekend, and am looking forward to some sound sleep, getting up and having dinner with my girls, and relaxing before work. Oh, and homework. I have to get some posts in or my grade will go down.
So here’s to wishing you a Happy, warm weekend, and may you get to do the things you want to do!
This Is Probably Wrong On So Many Levels….
Published December 20, 2013 by AngelaBut I have literally been off from work for 8 hours, and am thinking I need to find a part-time job for 9 days.
I have never, never, in 21+ years of parenting, had to listen to girls fight as much as I have for the last 2 weeks. Unbelievable. The closer it gets to Christmas; the worse they fight. Yet they ask me: “Mom, can you put some more presents under the tree?”
Really?
I am about to return the ones that are already under the tree.
And go shopping for myself.
Honestly, it has been snowing here since Halloween, and I think this is going to be a long season of cabin fever. I have the best of intentions, and the smallest of patience. And the less patience I have, the more they fight. I don’t want to be home having my sleep schedule messed up. I want to go to work at 10 pm, and crawl into bed at 8 am with my earplugs, and eye mask, and “The Hobbit” blaring loud enough in the DVD to drown out my kids arguing.
I am soooo sick of hearing “stupid”, and “idiot” in my house that I can’t even discuss it. When did I become the Mother and Father to such rude children? They weren’t this rude last year, or last month. But I have become the parent of not only children who suffer from being bullied, but they are also the bullies; to their own sisters.
We will be spending every moment that our church is having service at church, and the rest of the time doing things for others who are less fortunate. Because my girls think they have it pretty bad; I think it’s time for them to see what pretty bad really is. It isn’t having to use the same back-pack two years in a row; it is not having a pair of shoes that lets you go to school in the first place.
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