Snowed In

Grace #10: Snow Days!

A winter storm blasted our community this past week. We received about 36 hours of snow, sleet and ice. It was a beautiful winter wonderland outside. I was truly grateful for the fact that school was canceled for 3 days and there was one 2-hour delay. I know, most moms dread this many days off in the middle of the week only a couple of weeks after the holiday break. Usually I am one of those moms. This time was different. First, I was ready for some real SNOW. We had not gotten anything of any significance all season. Mostly, though, I was thankful because the night before the big storm I came down with an awful cold, and because school was called off I got to sleep in for 4 days. Four days of blissful waking on my own without having to jump out of bed and rush off to start our day. I felt lousy, and because of the weather everything was canceled. I couldn't work out even if I wanted to, which I didn't, because yep, you guessed it, I felt lousy. No meetings to sit through while I sniffed and coughed. No endless errands to run while I fantasized what it was like to actually breathe and get enough oxygen to my brain. No volunteering at school while my eyes itched, my nose ran, and my eardrums felt like they would explode. You may wonder why I would be so happy that my children were home while I felt so cruddy. This is the best part. They weren't here much. Amazingly, the neighbor kids were all around and available and desperate to play all day outside getting fresh air and exercise! When the kids were here, their friends were too, so they were happily occupied. One afternoon, both my darlings were gone and I laid on the couch for hours and watched Food Network. Unheard of in my world! Our final afternoon off school was spent having a play date at our dear friends, the D Family. We don't get to see these friends much due to the kids all going to different schools and being on different schedules, so it was a blessing to have unexpected play time with them. We have been friends for a long time and our kids have grown up together, so it was especially fun to see them all enjoy a long afternoon sledding and playing. AND, I got to share coffee and conversation with a very good friend. Can't beat that! I do kinda wish I hadn't been sick during our snow days. I did not get out to enjoy the winter weather or go sledding, which I love. However, I got some much needed rest and recovered from my cold in record time. I am ready to tackle the week to come.