Mother Nature Wins

As the recent Facebook post went: ‘Kids don’t remember their best day of television’.

I was reminded of this when the skies opened up this week and promptly pelted the region with mini balls of ice.

It was 2.55pm and I was about to leave my roaring fire behind and set out on foot to pick up my three when this happened. All around me it sounded like a mini war zone. Staring out the window, I considered staying home – where’s the sense in four of us getting wet? – but decided I’d best be a good mum and deliver their umbrellas.

Setting out I wondered if my umbrella would soon be riddled in bullet holes, but it sustained the assault and we skidded into the school in one piece while ice pellets ricocheted in all directions.

In the school grounds there was high-excitement coming from within the class rooms. How cruel for this to happen with five minutes before bell time. I suspect those last five minutes was more tedious than usual for the teachers.

At 3pm the kids came tearing out, full volume, to frolic in the remains of the fast-melting ice and study it in their hands. They were in no hurry to get home in front of screens.

The first time my lot experienced hail they were not so enthused. Several years ago, while living on the farm, we decided to go for a walk and pick kiwifruit down the orchard. Just as we got our gumboots on, it started raining, turning into a full-blown thunder storm. At that point the kids began playing up so I told them it was the sky growling at them.

“Sorry,” called out Miss Three, chin upturned to the sky. It responded with another growl, followed by a torrent of hail and she recoiled in terror.

Delighted at the rear occurrence of ice falling from the sky, I decided to run back inside and grab their raincoats to allow them to play in it. After a lot of effort, I managed to get them bundled up and ready but the looks on their faces had changed from enthusiasm to fear as they edged closer towards the door. I eventually allowed a whimpering Miss Three back inside while the other two, seeing my displeasure, lingered, too afraid to admit it was game over for them too. Throwing up my hands in defeat, I stripped their dry, wet-weather gear off and, realising it my was my own fault for putting the fear of god in them, closed the door on the situation. Back to Play House Disney it was.

While Mother Nature seemingly lost out that time, I know which one they remembered: for a long time afterwards when it thundered they would turn on their best behaviour.