Quilt Scraps Mom

Over the past few days, I’ve felt the quilting bug bite again. Something about a few too many snowy/rainy days has that effect on me! But I couldn’t find the set of squares that I need to piece to get my next quilt going. I’d put them in one of those “safe” places just before Christmas 2006. Obviously kept them safe from becoming part of a quilt, anyway!

So, I escalated from randomly “keeping an eye out” for them to an all-out search. And it wasn’t pretty. Time for a Fly Lady Super Fling, anyone? With a few prayers from friends, I found that pesky box of squares. But that’s not all; I also found…

• My three-year old’s Snow White costume from Halloween 2007 (unworn). Now that was a quite a night, more than 15 kids piled up on my front lawn waiting for me to convince a sobbing preschooler that she really wanted to be Dora the Explorer, not Snow White as she’d been planning for weeks on end.
• A box of baby boy clothes borrowed when my son (age seven) was born — all packed up and ready to be returned to the now-unknown person from whom they were borrowed.
• A “Grow Your Own Butterfly” kit from 2005 — thankfully, caterpillars not included.
• Two complete sets of McDonald’s Teeny Beanie Babies. Remember those? I have all three years’ worth. Guess I waited a little too long to list those on eBay, didn’t I?

And there was more, but I’ll spare you all the details.

Now if I could just find my car keys…

     I remember as a child how exciting it would be when the possilibity of a snow day loomed ahead.  I’d get up even earlier than normal and listen eagerly to see if the name of my school would be on the list of those closed for the day, the excitement growing as the announcer would get closer and closer on his alphabtized list.

     Then came adulthood, when I quickly realized that with few exceptions, there were no snow days… only days when I’d still have to get up earlier than normal, but to shovel the walkway, clear snow from my windshield, and cautiously make my way to work, hoping only to arrive without joining any of the fender-bendered cars littering the sides of the road.

     And now, life as a homeschool mom.  No radio announcer will list “Windy Hill Academy” as being closed for the day.  Just sleepy students in pajamas wondering if bringing Mom coffee in bed will be enough to cause her to abandon schoolwork for just a while.  Cuddles on the couch with a good book.  Sledding down the back hill and enjoying hot cocoa afterwards.  Seems a lot like those old snow days, doesn’t it?  Except I’m blessed with the opporunity to enjoy such days whenever I want… no waiting for some school district official to give his or her okay.  So yes, I still love snow days.  And sunny, spring days exploring the budding plants in our garden.  And crisp fall days of playing in leaves and hiking in the woods.   And the blessings of learning along the way.