We’ve been up since 5:30 this morning giddy with anticipation over a possible snow day.  (And when I say “we” I really mean my 10-year-old daughter who woke everyone else up based on the exciting possibilities the day held).  Backwards p.j.’s worn to sleep must’ve worked, because desired snow day was announced at 6:15 a.m.

Uh.  Kinda late don’t you think?!  At that point, everyone was already up – including my rat of a husband who quickly exited stage left even while mumbling something about not being “able” to work from home and issuing strict instructions NOT to call him at 11:00 crying about “not being able to take it” and to “please come home asap.”  Blah, blah, blah.  Whatever.

Anyway…so…here we are at 11:00 a.m. on a snowy Thursday.  The kids have been sent out to play in the snow for the SECOND time yet this morning.  Mean mommy may be lurking about because of the early start to the day (Again, really??  Announce the school closing WAY earlier next time!!) and also because she may be fighting a head-cold.

In an effort to take it easy (shhhh – we’re trying to be vewy, vewy qwiet), rather than coming up with new blog content, I’ve decided to reprise “The Anatomy of a Snow Day” which I wrote for my co-workers’ amusement TWO FULL YEARS AGO (when my daughter, Sissy, was 8 and my son, Sonny, was 6, and we had a snow day like today with the added nuance of me having one of them-there jobs you folks are always nattering on about).

And now!  Without further ado!  I bring to you….(drum roll please)…The Anatomy of a Snow Day!!!

Tuesday, February 1, 2011 – 8:30 a.m.

• The kids actually got up EARLIER than normal (around 5:45 am b/c some weird 6^th kid-sense told them it was a snow day and therefore they didn’t have to sleep in like a regular school day).
• Proceeded to play and play and play.
• They STILL have not had breakfast because they’ve been too busy playing.
• Surprisingly enough the fighting has not yet begun.  Mostly b/c my daughter has been individually turning her room into a Littlest Petshop Extravaganza whereas my son has been turning his into a bedroom-sized Legoland.
• They are now coming down the stairs discussing “fort” plans.
• I have quietly closed the office door.
• Still no breakfast for anyone.  I have had 3 cups of coffee though.
• There was a brief report (from Sissy) that Sonny had eaten some Gummi Bears without being allowed.
• Then there was some sort of “jumping contest” complete with the phrases “don’t do it that way, you’ll hurt yourself” and “watch out, I’m coming down!”
• I can now hear muffled crying through the closed office door.
• Am going to make breakfast.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011 – 10:30 a.m.

• Originally it seemed like the blueberry syrup on the waffles for breakfast might have been a particularly bad idea since it revved up the energy levels
• But the kids have been playing quietly upstairs for a good, long while now
• Apparently Sissy is playing the role of the 8-year-old-sister named Sissy and Sonny is her “zero-baby” brother named Tyler (a zero-baby is a baby not yet a year old).  Because Tyler is so little, he has to be pushed around everywhere in a laundry basket.  I forgot to mention that Sissy is also a nurse.  Quite a feat for an 8-year-old!
• They have paused once in a while to beg to go outside, but words like “frostbite” and “subzero” seem to be holding them off for now.  The term “hellaciously cold” may have also been used to dissuade.
• The thermometer in the sun registers minus 10 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Sissy (as herself, not as Sissy-the-older-sister-of-Tyler) has just reported that she and Sonny (as himself, not as Tyler-the-zero-baby) are “getting along the best we’ve ever gotten!”
• I am expecting it to all go down-hill shortly
• Especially since I just heard Sissy declare from upstairs that they should try to go the whole day without watching t.v….followed shortly by someone shouting “Ow! You just kicked me in the mouth!!”
• Down-hill fast

Tuesday, February 1, 2011 – 12:30 p.m.

• We’re now up to an even 0 on the outside thermometer – so still no outside time.
• The self-imposed no-tv rule broke about 15 minutes ago…only after the play-doh clean-up degenerated into yelling and crying (Sissy)
• Prior to that, their dance contest in the upstairs hallway resulted in fighting and crying (Sonny)
• And prior to THAT, the Petshops attacked Legoland (although the version of the story I heard was that the traveling circus came to Lego Town – and it wasn’t welcome).  Crying from both.
• But for now, Rachel Ray is showing them how to make a 30-minute stir-fry meal with shiitake mushrooms and silence reigns.
• I am making mac-and-cheese.  It will be an extreme cheese explosion with more cheese sauce and bigger shapes.  At least that’s what it says on the box.  There will be no shiitake mushrooms.
• Update – Rachel is now making a new meal, still NOT out of a box.  This time it’s breadcrumb & bacon stuffed haddock.  She got her hair highlighted since the last episode (5 minutes ago) and Sonny is insisting it’s a new girl cooking in the same kitchen.  Sissy is insisting it’s new hair, but the same girl.
• Remember that part about silence reigning?  Not so much now.
• Mac and cheese anyone?!?

Tuesday, February 1, 2011 – 2:30 p.m.

• Dot, dot, dot.  Dash, dash, dash.  Dot, dot, dot…
• Other than that, I’m maintaining radio silence

Tuesday, February 1, 2011 – 4:30 p.m.

School will be closed Wednesday, February 2, due to the weather. 

• School is closed again tomorrow?!?  Noooooooooooo!!!!