Day 25- Trapped in the House... Need to Get Out

We have been snowed inside our house for two days now. School has been canceled for two days. The last time I remember school being out that long for snow was in 1987. Yes that's right, 1987. So, take two days of no school and add two days of the weekend and you have one crazy Momma!!!!!

We have passed the time by playing the Wii, watching hours and hours of Disney Channel and Nickelodeon, baking, playing games and just simply driving each other nuts!

Late this afternoon we decided to try to go sledding. The boys had attempted to do it this morning, but Daddy's car was stuck and they couldn't get it out. So, after nap time we decided the entire family would try to take Mom's van out and go sledding!

I didn't realize we would be in for such an adventure!

Tanner is really good at back seat driving. Mom says he gets it from Dad and Dad says he gets it from Mom.

Dad had spent thirty minutes shoveling the driveway. We had 12 inches of snow in our backyard (not counting the drifts), so having a north facing driveway this was quite a feat. We also have a rear entry garage, so this meant we had to brave the alley to get out.

We piled into the van. All five of us! Trey wasn't quite sure why we had stuffed him in all those clothes and he was in obvious discomfort sitting in his car seat, but in the back I hear, "Hey Trey, you are going to have so much fun sledding!"

On the way, the snow is piled everywhere. We drive down the road and we hear "Hey Dad! Be careful! Don't pass that car. You are going to fast. Dad, you are going to lose control of the car. Be careful, Dad."

Ok, that's it, we are implementing a no talking policy in the car! Once that happens, I hear... "I'm not talking, I'm singing."

Oh Boy! Are we sure we needed to get out?!?!?!

The roads are nasty and it does take us a while to get to the park, but getting there is priceless for the boys!

They pile out of the car before we can get Trey untrapped from his car seat and are gone! We look around to see Tanner flying down the hill on his sled!

He is laughing and enjoying himself! After being cooped up in the house for two days he is out and loving it!

Down the hill for about ten minutes and Trey is getting cold, so I load him up and turn the car on for heat. This is quickly followed by Austin who can't feel his hands.

But not Tanner. This kid stays out there with Dad for over thirty minutes! He is having so much fun gliding down the hill and traveling back up. I can see him going up and down the hill and really quickly notice that he is red in the face and covered head to toe with snow all over his body. This kid has got to be freezing!!!

As the time goes by he ends up spending 45 minutes sledding down a hill. I think he likes it.

Zach has to bring him to the car crying because he doesn't want to go home.

On the way home once again we hear, "Hey Dad! Be careful! Don't pass that car. You are going to fast. Dad, you are going to lose control of the car. Be careful, Dad." Got it Tanner, Dad's being careful.

When we pull into the alley, it's slow and steady the entire way down. Then we get to our driveway. Dad has only shoveled off the half that the car needs to come out of and with an inch of ice underneath the snow it's still pretty slippery. We struggle to get up the small embankment. Back and forth we rock trying to get into the garage. All of a sudden we hear in the back, "Hey Dad, why don't you try to back up and just gun it?"

Gun it? Where did that come from?

Giving it one more try before we pile the family out and try to push the car into the garage, Zach backs up about fifteen feet in the alley and guns it! As we travel up, we have the feeling that this one is going to make it! And what do we hear in the back....

"Go Dad, Go Dad, Go Dad, Go Dad." Tanner is cheering Dad on!

As we begin to drive into the garage we hear. "YEAH DAD!" Tanner is the back seat clapping and cheering because we made it!

For us the simple things in life often go by without being noticed. But for Tanner, something as simple as getting into a garage on a snowy day can be turned into an experience he will never forget.

I guarantee, this child will be talking about the day we went sledding and almost got stuck in the alley for a long time!