Magical Snow

At 10:58 PM last night, I got the call - NO SCHOOL!!

One of the perks of teaching is the unexpected, but always prayed for snow day! Because Brooke and Morgan are like roosters in the morning, I knew sleeping in was out of the question. But, that didn't keep us from staying in our pajamas for the majority of the day.

First on the agenda was making chili soup. Brooke assigned herself the name of "bean girl" and found a lot of humor in telling her father that, "beans make you toot!" She was even happy to demonstrate this after eating her share of the soup. Morgan was left with tomatoes and stirring. I was satisfied when all the ingredients ended up in the pot and very little ended up on the floor. Regardless of how the chili tasted, I had decided it was a kitchen success.

Second on the list came crafts. In the world of a four and two-year-old, this consists of fighting over the stencils and crayons and deciding how they can tear the paper in a new way. Next, when crafting as a toddler, one must glue glitter to their hair and eyelids. When all else fails, crafts must be dumped systematically on the floor and left for mom to clean up. My girls are good at all of these things. I think they might be gifted!

Finally, nap time! I find it a requirement for both mom and children on snow days to find at least one hour to sleep. I more than met my requirement as Brooke and Morgans slept for over two hours! AHHHHHH!

Then, I knew eventually I would break down and spend some time suiting up the girls to head out into the snow-covered wonderland they had longingly peered at through the windows.

First layer - tights and undershirt. CHECK!

Second layer - sweater and jeans. CHECK!

Third layer - fleece sweatshirt. CHECK!

Fourth layer - Snowsuit and Coat. CHECK!

Finally - gloves, hat, boots, scarf. CHECK!

Morgan lasted approximately 7 mins and 22 seconds. Her gloves fell off twice. She couldn't get herself upright after falling down and attempting a snow angel. And she quickly realized that, for some, the snow is much more enjoyable to look at through the window while sipping hot chocolate.

Brooke was in it for the long haul. She talked me into being her sled dog and I pulled her up and down the court for about 10 minutes. After I worked up a sweat, I decided it was time for her and the 10-yr-old neighbor girl, Tara, to sled together.

This worked out beautifully. It reminded me that, at age 10, we have an infinite amount of strength and energy. Brooke lasted nearly an hour. She would have stayed out longer, but the chili soup was ready and she was promised hot chocolate when she finished her bowl. She is definitely my child -chocolate always wins!!!

While at dinner, Brooke informed her father that her arms (which are sore from the four-year shots) didn't hurt at all outside. She explained, 'The snow is magical!"