Snow Covered

This morning the alarm went off at 7:30am.  I got up and just as I was heading to wake up the kids I heard the wind blowing and thought I should check my email for cancellations.  Surely there would only be a delay if anything, but I didn't want to be the meanie to wake the kids up early if they didn't have to be up.

Sure enough, school was cancelled which kind of blew me away.  It really didn't seem that bad out, but I was sitting in my family room.  I headed down to see if Mike knew.  There was Jake watching cartoons.  I asked if he was excited and he didn't know what I was talking about.  I told him there was no school and he shrugged and said, "Oh.  I was wondering when you were going to tell me to come and eat breakfast."  That was it.  Not the reaction I expected.

I decided to let Maddie sleep in and I settled in to watch cartoons with Jake.  Maddie came down around 8:30 singing "White Christmas" and then just sat down to watch cartoons.  I was severely disappointed in their reactions.  Back in my day if there was a snow day we were whooping and hollering with great joy. 

We moved on to breakfast where we made pancakes.  The kids wanted chocolate chips in them so why not.  A snow day deserves extra fun so we they had those.  The sweet chips did the trick and soon they were bouncing off walls and getting giggly and crazy.

They got some computer time for Webkinz, and got to visit over webcam with their Iowa cousins who also had a snow day.  We ate some lunch and bundled up to head outside and shovel the driveway.

I really don't mind shoveling, but this one did me in.  Somehow the snow had blown and swirled in such a way that the top third of our driveway was packed snow about 6 inches deep.  The middle third was nice fresh snow that was easy to shovel across.  It provided me with just enough time to renew my patience and begin to think this shoveling was not so bad.  However, the bottom third was back to the 6-inch packed snow again. The kids had long given up on shoveling in favor of playing with friends so it was all me.  Grumbling.  It didn't help that about three people were out snowblowing their driveway and finished before I'd finished half mine.  It didn't help that the people across the street - who do own a snowblower - barely have any snow on their driveway.  The winds swirled it away.  Seriously - NONE in the first 3 feet near their house - NONE.  The end where the plow was?  Hardly any.  I almost cried.  Then I picked up the phone we had brought outside and called Mike to come and help me. 

Then I told him I was officially over the shoveling thing.  We could start shopping for a snowblower anytime.  I'd even pop for the yard tractor that I'm sure we'd find some other use for during the year as long as we could get the plow attachment.

I thought I'd come in for hot chocolate.  But, I'm too exhausted.  I think both kids had a fun snow day - they are still playing and all is currently quiet.  I'm ready for a nap.  I'm still shocked that we had a snow day at all, but everyone deserves at least one.  I just don't remember it ever coming after the first storm of the year.  Oh well.  Beggars can't be choosers.