Itinerary of a Snow Day

Another 12 inches of snow fell on our area today, messing up the morning commute and closing many schools, including the ones my children attend. As a result, we had a snow day, or what we affectionately call a “home day.” While my husband and I still professional responsibilities, my 4-year-old daughter, G, and 6-year-old son, R, had a just about perfect day. Here’s what they did.

6:30 AM         Climb into parents’ bed. Act like snow day was a done deal all along. Fall back asleep.

7:30 AM         Get up.

8:00 AM         Eat waffles and sausage for breakfast. Thank father for said breakfast after being prompted by mother. Decide to remain in pajamas the entire day.

8:30 AM         Persuade parents to put on “Jake and the Neverland Pirates.”

red_shutters_snow_day

9:00 AM         Go outside to play in snow while father shovels and mother works.

10:00 AM       Come inside. Ride bikes in basement. Play. Persuade father to let you do the dance program on the Wii.

11:00 AM       Have late snack. Go back downstairs to play.

12:00 PM       Teach mother how to do dance program on Wii. Lose interest after two minutes when she does not accurately do the moves to the “Despicable Me” song. Take back control of Wii. Nod—but do not listen—when mother says you have 10 more minutes on the Wii.

12:30 PM       Come upstairs, complaining about poking, kicking or some other injustice. Calm down at the prospect of lunch. Reject all lunch options, save one: yogurt (AKA, what you eat every day). Eat lunch, asking mother questions about a) the plot of “Lady and the Tramp,” b) what it means to get “kicked out of school,” and c) why you can’t have more yogurt.

12:52 PM       Commence campaign to get parents to let you watch a movie. Mother sets kitchen timer for 38 minutes and says not to ask again until the time goes off. Complain about 38 minute period, despite being uncertain how long 38 minutes is.

1:00 PM         Play quietly, methodically taking out every single toy in the house. Father shovels again. Mother takes laptop to bedroom to work.

1:17 PM         Engage in spirited discussion about the plot of “Despicable Me 2.” Move onto imaginative games that begins with “pretend I was a police officer and you were the bad guy….” Ignore mother when she suggests going outside in the snow to play with the kids from next door.

1:19 PM         Catch mother sneaking into kitchen to extend the duration of the timer.

1:23 PM         Wear down father. Begin anew the movie negotiations. Run around the house at father’s urging to expend energy. Laugh. Winner of said races is unclear but father appears to be in the lead. Mother hides in bedroom with laptop.

1:31 PM         Timer goes off!

1:35 PM         “Cars 2” begins. Parents scurry away to other rooms with laptops to get work done.

3:18 PM         Movie ends.

3:25 PM         Discuss the plot of “Cars 2” over snacks.

3:45 PM         Go back outside to play and help father shovel the snow that hasn’t yet stopped.

4:15 PM         Return to the house. Seek out mother for hot chocolate. Be very cute.

4:25 PM         Race into parents’ bedroom to tell mother that brother said he hates you. Agree with mother that he doesn’t hate you; in fact, he loves you! Tell him he’s wrong and then skip away to get a book.

4:30 PM         Play. Sing made up songs to mother while she is trying to work. Catch her smiling.

5:00 PM         Act whiny and cranky. Disagree over train conductor costume. Put in time out.

5:23 PM         “Mommy, can I put on shorts?”

5:24 PM         Put on shorts. Reject invitation to help with dinner.

5:30 PM         Get immersed in Legos. Visit mother in kitchen. Ask her to pretend you are nine, have six sisters, and speak Chinese.

6:00 PM         Eat dinner. Interrupt dinner to water plants, flooding floor.

6:37 PM         Shower in parents’ bathroom. Sing loudly, referencing “mermaid soldiers” at regular intervals. Giggle. A lot.

6:46 PM         Get out of shower, dry off, get into clean pajamas, brush hair and teeth, and pick up toys.

7:10 PM         Read “Sammy the Seal” and a Thomas the Tank Engine book with mother.

7:28 PM         Get into bed with more books.

7:45 PM         Lights out.

7:55 PM         Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

One Response
  1. February 6, 2014