The snow has been blowing since last last night, adding to Saturday's accumulation of about a foot. We cannot even see out our window. Sometime after lunch, the power went out, leaving us feeling mighty stranded. This is the first home I've ever lived in, where there wasn't at least one gas-powered heat source, be it the stove, the hot water heater, or the furnace, or all three.
"We need a generator," I told Jeremy.
"Yup."
"What are we gonna do?"
"Huddle under a blanket. Pretend we're pioneers?" He said.
"How about we try and find all the lanterns, candles, and batteries in the meantime while there's some daylight?" Usually our outages last a long time when the weather is decent. Like the summer when we went without power for several days because of a transformer on the lines that went bad. It was possible we could be with out power well into Friday. I was not feeling too optimistic.
"We could probably make an oil lamp."
"Maybe"
The lights flickered hopefully a few times and then died again.
"If we get desperate, we're gonna try it."
"Ok."
About an hour later, power returned, and we quickly decided to get as much done as possible. We looked up how to make a home-made oil lamp (yay Google) gathered those supplies in the event we lose power again. And we decided to wash the dishes from lunch that sat in the sink, since we had hot water again. Rather, we informed the kids they needed to wash the dishes before we made dinner.
It was only a matter of moments before we heard the familiar arguments, feet stompings, and catty noises emanating from Ruth and Hannah. Hannah, in typical fashion, was refusing to help. Ruth in her frustration decided to solve the problem in her own way.
She duct taped Hannah's mouth.
It might be important to mention at this point, Jeremy rarely raises his voice. I have seen him control the kids with a single look. I believe it is the implied "I-brought-you-into-this-world-I-can-take-you-out" glint in his eyes that keeps them in check. I can count on one hand the few times he's lost his temper, and yelled, usually at Joshua, and usually deserved.
The screeching sounds resulting from said duct taping brought the WRATH OF DAD pounding down the stairs like a thundercloud in all its mighty splendor, interrupting the beginnings of a true cat-fight. It is perhaps the first, and hopefully the last, time the girls have ever incurred the WRATH OF DAD. Ruth tried to tattle and get Jeremy in trouble with me. Big mistake. All she succeded in gaining was another lecture, this time from me.
"You duct taped your sister's mouth. You never duct tape your sister's mouth. Anyone's mouth. Be glad it was him and not me. I have half a mind to tie you two together like a three-legged race until you get along with one another."
All I can say is, I'm glad he was home to be judge and jury for a change. Here's hoping we survive the next 24 hours in close confinement with one another.
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