Stuck

 Oh winter in the Midwest.  It has been good to us the last few years and things have been quite mild.  The last two weeks that has not been the case.  Last week’s four-ish inches of snow and bitter cold was no fun, but we were still able to get in and out of the driveway at careful speeds for me to access high speed internet for e-learning and attend to dr appointments.  This week’s twelve-ish inches has been a different story.  Clearing a long, gravel driveway into the woods is not very feasible, and the part we have tried to clear up by the garage has a thick layer of ice underneath where last week’s snow was hard packed.  The combination has left us “stuck” in more ways than one.  While I have not ventured out, (A) has had to go to the office the last two days, and both days has found himself stuck in the driveway where I have been called to come man the wheel while he chops and digs at the ice underneath that is causing the problem.  I have felt rather “stuck” as once again I am teaching remotely WITH our sweet boys needing more attention than I have to go in all the directions I am needed (God bless that families that have been doing this for the last 11 months, you are rock stars!)  Stuck is a hard place to be!

 

In the last year, I feel like I have been “stuck” more times than usual.  Stuck at home, stuck in a food rut where I fix the same 5 meals, often “stuck” in my writing, and stuck in a set of circumstances that we can’t control.  Stuck is a hard place to be.  It wears on me mentally and emotionally.  (A) and I have often commented that while I feel like maybe I’m more hormonal this pregnancy, we are honestly quite sure it the much more immense amount of stress I am under this time around.  Due to COVID and snow, our family has been stuck in our home for the greater part of 2021 so far, and I can feel the ridiculous amount of toys and “to do” projects suffocating me.  Stuck wears on my physically too as the weather has made me less active than usual- which is normally an outlet for stress. 

 

But some of the “stuck” has made me giggle too.  (a) has given us some great one-liners throughout all this, especially after he got stuck in the snow the other day (which was well up past his knees) and announced “the snow is bigger than my legs!”  (b) has decided he is tired of being stuck in the high chair and has used the three-meals-a-day-at-home to insist on joining us at a seat around the “big table” instead of in his high chair pulled up beside us.  While we were stuck without power for 5 hours Tuesday morning they found grand adventure in us snuggling up by the fireplace and were completely and hilariously perplexed at the fact they couldn’t turn on the lights or tv and had no understanding of why they couldn’t open the fridge and stand looking for what they wanted to eat.  They weren’t upset by these things, just totally confused.  And their peanut gallery comments while the car has been stuck have made me giggle (though I’m not sure their daddy would agree with their criticisms of his work to get things moving!)

And here is the good news, we won’t be stuck forever.  The forecast for next week should bring on a thaw to get things moving.  I pulled up my recipe app last night and found something new and different for dinner (that was a hit!)  Stuck is a hard place to be, but I’m SO thankful we don’t have to stay there!

 

“Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to MOVE ON.”” Exodus 14:15