This winter our school has been shut down approximately 90,000
days for bad weather. We’ve had school
cancellations for snow and cold, and today, ice.
Ninety thousand days.
Additionally, there are three hundred billion cubic yards of snow piled
up in our yard that has been there for three thousand years.
When the roads are bad we don’t go to the mall, the movies,
nor even to Target. We stay in all day.
My kids and I are home together.
On sunny days after the snow is done falling, the kids ask
to put on their winter gear so they can go outside. I always say yes. Sometimes I suggest the
option of them going outside. They
always agree.
When they were little I would suggest things to do so we
could keep busy together. I made snacks
and lunch and mugs of hot chocolate until I organized games and Lego and Polly
Pockets marathons. I would bundle the
three of us up for a half hour of playtime in the snow. We snuggled on the couch and watched movies
and ate popcorn and candy.
Now that they are older they hole up in the basement and
play video games that other parents refuse to let their children play and watch
TV that they’ve seen a thousand times before and stay in their pajamas and they
ask for pancakes and I tell them how to make pancakes.
And I do all the things that I do when they are at school
and my day really doesn’t change.
I don’t even sleep in, because I like getting up early
because they don’t get me up early anymore. It’s their turn to sleep in.
Then they have friends over and go to friends’ houses and my
guilt buries itself under my relief for another snow/cold/ice day.
Because they are occupied.
And my conscience doesn’t nag at me anymore. And my #1 Mom status is restored
and I can proudly display my World's Best Mom trophy again.
Until day 90,001.
*******
It's my dream for my kids to be able to occupy themselves without a) getting hurt b) me feel guilty. Pass me that trophy please.
ReplyDeleteIt will happen amazingly and all at once. And if you did not expect it, you may feel forlorn and adrift like me.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you - snow days are awesome now!!! If the boys want to go out in the cold snow (rare!) than more power to them - I will be inside!!! I did play Monopoly this afternoon, though because now that they are teens it is not often that they want to hang out with me!!
ReplyDeleteMy burgeoning teens are willing to hang out with me as long as I am open to snacks and drinks.
DeleteThat guilt thing gets a Mom every time, doesn't it? It's hard to be "on duty" all day long and feel like you have to keep kids occupied. But it's not bad for them to be left to their own devices, either. Figure out how to entertain themselves - not a bad thing. I'm amazed that even at five, Kidzilla is perfectly capable of finding things to do - and I'm glad. Not because I don't want to be with her, but because I'm glad she is perfectly fine to figure out her own happiness and entertainment on her own. That will serve her well far beyond a snow day. It does make me a little sad, though...like why can't she want to cuddle up with me all the time? Because she's learning how to be her own person. And that's OK. But I'll still take my cuddles when I can get them. :)
ReplyDeleteYes. Take them when you can get them. Sometimes my guilt tells me that I've let them become too independent. Which is ridiculous, of course.
DeleteIt's snow day 14 - FOURTEEN - here in Kentucky, and my kids are decidedly NOT old enough to occupy themselves. Today is the day I'm going to learn to cross stitch. My first project will be a rather large wall hanging that says "Abandon all hope ye who enter here."
ReplyDeleteSeriously, I love movies and Scrabble and Legos as much as anybody, but I'm kinda done. Sigh...
Oh, goodness. Fourteen snow days. I like your cross stitch idea. That is one of my favorite quotes. ;)
DeleteThat much forced togetherness can drive anyone crazy! No wonder you are rejoicing in your children finding something to do themselves - all your fabulous ideas were dried up before you reached snow day 10,000, much less 90,000!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy some time to yourself and look forward to a restoration of your schedule! Most importantly, hang in there!!!!
Yes, thank you!! It's way beyond stir crazy now. I hear from people who say that they get so much done at home during these weather events, and I'm like, eh? I'm one day away from rocking in the corner.
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