Slip Sliding Away

I awoke to my 13-year old asking if school was canceled. Freezing rain had made our road sheer ice and it was raining. He'd tried to catch the bus, but he fell several times along the way. By the time he got to the bus stop, the bus had come and gone.

IJ, CJ, an SM piled into the car and off we went in first gear, sliding in every direction. The car skated down the hill despite brakes. I dropped off IJ's brother and sister for early jump rope practice and then hauled him to the next town over to middle school. Roads were fine.

Upon return, halfway back up the hill the car got stuck and I realized I had made a huge mistake in leaving NT home the first trip out. I walked home to get kindergartener NT. I wished I had ice skates.

NT and I walked gingerly back to the car, spreading dirt ahead of us from a bucket with a cup I had filled at our dirt hill that came from digging the house's recessed first floor. I never realized three gallons of dirt weighed so much. My arms ached under the load as I tried to step carefully on the watery ice.

We reached the car and buckled up. Reverse. Sliding. Brake. Dumb, Brandy.

The car fishtailed into the bank and stuck caddy corner across the road. Good thing I had called the school before we left home and told them NT would be late.

No dirt left, I grabbed my bucket and retrieved some from the bin fifteen feet back up the hill Jim had put there during our first winter there.

On the way back, I fell on my butt and slid ten feet toward the car, stopping just short of the front corner. NT watched from the back passenger window. Cold wet pants clung to my backside. Ew. But I wasn't hurt.

Thank God for gloves, and cell phones. Dirt under our studded snow tires failed to get our Kia Spectra out so I called home for help. Jim would drive down with the tractor.

I wondered if it would slide into the car and what would happen if it did. My imagination supplied a few ideas. Best not to remain in the car. I decided to walk NT to Kindergarten, usually 10-minute walk from that point.

Dumb move. The bottom of the hill was more dangerous that the top. It took five minutes to cross a seven foot section. We would be better off trekking home through the snow beside the road.

As I contemplated the idea, the tractor inched toward the car. Even with chains, it almost slid into the car. Glad we weren't still in it.

Our neighbor came home as I wondered what to do and he offered to drive NT and I to school. By the time we returned, the car was at the bottom of the hill ready to go to Wal-Mart, and Jim had spread sand. I hoped the ice would melt in the day's unusual warmth while I was gone.

And that began my first two hours of the day.

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Technorati Tags: family ^ parenting ^ kids ^ ice ^ slippery road ^ hazardous driving conditions

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