We are in that time of year when we closely watch the weather forecast and hang on every word the meteorologist says wishing to hear that lovely word "snow". From Winter Break to Spring Break it's rare to have a full week of school. There have been teacher work days, school holidays, and a string of two hour delayed openings having us be successful so far.
The county we live in is very quick to be overly-cautious and close school in a heartbeat if there is any sign of ice or snow accumulation. The kids wake up each day and ask if they have to go to school that day or if its opening on time. It's pretty funny. We've had a string of chances of snow or a light dusting, but nothing report worthy.
We want a big snowfall. A blizzard would be nice. Something that shuts the city down and gives us a chance to be stuck at home. A chance for the kids to go sledding. A chance to get sick of the snow. This is what we all want. We have all these snow days built into the school year -- 13 of them! We don't get them back if we don't use them, so let's use them!
The last two years have been disappointing on the amount of snow we've gotten. Each year the kids and I get hopeful that this will be the year...another snowmageddon!
Showing posts with label snow days. Show all posts
Showing posts with label snow days. Show all posts
Monday, February 5, 2018
Sunday, February 21, 2016
The joke's on you.
We've had our fair share of snow days and delayed openings this Winter. The kids don't lack those bonus days when they wake up and find out "Guess what? There's no school today!" You may have even heard their squeals of delight all the way to your house.
Because these snow days have become all too common place, we've now taken to playing pranks on each other. It's gotten pretty funny when we all had a hand in it and didn't realize the other was doing the same thing.
Here's a classic example of what I am referring to:
Recently, we found out the night before there would be a 2 hour delay the next morning. Both kids were still awake and we were approaching their bedtime. We intentionally did not tell Sam so she would go to bed at her normal time. We did tell Ian so he wouldn't set his alarm and could sleep in. By 5:15am the next morning, the county reassessed the roads and the announcement was made that there would be no school.
The next morning:
I see Ian as soon as he wakes-up and tell him, "Guess what, the county changed their mind and you have a full day of school today."
Ian: What?
Me: Yep, you have school today.
Sam then wakes-up (remember, she has no idea there was even a delay happening).
Ian to Sam: We have no school today (trying to be funny).
Sam: Yay!!!!
Ian looks at me and smiles like I am in on his joke.
It was the funniest conversation as we were all trying to have a little fun with each other. It took a few minutes to convince the kids that there was in fact no school.
Because these snow days have become all too common place, we've now taken to playing pranks on each other. It's gotten pretty funny when we all had a hand in it and didn't realize the other was doing the same thing.
Here's a classic example of what I am referring to:
Recently, we found out the night before there would be a 2 hour delay the next morning. Both kids were still awake and we were approaching their bedtime. We intentionally did not tell Sam so she would go to bed at her normal time. We did tell Ian so he wouldn't set his alarm and could sleep in. By 5:15am the next morning, the county reassessed the roads and the announcement was made that there would be no school.
The next morning:
I see Ian as soon as he wakes-up and tell him, "Guess what, the county changed their mind and you have a full day of school today."
Ian: What?
Me: Yep, you have school today.
Sam then wakes-up (remember, she has no idea there was even a delay happening).
Ian to Sam: We have no school today (trying to be funny).
Sam: Yay!!!!
Ian looks at me and smiles like I am in on his joke.
It was the funniest conversation as we were all trying to have a little fun with each other. It took a few minutes to convince the kids that there was in fact no school.
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
It's SnOwAwesome!
When I was little girl growing up in the 70's, my dad had a CB radio. We used to have fun with it while driving around. My handle was "Snow Girl". Yep, living in Florida and with any name I could imagine to call myself in CB land, I chose "Snow Girl". That's how much I wanted to be around snow.
When it came time to pick a college to attend, I knew I had to go somewhere it could snow. I need 4 seasons in my year! I packed up suitcases and moved to Washington D.C. 26 years later and I am still here. 26 years later and I am still in love with the city every time it snows. This past blizzard that dropped close to 30 inches where I live was no exception. I never get tired of snow. I love it! You know the saying, "Less is more"? Well in my case when it comes to snow, "More is more!"
A few random thoughts by me on this latest snowfall aka Snowzilla!:
1. I still get very excited when I hear snow in the forecast.
2. 30 inches is a lot of snow! Go big or go home! 30 inches is just enough to satisfy my need for snow this winter. Although I wouldn't be opposed to more snow this year. :)
3. Digging ourselves out really brought our community together. On my pipestem, the neighbors and Jeff/I worked like a team and got it done. Furthermore, we branched out into the neighborhood and helped a few neighbors who needed an extra hand. It feels good to be united and come together.
4. I've posted more status updates on Facebook in the 3 days we were stuck at home than I have in the last 6 months combined.
5. I enjoy baking when I know there is no where I need to be. I made Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins, Blueberry Oatmeal Bread and Chocolate Chip Cookies.
6. It's always fun to guess when the kids will have school again. They've been off now since Thursday. 5 days of cancelled school and we're still not sure when they will go back.
7. Our area just can't handle this much snow! See item #6 above.
8. My husband does not take snow days off from work. If anything, he'll log more hours in his day working from home because he doesn't have the commute of driving to the office.
9. I truly believe this will go down as one of those events my kids will forever remember....it was a historic amount of snow.
10. I will never not live within walking distance of a shopping center. It is truly a blessing to know that no matter how snowed in we get, we can always make our way to Chipotle, Safeway or Kohls. Seriously, what more do you need?
11. Even though each night I go to bed knowing I can sleep in the next morning (as we really have no place to be), I still wake up at 4:45am. There is just no changing my internal clock.
12. I've never been more proud of my son as to when he saw an elderly gentleman across the street from our house trying to dig himself out. Ian volunteered to help him. I love the heart and compassion this kid has. Makes me feel like Jeff and I are doing a good job.
13. It's funny how life can be so, so busy and over-scheduled. And then NOTHING! It's like everyone is given a pass to 'hunker down' and hibernate. With one fell swoop, all of our activities, school events and life in general gets put on hold. When you think about it, it's a pretty cool phenomenon that makes us all equal.
14. Kudos to Silver Diner. They were brilliant in their marketing and sent out an email to all their loyalty customers letting us know they were open on Sunday; a mere 4 or 5 hours after it finally stopped snowing. Their strategy worked and we went for dinner Sunday evening. We were able to dig ourselves out earlier in the day and made it to the restaurant. What a nice treat to get out of the house.
15. My family goes through a ridiculous amount of fruit when we are all home together for 6 consecutive days. I guess there are worse things to overdose and snack on, but wow!
16. The crazy man I work for got snowed in at his girlfriend's house in Bethesda. As of Tuesday evening, her street still hadn't been plowed. Despite a 3 week trip they are scheduled to take on Feb. 1st, they have a very volatile relationship and he can't stand to be around her. To know he has been stuck with her in the same house (with no way out!) from Friday to Wednesday makes me laugh. I can only imagine what it is going on.
17. I believe we are close to purchasing a snow blower. As soon as there is mention of another snowfall in the forecast (with at least 6 inches or more), Jeff is open to the idea of discussing getting one. My idea of discussing this is telling him what I am doing as I press "Confirm" on the Amazon Prime payment page. (Ha! Ha! Just kidding, honey!) I hope to make our lives much easier the next time something like this comes around.
Ok, that is all I have to say about this snow event. :)
When it came time to pick a college to attend, I knew I had to go somewhere it could snow. I need 4 seasons in my year! I packed up suitcases and moved to Washington D.C. 26 years later and I am still here. 26 years later and I am still in love with the city every time it snows. This past blizzard that dropped close to 30 inches where I live was no exception. I never get tired of snow. I love it! You know the saying, "Less is more"? Well in my case when it comes to snow, "More is more!"
A few random thoughts by me on this latest snowfall aka Snowzilla!:
1. I still get very excited when I hear snow in the forecast.
2. 30 inches is a lot of snow! Go big or go home! 30 inches is just enough to satisfy my need for snow this winter. Although I wouldn't be opposed to more snow this year. :)
3. Digging ourselves out really brought our community together. On my pipestem, the neighbors and Jeff/I worked like a team and got it done. Furthermore, we branched out into the neighborhood and helped a few neighbors who needed an extra hand. It feels good to be united and come together.
4. I've posted more status updates on Facebook in the 3 days we were stuck at home than I have in the last 6 months combined.
5. I enjoy baking when I know there is no where I need to be. I made Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins, Blueberry Oatmeal Bread and Chocolate Chip Cookies.
6. It's always fun to guess when the kids will have school again. They've been off now since Thursday. 5 days of cancelled school and we're still not sure when they will go back.
7. Our area just can't handle this much snow! See item #6 above.
8. My husband does not take snow days off from work. If anything, he'll log more hours in his day working from home because he doesn't have the commute of driving to the office.
9. I truly believe this will go down as one of those events my kids will forever remember....it was a historic amount of snow.
10. I will never not live within walking distance of a shopping center. It is truly a blessing to know that no matter how snowed in we get, we can always make our way to Chipotle, Safeway or Kohls. Seriously, what more do you need?
11. Even though each night I go to bed knowing I can sleep in the next morning (as we really have no place to be), I still wake up at 4:45am. There is just no changing my internal clock.
12. I've never been more proud of my son as to when he saw an elderly gentleman across the street from our house trying to dig himself out. Ian volunteered to help him. I love the heart and compassion this kid has. Makes me feel like Jeff and I are doing a good job.
13. It's funny how life can be so, so busy and over-scheduled. And then NOTHING! It's like everyone is given a pass to 'hunker down' and hibernate. With one fell swoop, all of our activities, school events and life in general gets put on hold. When you think about it, it's a pretty cool phenomenon that makes us all equal.
14. Kudos to Silver Diner. They were brilliant in their marketing and sent out an email to all their loyalty customers letting us know they were open on Sunday; a mere 4 or 5 hours after it finally stopped snowing. Their strategy worked and we went for dinner Sunday evening. We were able to dig ourselves out earlier in the day and made it to the restaurant. What a nice treat to get out of the house.
15. My family goes through a ridiculous amount of fruit when we are all home together for 6 consecutive days. I guess there are worse things to overdose and snack on, but wow!
16. The crazy man I work for got snowed in at his girlfriend's house in Bethesda. As of Tuesday evening, her street still hadn't been plowed. Despite a 3 week trip they are scheduled to take on Feb. 1st, they have a very volatile relationship and he can't stand to be around her. To know he has been stuck with her in the same house (with no way out!) from Friday to Wednesday makes me laugh. I can only imagine what it is going on.
17. I believe we are close to purchasing a snow blower. As soon as there is mention of another snowfall in the forecast (with at least 6 inches or more), Jeff is open to the idea of discussing getting one. My idea of discussing this is telling him what I am doing as I press "Confirm" on the Amazon Prime payment page. (Ha! Ha! Just kidding, honey!) I hope to make our lives much easier the next time something like this comes around.
Ok, that is all I have to say about this snow event. :)
 |
| Ian helping the neighbor across the street. |
 |
| Snowball fight! |
Thursday, March 5, 2015
Best playdates EVER.
"There are some friends you know you'll have for the rest of your life. You're welded together by love, memories, trust, and respect."-anonymous
My kids are very fortunate to have these amazing friendships. The kids I am specifically talking about have been in their lives since Ian was 2 years old and before Sam was even born. It is a beautiful thing to watch them grow up together. They don't go to the same elementary school, but we do see them regularly through religious school, various events/holidays and the many days we've had off from school.
It's the kind of friends that I know I can call, text or email at the very last minute and arrange some much needed playdates or sleepovers. Likewise, the friendships are reciprocal and I welcome their kids into our homes and lives whenever it is desired. It has become a semi-regular thing to ask for sleepovers because plans have been made that might otherwise require a babysitter.
In the past week, we had one of Sam's friends over who came with us to Baltimore for the Hamentaschen baking, spent the night and then accompanied us to the Purim Carnival at our synagogue the next morning. It is not an exaggeration to say that having 1 more kid is like having 2 less. Ruby and Sam did beautifully together. Not once did we hear Sam say, "I am bored". Not once did Sam whine, scream, meltdown or be demanding. It was refreshing they had each other to keep entertained. In a heartbeat I would have Ruby over again. What a dream it was having these girls together for all that time.
With all the snow days we've been experiencing, the best thing ever is when a text comes and asks what are you up to? It's a wonderful thing to fill that unexpected free day with good friends. On one of our most recent snow days (this past Monday), we met up with Susanne and her kids for lunch at a nearby restaurant. Afterwards, I took 2 of her 3 kids and had them play at our house while she put in a few hours of work at her office nearby. For close to 5 hours, the four kids (2 of hers, 2 of mine) were in Ian's room (the smallest room in the house!) and played Minecraft on their iPads, all creating the same town being connected through our wifi. 5 hours! The kids didn't come out of Ian's room for 5 hours!! They played harmoniously together. I'd check on them periodically and ask if they needed a drink or snack. Nope, they were good to go and just wanted to keep playing. Crazy!
Having Susanne's kids at my house was just the thing I needed to survive yet another day off from school. First thing the same exact morning, Ian and Sam woke up ready for battle. It didn't take long from when I told them there was no school today (due to all the ice) to non-stop fighting. By 7:50am I had them go to separate rooms. Thank G-d for friends to come through and help the make the time go by faster. Peace may not be in the Middle East, but it certainly was in our house.
"Best friends make the good times better and the hard times easier." ~Author Unknown
Can we adopt all of them, please?
My kids are very fortunate to have these amazing friendships. The kids I am specifically talking about have been in their lives since Ian was 2 years old and before Sam was even born. It is a beautiful thing to watch them grow up together. They don't go to the same elementary school, but we do see them regularly through religious school, various events/holidays and the many days we've had off from school.
It's the kind of friends that I know I can call, text or email at the very last minute and arrange some much needed playdates or sleepovers. Likewise, the friendships are reciprocal and I welcome their kids into our homes and lives whenever it is desired. It has become a semi-regular thing to ask for sleepovers because plans have been made that might otherwise require a babysitter.
In the past week, we had one of Sam's friends over who came with us to Baltimore for the Hamentaschen baking, spent the night and then accompanied us to the Purim Carnival at our synagogue the next morning. It is not an exaggeration to say that having 1 more kid is like having 2 less. Ruby and Sam did beautifully together. Not once did we hear Sam say, "I am bored". Not once did Sam whine, scream, meltdown or be demanding. It was refreshing they had each other to keep entertained. In a heartbeat I would have Ruby over again. What a dream it was having these girls together for all that time.
With all the snow days we've been experiencing, the best thing ever is when a text comes and asks what are you up to? It's a wonderful thing to fill that unexpected free day with good friends. On one of our most recent snow days (this past Monday), we met up with Susanne and her kids for lunch at a nearby restaurant. Afterwards, I took 2 of her 3 kids and had them play at our house while she put in a few hours of work at her office nearby. For close to 5 hours, the four kids (2 of hers, 2 of mine) were in Ian's room (the smallest room in the house!) and played Minecraft on their iPads, all creating the same town being connected through our wifi. 5 hours! The kids didn't come out of Ian's room for 5 hours!! They played harmoniously together. I'd check on them periodically and ask if they needed a drink or snack. Nope, they were good to go and just wanted to keep playing. Crazy!
Having Susanne's kids at my house was just the thing I needed to survive yet another day off from school. First thing the same exact morning, Ian and Sam woke up ready for battle. It didn't take long from when I told them there was no school today (due to all the ice) to non-stop fighting. By 7:50am I had them go to separate rooms. Thank G-d for friends to come through and help the make the time go by faster. Peace may not be in the Middle East, but it certainly was in our house.
"Best friends make the good times better and the hard times easier." ~Author Unknown
Can we adopt all of them, please?
 |
| At the Purim Carnival. Come dressed in your pajamas! |
 |
| These were the 4 kids in Ian's room for 5 hours! All on iPads playing Minecraft. |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)