Beyond Unitasking

The more I mull over this word I've chosen, the more I realize that it goes beyond just unitasking. Choosing to focus on something or someone also means that I'm choosing NOT to focus on something or someone.

I realized this today, home for our second snow day of the week.

The kids were outside, doing this: 

I wanted to be inside with this: 

 (and if I'm being totally honest, with my computer, too)

But instead, I decided to not focus on my wine and my computer. I went outside for this: 

and this: 

and this: 

Doesn't it look like Olaf is hugging Alice? 

I have so many things that distract me from what's going on around me, in and outside of my house. And really, a lot of these things can wait-- responding to emails, leaving comments on blogs, checking Facebook, Googling, pinning, looking for a job. Even the wine can wait, sometimes. (I'm drinking it now!) So yeah, FOCUS is also about priorities, about focusing my attention on the things that matter, on the moments that I won't get back again, like watching my three year old try to walk through snow that comes up to her knees and my 5 year old being buried in the snow by our neighbor.   How awful and mortifying would it be if the only thing my kids could remember about me is that I always had my nose in my phone or my ass on a chair, with my face in my computer?

No, I want them to remember me as the mom who joined them outside to help build a snowman (who are we kidding? I built the thing, they stuck sticks in it...).

That is meaningful, don't you think?

Oh, and here's the snow we got Monday and today. Between those two days, we ended up with a foot of snow. No filter on these photos. In today's picture, it is snowing,  hence the haze, if you can't tell...

Note #1: Snow

We Didn't Get Any Snow.

A friend shared this great idea on Facebook: dropping colored vinegar into baking soda. Little mini volcanoes! 

We woke up in the morning to 16 inches. 

Camping out in front of the fireplace and wishing for the real thing. 

I put Alice to work sorting coins for rolling. 

Our cat took a step, and would've ventured past the threshold if I'd let him.

And there's another storm predicted for Wednesday into Thursday. I'll be more prepared this time around, food-wise. The past two days have been an exercise in pantry shopping... but it's been nice having Henry home. I got some reading done (I'm currently reading The People of the Book, by Geraldine Brooks.) I should've gotten some sewing done, as I have crayon rolls on order for Wake Robin, reopening in Croton in March (yay!), and some writing done, as I'm behind on my assignments for The Power of Writing but two kids with cabin fever are no match for two adults. And now one of those kids has a fever. Looks like we'll be homebound a little while longer. 

Powerless