SNOW OH SNOW!

I read a hilarious blog post yesterday that really summed up the awesome way that your emotions change about snow days when you are a mom.  It's like YES!  So fun!  Then as the days drag on, your enthusiasm wanes. 
For me it has been a bit different. 
Here has been my emotional rollercoaster and coping mechanisms.

Sunday February 3: Snow falls during the Superbowl.  Starts to stick.  Go on winter walk.  Beautiful.  Enjoyable.
Monday February 4:  Wake up normal time, because only late start has been declared.  Ben is up by 6:30 am.  We take him to the park to enjoy the snow, because in Seattle, it might be melted by 7:00 am.
(Derek has the day off, so we get to enjoy the day together.)  I am frustrated about school being cancelled.
Derek wisely went to Home Depot and bought more snow shovels and ice melt.  They were all sold out by later that day or the next day.   We host another family who has their power out.  Games, soup, it's fine.

Tuesday February 5:  Snow has continued to fall and stick.  No school again.  OK...I coach  myself.  I can handle this.  But inside I am GOING NUTS.  What do I reschedule?  How do I reschedule? 
Wednesday February 6:  Late start.  We get to have school!  Even if it is only for 3 hours since it is an early release.  I manage to fit in most of my "clean slate" activities that I had planned for Monday, as well as the first day of our social studies guest presenter.
Thursday February 7th: Another late start, but we manage to fit in math at the end of the day (my 4th graders have a different math teacher who also teaches 2 other split math groups.  Usually we have her at the beginning of the day--so this was a treat that we could fit this in).  We got to Skate Night! All 3 kids are improving in their skating skills!

Friday February 8th: Snow looming in the forecast.  I get 2 math lessons in during our hour long math block.  Kids go home at 11:45.  I get "Hearts in the Hall" all set up (a Student Council activity for Monday morning).  I schedule a massage (knowing there will be cancellations) and go home looking forward to 2:00 massage.  Massage is cancelled by 1:30 as snow is coming down LIKE CRAZY.  Derek and I go to Costco (which is almost empty) and grab some food so we are ready for the weekend.

Saturday:  I am zen-ish.  I tell myself that this will melt soon, while checking the weather app almost as often as Derek does.

Derek said, it would be great if a branch fell on the shed so insurance would have to replace it.  The next morning I found this.  SO SO CLOSE!  

Our back deck on Saturday

The kids get out in the snow as often as they can.  They have terrible snow gear.  Really terrible. We managed to buy the last pair of women's snow boots for Libby (they are a size 6 and pretty big) and a pair of rain pants for me and rain boots and men's snow pants for Sarah.  Ben was the best off due to hand-me-downs. 
The kids also played restaurant with some neighborhood friends.  They made a delicacy of snow mixed with brown sugar or white sugar.  It was called something cute with an S.  I have actually been pretty impressed with their creative play (even it if is messy).

Sunday:  Church is cancelled, so we host sacrament meeting at our house for our closest neighbors.  It doesn't snow much more on Sunday until the afternoon/evening, so we also host the Nortons for a birthday lunch.  I am quite proud of myself because I play all 3 hymns for our sacrament meeting.  I could only do the right hand for the sacrament hymn, but still! 
Then the snow starts coming down again.  It is clear, school will be cancelled.  We are talking a foot or more of snow on snow.  And I am actually fine with it.  It's like I've come to terms with the reality.
Monday February 11:  I don't even check email.  I bake some more.  I make the kids clean with me.  We purge.  Clean their rooms.  Clean out drawers.  You know, the stuff you never get to because you don't have time?  Well, time we have! 

Derek shovelled off the Sunroom roof.  While we would like to redo that room, not interested in a roof collapse there right now.

Tuesday February 12:  Ben decides to start the SNOW SINGLET challenge for the Wrestling Rhinos.  It's been really fun to watch many wrestlers (and even one coach) get out in the snow in their singlets.  My favorite part was when afterward Ben said, "The fear of the cold was much worse than the actual cold." He wore the singlet all day and even ran all the way to the neighbor's house in it when Libby didn't believe he had gone out in the snow in it.

I felt pretty zen on Tuesday too.  We cleaned out bathrooms.  You know, under the sink, in the drawers.  Threw away old toiletries and random tubes of medicine.  Everything was cancelled.  I still didn't even try to reschedule school.
Wednesday February 13th:  The thaw is starting to happen.  It is real.  I start to get excited about the prospect of returning to real life.  I drive the kids to piano.  I get stuck in the slushy snow.  Derek and Clark have to come and push me out. They are not amused.  I did manage to drive to the dollar store (Valentine's parties might actually be happening), to PT (seriously making some good progress with my hip and neck), and to pick up pizza (to thank Derek for pushing me out of the driveway), and then frosted Sarah's cookies for her party.  Because Shoreline still hadn't posted about today.  I got my new newsletter out last night.  Sent out the Student Council update...all in VAIN!
Some other fun things we did: watch movies, get pedicures, play games.  We are managing.  We have had power, plenty of food, and lots of together time. 

Thursday February 14th:  Got the call at 6 am.  Not even a late start.  Just no school.  It is a sheet of ice on top of a mess of snow out there.  I'm all done cleaning.  I'm all done baking.  I just want to go back to school.  You know, it's a good sign that I love my job.  And, this Stay at Home mom business, it's no joke!

Cookies ready to go for Sarah's class.  :(

This is the view this morning.  It is supposed to rain today and not freeze again tonight.  So maybe one school day this week?