These Days

Well, we had another big snowstorm last night and into today. It actually started on our way home from Niagara Falls, making the what should have been the last hour of our drive, the last three hours. But Jacob did really well in the car and we were all happy so it was nice to have the time together.

By the time I woke up this morning, Zach was at work because he had to be in at 7am to open up for a long day of basketball games. His car was here though, completely burried by snow. I just assumed that Zach had someone from campus safety come pick him up or something. This isn't something that Zach usually does but because of the sheer amount of snow I figured he had no other choice. Jacob and I went about our day and finally went out to shovel some time after noon. We started in the back yard, much to the pleasure of Mango, who ran around like crazy for at least the first hour. Eventually my mom and Jamie came down with the snowblower and helped to dig out the cars. We must have spent at least 3 hours outside basically shoveling snow. I wouldn't have wanted to spend the day any other way though.

At some point Zach called the house to check in. I asked in passing how he's gotten to work and Zach told me he ran. I didn't believe him for a full five minutes, but he did. This shouldn't be that big of a deal, Zach is a runner afterall, and when we bought the house he always planned to run into work. But for some reason it's different when it's 7 in the morning and he's running to work because he had no other choice, and he's in a suit! By the time we came inside it was too late for Jacob to take a nap so I figured we'd just scratch the trip to the grocery store I had planned and wait out the next few hours.

Zach came home a couple hours ago so he and Jacob played for a while, ate dinner, then Zach joined me here on the couch. Jacob, completely naked, fooled around for a few more minutes, climbed up onto the couch, then squeezed between me and Zach and promptly fell asleep. We'd tried to wake him, but there's really no chance. He shoveled, and I mean shoveled, not played in, the snow for three hours. He is serious about work, you know.

Speaking of Jacob, he's been so good lately! He's all about saying 'thank you' and 'I'm sorry'. Mostly for appropriate things, but also sometimes for completely random things. When we were at the rest area Burger King the other day Jacob spotted the soda fountain and remembered that Zach isn't drinking soda anymore. "Thank you for not drinking soda and Red Bull and beer, Daddy!" Then, giving cola a category of its own, he added "....and Pepsi!" I don't know why beer gets thrown in here. Zach hasn't given that up and I prefer it that way; out of all the things Jacob listed, beer is the one that has some actual nutritional value. Anyway, he's just been a really happy kid lately and I'm really enjoying it. I have been so much better with him; so much more patient and understanding. I don't know what the difference is really, but ever since the video camera incident, I've been a much better mother. I think I just got it all out that day. Not to mention the fact that I aired my dirty laundry to you all, and I think in that way I've been monitoring myself, holding myself to a higher standard.

Back to Jacob: He's says things like 'sage green', probably the only three year-old who distinguishes between the different hues of color. Maybe it's all the paint chips we've been looking at lately. I'll never forget the time last month when I was at work and I overheard a mother tell her daughter not to say 'darnit'. I just laughed and confessed that was the word I instruct Jacob to use instead of the far, far worse words that had been coming out of his mouth at that time.

Anyway, here he is cuddled up against me and I wish I could stay in this spot forever, but Zach and I are about to knock down the back wall!!