This past week was a bit trying for me. Rick went to Texas to see his parents and Natalie and I were home alone for most of the week. Monday was a new company holiday so after a late start to the morning I dropped Natalie off at daycare to run a few errands. The roads were slick and I hit a curb which cracked my hubcap. Not a good start to the week. Monday also included our tax appointment which is never something I look forward to...
I decided to pack my week full of activities to keep me company while Rick was gone. Tuesday Rick left very early and everything went smoothly with a Natalie and Mommy evening on Tuesday. Wednesday I had invited a college friend to spend the night to cut her morning commute and also to catch up. We were able to do dinner and chat but she had to leave to avoid a storm on Thursday.
Then there was Thursday. The storm seemed to pop up fairly late on the radar because Rick didn't know anything about it when he left. The first I remember seeing it on the news was Tuesday morning. The whole office was buzzing about the blizzard and while I was away from my desk I missed a call and text from my sister and a text from my friend in Wichita asking if everything was ok in my hometown. Turns out the ag chemical storage in Northwood caught fire and because of potential sulfuric acid creating a chemical cloud over the town, everyone was evacuated. No one was hurt and everyone was evacuated safely around 9 am, but there was this impending blizzard. Luckily the cloud cleared out by mid-afternoon and residents could return to their homes just before the blizzard hit with its 13 inches of snow. Apparently my dad had 19 missed calls the next day at the office from the Des Moines Register, CNN, CNBC, etc asking for interviews since he is the airport manager and the chemical building is located at the airport. He didn't call them back because, as he put it, he didn't know anything more than they did and it was old news by the time he got the messages (since they had to evacuate and didn't get back to the office until the next day). It was sort of stressful, but I am so impressed at my small hometown and the friendliness of people there, especially in times of need.
The blizzard warning was over much of the state and was supposed to last almost 24 hours and Pioneer decided to let us out of work at 1 pm. I picked up Natalie, got the two of us home in deteriorating conditions, and hunkered down. Between calls to Rick to update him about the weather and calls home to hear about the fire, it was almost an afterthought when the blizzard warning was extended and then cancelled because the snow was so wet it wouldn't blow. We only got a few inches here. Heavy, wet inches. Luckily Natalie took a late nap so I was able to shovel a path from the garage to the street while it was still light out; Rick was pretty worried about me getting snowed in and how I would get the drive cleared while watching Natalie. That second, late-afternoon nap saved me! I didn't clear the whole driveway, but I did good enough to get in and out. Rick arranged for a buddy of his to come to clean the rest of the drive on Friday.
Friday I was planning on taking my parents to the airport to see my grandparents in southern Texas and my sister and niece were to come and visit for the weekend. Friday morning the interstate was closed from Ames to Mason City; both my sister and parents live north of Mason City and take the interstate to Des Moines. Luckily it opened later in the day, but it was not good. My parents made it in time to drop their car off at my house, but I knew the roads had to be bad when my dad described them as horrible. A call to my sister and she was not coming on Friday night and would reassess the roads Saturday morning. She ended up not coming because the roads were still covered in ice and snow.
The two times that Rick has been gone for an extended period of time (October and this week), Natalie has become increasingly needy and clingy as the time passes. I assume that because he is gone and I am around she wants to make sure that I don't leave too, but that's just a guess. Regardless, it is very noticeable and as the week went by she went from pretty independent to attached to me in public (though still good at drop off at daycare and pretty good at home, just more snuggles). The weather had shortened my Wednesday girl's night, extended Natalie time on Thursday night, and cancelled my weekend visitors, so I jumped at the chance to go out to eat on Friday night. I knew I shouldn't have given her crabbiness but I needed adult conversation and to get out of the house. Natalie is usually great in social situations, I usually assume because there is so much going on for her to see.
That was not the case on Friday night. She was so clingy and threw a fit in the restaurant, basically refusing to sit in her highchair. At home I would have watched her throw the fit, but I feel badly in public ruining everyone else's night so she sat in my lap for much of the evening. I think she would have sat in a booster seat next to me, but the booth was too narrow to fit one in. I felt badly for ruining the other ladies' quiet dinner. Luckily when the food came she was better and sat in the highchair, but she was noticeably a mama's girl. And on her mama's last nerve.
This weekend was supposed to be spent with my sister and niece, but I found a way to keep busy (and put myself in a better mood). Natalie and I played and Face Timed with our intended visitors. I had arranged to meet up wit ha few moms with girls slightly older than our little ones to buy some clothes off of them while my sister was here and two had just given me boxes to go through. My sister and I bought so much this weekend from these lovely ladies at a great price! A good bargain always perks me up. I now have two good hook ups for clothes with great quality and prices. I already had Natalie in some of her "new" items today because I was so excited about the outfits. Natalie and I ran out to see my grandma in the afternoon and last night Daddy came home! Natalie was so excited. She just kept asking him for hugs; it was adorable. To make it even better Daddy brought home gifts from Papaw and Nanny. What a lucky little girl!
Today was a nice day to get back into the swing of our little family life. Natalie is back to being happier, eating better, and playing more independently now that we're all back together. She's been learning a lot of new tricks lately (identifying body parts, mastering her few signs, smiling on cue) and seems to be a bright little girl. We sure do love her! And although she missed her cousin this weekend, the plan is to see them next weekend instead.
And Rick's stocking is getting closer to being finished!
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