The southern United States has been hit with a succession of winter storms, making life miserable for thousands.
It's happened again. Yet another winter storm has caused much in the way of headaches for those who live and work in the southern part of the United States.
But the south isn't the only place that has suffered weather miseries. Oh, no, not by a long shot. The middle Atlantic region has been digging out of record-setting snowfalls (both Washington D.C. and Baltimore have reported their snowiest winters ever, in relation to the recent, record-setting snowfalls), and California has been battered by a neverending succession of storms. The middle of the country has been enveloped in bone-chilling cold, and Texas has just experienced one of their worst ice storms in recent memory, stranding thousands, and closing most businesses and schools.
Here in Nashville, Tennessee (where I live and work), we have been having our share of winter troubles, too. We have just had two ice storms ourselves; and today, the kids are home from school. I am home from my job at the hospital (one thing, I can't get out of my driveway; our driveway slants, and it is hard to maneuver the van on the ice), and my husband is home from HIS job at Wal*Mart. Everything is a frozen, solid mess; and the roads resemble ice skating rinks. There is not much in the way of traffic on the roads; and there have been numerous accidents reported, some of them fatal. (Thank God, none of the kids have been among the casualties or fatalities!) Many flights across the country have been canceled or severely delayed due to the adverse weather conditions, stranding millions. So this weather has affected a goodly portion of the United States.
The kids have been having fun, playing outside, but the ones who require walking aids or wheelchairs have been stuck inside the house (getting around on ice for them would be next to impossible), so I have been trying to keep them amused while they are home from school. But Ronee' absolutely HATES to miss school, and she is regularly venting her displeasure about the ice. And it doesn't help watching her able-bodied brothers and sisters laugh and cavort on the ice, as SHE, too, want to get in on the action!
It has been a regular nightmare, as far as parenting skills go. The kids are quickly becoming bored, and it seems like every two minutes before one needs help with getting their winter clothes off so they can go to the restroom; and/or one of the children starts to cry because they fell or they were hit by a snowball (make that ICEball) in the face. I have hardly any time for myself; and it is starting to wear thin on my patience!
Ahh. Wintertime. Gotta' LOVE it! (NOT!) I am a CAJUN girl; I prefer WARM weather!!
