Snow Days

While being snowed in for the past two days with the area's Blizzard of 2010, I have been reflecting on snow days gone by. Snow days in our household were always festive occasions. The kids would sit up the night before a school day intently watching weather forecasts. The next morning upon hearing cancellation lists on the local radio station, I would tiptoe into their bedrooms and tell them the news they had been hoping for. No school!

They would sleep in and I would head to the kitchen to begin breakfast preparations. Mickey Mouse pancakes or pooh bear waffles with sausage or bacon. The sleepy heads would stumble down the stairs and we'd all sit at the table and make plans for the day while we ate. Then it was off to watch cartoons or news coverage of the snow storm. We'd sip hot chocolate while we watched the television.

Then it was time for the outdoor activities. Everyone would dress in hats and gloves and snow pants and coats. We'd waddle out the front door, all toastie in our winter wear. The saucers and sleds would come out of the garage and we'd head to the back field to slid down the hill. The dogs too would tag along and run and jump in the white fluffy stuff that had fallen the night before.

After awhile, I would head inside to begin making preparations for break time. I'd put on a pot of water for hot chocolate mix, then I'd start the fire in the fireplace. If lunch time were approaching, I'd be sure to put a pot of soup on the stove to warm. And then I would wait in the quiet for the storm of sledders to burst through the door.

Snow boots and pants would be tossed by the door and slippers would be placed on cold feet. The kids would run to sit in front of the fire and I would start filling mugs with hot chocolate. This was usually about the time that my husband would grab the shovel to begin clearing the driveway for the inevitable end to our being snowed in.

In the afternoon, we'd typically gather around the kitchen counter to begin work on some type of cookie. Usually chocolate chip. Then the kids would head into the family room to watch a movie or some cartoons. Dad would return from the shoveling and we'd all sit together and laugh at whatever was on the television.

One particular winter storm brought a lengthy power outage. We gathered in the basement near the wood stove and played games and read books. In the evening we got out the sleeping bags and all cuddled by the warm stove. It was like a camp out.

I always thought snow days were a special gift from God. It's like his way of saying "take some time off. Have some good quality time together." We no longer have the kids at home to spend snow days with, but during this storm my husband and I have reverted to some well loved traditions. We've had the fire in the fireplace. I've baked some cookies and we have even had a few outdoor adventures. No sledding or saucers, but we've had some fun in the snow.