The Snow is Coming

The snow is coming…maybe. How many times have I been excited about a snow day that fizzles out? There is nothing more magical than waiting for a snow day — wearing your pajamas inside out and backwards worked, sometimes. The feeling of waking up to green grass after the hype of all the warnings always deflated me for the rest of the day.

In my book, the weatherman only hits the amount of snow forecasted about a quarter of the time. Everyone gripes because it didn’t snow. If it snows, everyone gripes because the roads aren’t cleared fast enough. I can’t believe the number of people who ask if there will be a snow closing or delay for school the minute a forecast calls for snow.

Principals have to be Houdinis and know exactly how much and when we will have snow. I always made the trip to school if I could because some parents would drop off their child and leave the parking lot in a flash, even though there were no cars in the lot except mine. I would worry about children being stuck out on the sidewalk all day without a parent, school employee, or heat! It’s a no-win for the weatherman, school administrators, or the county workers who clear the snow.

Next, if you have a snow day and do not have to work, you have a million things you can catch up on. Do you do those things? Probably not. If you have a snow day, you’ll find a spot on the sofa and watch a good movie with the beverage of your choice. Maybe you’ll love reading a good book or surfing the web.

What will the kids do? Of course, they will want to go sledding or make snowmen. You know that it takes half an hour to get them dressed warm enough and pull on those stubborn boots. After they are outside and you think you will get some peace, but the kids come back after five minutes outside because it is too cold or “they are wet”! I remember being outside as a kid, suffering through such cold that my fingers wouldn’t move because the snow was frozen to my mittens! The children will want some hot chocolate with lots of marshmallows and, of course, a snack…many snacks! So much for having a break! Once the children warm up, they will argue, saying they have nothing to do (even if they have a million toys and games), and that they are bored. There is nothing wrong with being bored! We all know that in about an hour, all of this will repeat itself!

What did you do on your snow days?

Later…