The first day.

Today was my first day back in the land of work.  It was also the day after a major, major snowstorm.  I woke up exactly when I wanted to, showered, made myself as pretty as possible for 6:30am.  I could hear the sound of spinning tires outside of my home.  When I looked out the window I discovered that cars were stranded everywhere.  Andrew went outside and began helping to push neighbour's cars to the main road which had been plowed.  He was outside for 45 minutes, and helped five cars find their way out.  I drive a very, very tiny car.  Andrew was certain I wouldn't be going back to the land of work today.  It took him, and five other neighbourhood men 10 minutes to get the car out to the main road.  Andrew left for work.  After feeding and dressing Julian and Nora, we were off to make the trek around the block.  I knew this wasn't going to go well.  I was carrying Nora, and five bags of daycare stuff and work stuff.  I always hold Julian's hand when we walk (as he thinks it is hilarious to run away from me) but that was not an option, as my hands were more than full.  He was very good, and walked close behind me.  He must have sensed the impending danger...  We were half way to the car when I saw a big, Husky dog running towards us.  I immediately looked for his owner, who was nowhere to be found.  The dog began circling Julian, the way an animal does just before they attack (at least, from what I've seen in the movies, and when my sista was bit by a dog when we were little).  I kept yelling:  "Julian, don't move!  Don't touch him!", and tried to "shoo" the dog away.  Nora was so frightened by my yelling she dropped her soother in the snow, and then began to cry.  Just when I was about to throw myself at the dog's mercy, and break down in tears in the midde of the sidewalk, a neighbour came to our rescue and chased the dog away from us.  We finally made it around the block, where we encountered yet another obstacle.  We had to get from the sidewalk to our car on the street, but standing in our way was a HUGE snowbank.  By this point I was beginning to loose all sensation in my arms from carrying Nora and the bags.  I heaved myself (which included Nora and the bags) over the snowbank.  I began to BEG Julian to climb up the snowbank.  Julian just stared at me.  Blank expression.  Time stood still.  Finally Julian said:  "Mommy, I go this way..." and made his way through a nicely cleared path, directly beside the mountain I climbed.

jbxo