BY: RACHEL SMITH
It’s snow day number eight in Clear Lake, Iowa. The eighth time we’ve had to come up with some sort of fun activity to get us through the long day at home.
EIGHTH TIME, PEOPLE!!!!
Cooped up inside is not the best scenario for five children.
Or Mom, for that fact.
We’ve exhausted all the new Lego’s from Christmas. Played play-doh, painted on both canvases and paper. We’ve put together every single puzzle multiple times, and played all the board and card games in the entire game closet.
Today? Well, I think maybe we need a movie marathon to get us through, because this Mama is SO over winter.
Or maybe I just need a time out. In the old TV commercials from back in the day, the mom got to step into a bath piled high with bubbles to let Calgon ‘take her away.’ While I more than likely won’t get that luxury today, I can still let my mind wander.
So as I sit here in my office, the space heater blowing a steady stream of hot air on my cold feet and legs, I’ve decided I’m going to take a little trip to a warmer time. A time of fun and sun. A time where the hot sand burns the bottom of my feet while I watch the kiddos frolic in the cool water.
I’m talking about summer in Clear Lake, people!
And while I don’t want to wish my life away, I think it’s safe to say that getting through February and soon into March springs a tiny bit of hope inside my cold, frozen body. A hope that Old Man Winter gets tired of dumping us with all this powdery snow, and our lives are soon filled with green grass and bright flowers.
I’m going to let my mind wander to those hot Thursday nights when we stroll through Main Street. I’ll stop at Rookies to grab a cold one and then head to the park to watch the kids jump on bounce houses and play on the playground. We’ll grab a bite to eat from one of the many food trucks and enjoy the live music floating through the air.
I’m going to think about 4th of July weekend. Planting myself in a lawn chair in the Park to hear Arch Allies put on an incredible show. Listening to the sounds of screaming teenagers on wild carnival rides. Enjoying the smell of a sweet funnel cake as its scent floats into my nostrils. I’ll dip my fried nuggets of cheese into a jug of creamy ranch and wash it down with a fresh-squeezed lemonade.
And I’ll enjoy every single second of it.
That’s my declaration for the summer of 2019. ENJOY IT! And if ever you feel like the hustle and bustle of summer is getting you down… just remember days like today. Days where you are stuck in the house, dreading the fact that your driveway isn’t going to shovel itself. Days that are so long, you wonder if they’ll actually ever end.
Hang in there, my friends. It won’t be too much longer and we’ll be on the flip side.