Snow Day!

“Due to inclement weather, school will be closed Wednesday, January 22, 2014...

I can honestly say that I didn’t listen to anymore of the automated message. As a mom, I was excited for my kids who would get to celebrate a few and far between snow day. As a teacher, I was excited to have an extra day to relax and get a few things together for work and for my own school.

In celebration, my children forgot about their bedtimes and stayed up playing, keeping one eye on the weather outside and the snow falling. Every few minutes, I would hear footsteps running through the entryway towards the front door. Then I’d see a face peek around the corner, “It’s still snowing,” and “The wind is really blowing. I think it’s cold outside.”  Then they’d run back down the hall.

This morning as my children woke up, we all were lounging around in our pajamas. My sons were relaxing and playing their games, my oldest daughter was on her bed, ipad in her lap watching a show, and my husband was getting his breakfast. I was on the couch working on a new plan for my class. All just lounging.

Then my youngest walked through the living room and said, “I’m going out to play in the snow.” Then she disappeared down the hall. Simple words from an 8 year old.

I followed her into her room and pulled out a couple extra layers for her to put on. Then one by one the rest of us all began to change into our clothes. We bundled up against the cold. We followed her out the door. What followed was a day filled with snowball fights, snow angels, sliding down the street on the ice, and racing through the snow.

My daughter’s boyfriend came to pick her up and at first opted out of joining in my kid’s fun since he didn’t have gloves. However, I told him to enjoy himself. It’s not very often that we get snowfall accumulation in this area. When we do, live it up because it might not happen for another while. He picked up a snowball and 15 minutes later my daughter, who was now peppered white with snow from her head to waist, was telling him that she was ready to go.

When we were frozen in our fingers and toes, pink in our cheeks and frosty nosed, we followed the fun with hot chocolate, homemade vegetable soup, and snuggling under the electric blanket to warm frozen fingers, noses, and toes.

My oldest daughter is 20 years old. I know that one day soon, she will graduate from college and start a life of her own. Days like today are made for memories to lock away and hold onto forever.

Thanks to my 8 year old, we all hopped off of our behinds, unplugged from the world, picked up a snowball and enjoyed each other.

As my 8 year old daughter and I snuggled together on the couch, the telephone rang...

“Due to inclement weather, school will be closed Thursday, January 23, 2014...”

My children’s cheers say it all. 

This is what all of my coworkers looked like!