SnOMG!

So right now the east coast is getting pelted with snow. We have upwards of two feet of snow right now, and it's still coming down. The BLIZZARD OF 2010 OMG was not so benign for our little family, even though we totally weren't stressed beforehand, and just planned to hang out at home and enjoy being snowed in. Not so much.

It started with our power going out at 2am last night. Of course the baby monitor starts going nuts because there's no power, so we go and turn it off and crack Sebastian's door so we'll hear him if he wakes up. Go back to sleep. At 5, he wakes up, and still no power. We get up and he's annoyed because his morning routine generally consists of hanging out with Ken downstairs, eating a banana and some oatmeal, and watching Blue's Clues. Of course, that is not an option because a)we can't use the microwave to make the oatmeal, and b)we can't use the TV to watch anything. So we just had to keep telling him the TV was broken.

Meanwhile, it's dark and cold (at this point it was like 60 inside), and getting colder. Fast forward like 5 hours until 10 (though it was NOT fast by any means, in real time, because Sebastian was getting more and more bored and cold by the minute) and Sebastian went down for a nap. We called the power company and they were estimating 5pm for getting our power back. Umm, our house is getting colder by a degree or more an hour. It would have been like 40 degrees or below by 5pm. So we start trying to figure out if we can get out and go to my parents' house (about 2 miles away).

Walking isn't an option with a toddler and me being almost 35 weeks pregnant, and supposedly "taking it easy" to keep contractions to a minimum. Our van is not good in the snow, nor does it have four-wheel-drive. So my dad/hero gets his SUV dug out and comes to get us. But has to come a really back way because there are two huge trees down on the road on the main way to our house. We manage to get packed up and get back to their house (though barely...it was touch and go several times). When we left, our house was at 52 degrees.

We have coffee and some warm lunch, and things are looking up. Then we get a call like an hour after we get there that power is back (nearly 12 hours later). I guess we should have just stayed at home. But who knew, right, and we were worried about getting stranded in our freezing house. So my dad wanted to wait another hour or so to see if road crews would come take care of the trees. We did, and then packed up to go back home, because we didn't want to get stuck at my parents' house either (particularly because the dogs were still at our house).

The way we came was much more precarious so we went the main way, and there was even one MORE tree in the road. Crap. So we ended up walking the last half mile, through deep snow, carrying a toddler and three bags (we had packed in case we had to stay the night). My dad parked his car up on the street that was blocked by the tree and walked back with us, to help carry Sebastian. (Which was amazing, because there's no way I could have carried him, as hard as it was just to get myself (and Oliver) home as it was. Ken had the bags.)

We got home, exhausted, wet, but safe. Then my dad goes to walk back to his car, and realizes he doesn't have his keys. CRAP AGAIN! He somehow dropped them on the way from the car to our house. In two feet of snow. Ahh! So Ken and my dad go walk back to the car and try to look for them, but of course no luck. My mom ended up meeting my dad halfway between THEIR house and the car with the other set of keys, and then they walked back to the car together and drove it home. Gah! They've given up the keys for lost...Ken looked on his way back, too, but of course they're nowhere to be found.

What insanity, eh? Everyone is home, now, though, safe and warm. But what a DAY! I was so looking forward to just a chill day inside, waiting for our awesome vegetable stew to be ready in the crock pot, hanging out on the couch and watching the winter wonderland outside. But instead we got this. I am not amused, Mother Nature.

Anyway, just had to share....I hope everyone else getting snow has fared better than we did. I'll post pics later tonight when S is asleep and I can get some guaranteed uninterrupted computer time. Right now Sebastian is enjoying his second episode of Blue's Clues in a row and I don't feel the tiniest bit guilty. He deserves a break too.