Well this is one for the books. In Texas we have 205 hours of below freezing temperatures. Through this I learned a few things (as a girl raised in the cold north):
Texas homes are not designed to keep warm
Days without electricity is not fun
It was good to unplug and play games and have no agendas
It was exhausting playing board games with three hyper boys for three days
We discovered potatoes keep reptiles warm and all our keys survived
I learned to appreciate even more being back inside a warm house at the end of this week
Through this adventure I was reminded of the fun of snow days and exploring the cold and doing all of that with my kids It was honestly a relief to not teach for a week and stay in pajamas and just be a family. At the end of it though o appreciate even more my routine and schedule. Our home lost power for over 24 hours and became frigid cold. Thankfully my parents had a gas stove and fireplace so we were able to stay warmer there and still have warm food and family close by. The boys had many adventures of playing and off electronics and just being kids. We all slept super early as the lights out reset our internal clocks a bit. We huddled in the cold, relaxed when we could in the warmth, enjoyed family time, while also driving ourselves crazy. This was a truly historic event for our area, and was a memorable experience I hope we never experience.
It caused a lot of stress as well though being thrown off our routine, living with uncertainty, hearing and seeing horror stories from across our town and state as many had it much worse. Today we were able to have our first normal day with friends, food, and clear roads
As our kids went through this relatively calmly it reminded me today how days of uncertainty show their trauma in other ways We are constantly recovering and growing through our pain as it evolves
I am looking forward to fitting back into a routine. I am so thankful for the family and friends through it all that supported and loved us
Stay safe Stay warm and keep those you love close by
Here's a small glimpse of our week:
