Snow Day!

I had written this a few days ago… and just realized I didn’t post it!


We are having a blizzard in Iowa. I don’t mean it’s snowing, I mean- a real, old fashioned blizzard. There is ice, snow, and serious wind.
And I couldn’t be happier.
Do I like the cold, and driving in the snow? Of course not.
However, there is something magical about a ‘snow day’.
So many of my friends are doing the same thing today… cooking hearty food, a load or two of laundry, perhaps an organizing project that hasn’t been tackled… and spending time with their children and husbands.
Why does that always happen with snow days?
I’m not a psychologist, but I have my ideas about it…
A snow day is a free day.
There are no rules. There are no schedules. No deadlines, nowhere to be, and nobody to answer to.
A snow day is a free day.
We stayed in bed a little longer today.
Instead of breakfast, we had brunch.
There have been movies, games, laundry, cooking and many laughs.
There were a few tears… that is inevitable when living with a 3 year old.
The tears were quickly wiped away when the promise of cookie decorating was put in front of him.
Christmas cookies? Absolutely not. Christmas cookies are a tradition he has with Grandma. And a tradition I have with some of my girlfriends.
And this is a snow day… no rules. We made dinosaurs, dog bones, skulls, and okay--- we threw in a Christmas tree. (We had green frosting, what’s a mom to do?)
There is a pot of soup on the stove.
My house feels warm and cozy… and safe.
It’s gorgeous outside, but you can see the cold.
Iowa is pretty again.
Everyone knows that I love Iowa… but I will admit, there are a few weeks in the year when Iowa isn’t at her prettiest. Those would be the weeks leading to snow… and the weeks following the snow.
Have you ever been to Iowa while she is under her winter blanket? It’s breathtaking.
A red barn in a sea of white. Quaint little shops with the old fashioned sign that have real evergreen garland swags with a dusting of snow hanging from their awnings. Groups of children sledding down a rolling hill. Simply beautiful.
Tree branches covered in ice that glitter in the sun. The scarlet red of a cardinal against the beautiful green of an evergreen and the crisp white snow. Nature at her finest.
Seeing smoke coming out of a chimney will make you feel warm and cozy.
I could go on and on.
Or I could tell you about the harsh winter and why it is bad….
But that is not for today.
Today is a snow day, and that makes it wonderful and magical.
Today, my friends… Iowa is closed for business.

And then the magical snow day turned into two more snow days… by day three, Monkey declared, “I’m going to Grandma’s.”
Agreed.
I shipped him off to Grandma’s.
There, he enjoyed another magical snow day. The kind you have at Grandma’s house!

The streets are now plowed, the stores are open, and we’re getting back to the daily routine.

…there seems to be quite a few “Mom’s Night Out” events going on this weekend….
Must have been those three crazy snow days that have made us crave margaritas!