Snow Day

It starts with mere mention of the “s” word…. snow.  That four letter word is all it takes to get the kids into an absolute frenzy.

Especially in the South.

Because if we get snow, even a minute amount, chances are school will be cancelled, and if it’s several inches, you can count on several snow days.

Growing up in Colorado, snow days were truly a luxury.  I can remember watching TV as a child after a heavy dump, praying to see my district included in the school closings.  We didn't have bus service so there weren't the transportation safety concerns.  Your parents either brought you or you walked.  And yes, I walked plenty…. uphill.

When the kids got a snow day, I was excited, too.  No matter how old they were, they turned into little kids when it snowed.  They spent hours outside building snow men, having snowball fights and sledding down the park hill.  Yes, they would come in and out all day, wet and muddy, but that’s why Swiffer Wet Jet was invented.

Last year, we had “Snowmagddeon 2014.”  If you were stuck in your car for hours only to hike miles home, you may not recall this event very fondly, but it would prove to be the last snow day I would have with my kids.

Because the roads were virtually impassable and due to our proximity to their high school, we had several of my son’s friends “stranded” with us.  Here were 17 and 18 year old “men” playing in the snow from sledding to snowball fights.  By the time they were able to return to their respective homes, my freezer and refrigerator were completely empty, but my heart was full.

Recently, we had our first “snow event” of the season.  And being in a empty nest, it looked different. Rather than checking the school district website first thing to see if school was closed, I checked road conditions to see if I could make it into work.  No one was coming in and out of the house full of wet and muddy clothes; no one was eating through every package of bacon and carton of eggs I had; no one made a snowman. I still enjoyed the beauty of the snow, but just in a different way, now.

Just another “first” in my empty nest journey…..