making some damage

The winter after Henry was born was horrific, particularly for a first-time mom with a wee tiny premature baby (that would be me, if you're new here). It was cold as hell and snowy and windy and exactly what you would expect from a plains state. One morning, I took Henry to the mall to get out of the house, and as I was pushing him around in the stroller, I ran into a friend's mother-in-law. We chatted for a while, mostly about the weather, and then she said, "Now I understand why pioneer women drank."

That's going to be the title of my autobiography: Why Pioneer Women Drank. Don't you think?

We had a gigantic ice storm that winter; trees were down and power was out in some places for two weeks. I was three months pregnant with Charlie and I had stomach flu. It was sleeting and freezing and I was vomiting and Henry was running around refusing to nap. At one point I heard Wade on the phone with his assistant, saying "I'm SURE Susan will feel better by lunch time. And then I'll come in to the office." Because driving on the icy roads was better than being home with a sick wife and a crazed toddler. He has no memory of this, but the assistant remembers it the way I do, so you know it's true.

We've been reminiscing about the Ice Storm of 2000 because we're at the beginning of the Ice Storm of Ought Seven, which will apparently be bigger! and badder! than ever! before! Yesterday it was nearly 70 degrees here; today, low twenties. And sleeting. All day.

Last night, the news stations kept reviewing the list of provisions we all needed to lay in before the storm hit: batteries, two weeks worth of food and medicine, some other stuff that I can't remember and probably don't have. Wade said, "Why don't any of the lists include BOOZE?"

I said, "Because those people won't be trapped in the house with our kids for three days."

I picked the boys up early today and we came home and hunkered down (I love that phrase; I picture us all huddled in a corner together, which we totally will be if we lose our power). We have bread and peanut butter and milk and candles and those cool flashlights that don't use batteries (you shake them and they recharge themselves) and coloring books and playdough and games and videos.

And booze. Of course.

At dinner, we were talking about the storm and how we would pretty much need to stay home this weekend and not go to the library or the park, and Henry asked if it was going to snow. Charlie said, "No, there's going to be an ICE storm and it's going to make a LOT of damage." And I'm sure he's right; someone around here will probably make a lot of damage this weekend.