We greatly enjoyed our snow day. While six people cooped up in one house does create a level of noise that rivals screaming jets, we managed to plan enough activity (inside and out) to keep it just below fever pitch.

Just below.

( We are unsure which he dislikes more….his snowsuit or his hair.)

The kids got ample time to smash snow down the back of each other’s coats.  This seems to be a sibling favorite despite the pleas from the parents to STOP! The baby (I know he’s 19 months but he remains my baby!) had his first snow outing and took the wind like a champ. As well as the snow smashing.

 Being outdoors was fun.

For about ten minutes.

Then it became very clear that despite the length of time it took to get everyone prepped and ready (estimated four hours) I would not be lecturing them on staying outside any longer. Because it was 40 below zero and winds were roughly 70 mph. (These are all approximates but I bet I’m pretty close.)

At minute 10 I realized we needed to head back inside. At minute 10.1 I realized we had locked ourselves out of our home.

Completely locked out.

Four, pink cheeked, snow covered, squealing kids ran around the yard. They were totally unaware that their short snow adventure had taken a very cold turn. I knew we had mere seconds before they asked, begged, sobbed to go inside and we had a full fledged freak-out on our hands. Because there seems to be a very fine line between ‘snow day euphoria’ and ‘snow day hysteria.’

I began to sweat despite the freezing temps.

Fortunately, my husband is insanely skilled at breaking and entering. Maybe a bit too skilled. In fact, this may be a trait that I need to question at some point….but I simply chose to be appreciative since I was able to return to the warmth of my home. Selfish.

Is this how it starts with hardened criminals?!

Once inside, we made hot cocoa (recipe here) with so many marshmallows that it should have warranted an insulin drip. We had a Blokus tournament. (If you haven’t played this game, you need to. It’s like a non-tech version of Tetris and the entire family, except the ‘baby’, can play.) We watched Return of the Jedi because Matt insisted I watch it before going to see The Force Awakens.

You read that correctly. There is a 30-something year old woman who still hadn’t seen the Star Wars films. Until this weekend!

Now I’m ready to pay $389 for a movie ticket and some popcorn so I can join the rest of the universe in knowing exactly what happens in the next installment. I’m pretty excited! Although I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t still a little unnerved by seeing Darth Vader with his helmet off.  I adore James Earl Jones. Am I really supposed to believe that face matches the voice? I think not.

Now I sit with the rising of the morning sun and the glistening of the snow. With this start of another day, I am reminded of three things:

-A new day brings fresh opportunities and new possibilities. Bring it on!

-The snow has hardened and will likely lead to bloodshed if jammed down the back of a shirt.

-I need to get our house key to at least five of our neighbors.

I’d love to know what my snowed in friends are doing to have fun this weekend! Stay warm, friends!

E

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