Ice Age
All around us the world glitters. Ice has glazed everything from the driveway to the lofty pine trees to the wispy branches on the azalea bushes. It’s beautiful. To look at, at least.
Navigating the ice on foot is decidedly more tricky, especially with two little children. A truly prudent decision, then, would have been to just stay home today. Just like yesterday and the day before. However, a quick cost-benefit analysis indicated that the cost of staying inside for another entire day (wherein cost = my sanity) did not exceed the benefit derived from venturing out.
Did I mention that the destination was swim class? Can you think of a better response to below-freezing temperatures than to jump into a lukewarm pool? Yes, of course you can. You are not, as my mother told me upon hearing of our field trip this morning, “nuts.”
All told, it wasn’t that bad. The kids did slip and slide their way down our driveway and across the parking lot of the Y. Despite clutching my hands, they did fall down a few times. Yes, it was in fact freezing cold poolside (albeit warm in the water). Oh, and the instructor was late. Poor Sean was shivering under his towel as we waited for someone to teach the class.
Still, on balance it was so good not to be rattling around the house, getting on each others’ nerves, for an hour and a half.
Now, with school having been closed for snow yesterday and with previously scheduled closings this Friday and Monday, we just have five more days to fill with fun and exciting indoor activities. If the past few days are any indication, all my ideas will be dismissed: “Do you want to color?” No. “Build with blocks?” No. “Draw?” No. “Practice writing some letters?” No. “Play with playdough?” No. “Do a puzzle?” No. Followed by the inevitable pronouncement, “I’m bored.” (In fairness, the kids are usually great at entertaining themselves, but when the doldrums hit they have a lot of traction.)
At least they love to read. I anticipate a book marathon this afternoon… What are some of your snow day survival tactics?
Postscript: So much for the marathon: "Do you want to read some books?" "No thank you!" Sigh.
All around us the world glitters. Ice has glazed everything from the driveway to the lofty pine trees to the wispy branches on the azalea bushes. It’s beautiful. To look at, at least.
Navigating the ice on foot is decidedly more tricky, especially with two little children. A truly prudent decision, then, would have been to just stay home today. Just like yesterday and the day before. However, a quick cost-benefit analysis indicated that the cost of staying inside for another entire day (wherein cost = my sanity) did not exceed the benefit derived from venturing out.
Did I mention that the destination was swim class? Can you think of a better response to below-freezing temperatures than to jump into a lukewarm pool? Yes, of course you can. You are not, as my mother told me upon hearing of our field trip this morning, “nuts.”
All told, it wasn’t that bad. The kids did slip and slide their way down our driveway and across the parking lot of the Y. Despite clutching my hands, they did fall down a few times. Yes, it was in fact freezing cold poolside (albeit warm in the water). Oh, and the instructor was late. Poor Sean was shivering under his towel as we waited for someone to teach the class.
Still, on balance it was so good not to be rattling around the house, getting on each others’ nerves, for an hour and a half.
Now, with school having been closed for snow yesterday and with previously scheduled closings this Friday and Monday, we just have five more days to fill with fun and exciting indoor activities. If the past few days are any indication, all my ideas will be dismissed: “Do you want to color?” No. “Build with blocks?” No. “Draw?” No. “Practice writing some letters?” No. “Play with playdough?” No. “Do a puzzle?” No. Followed by the inevitable pronouncement, “I’m bored.” (In fairness, the kids are usually great at entertaining themselves, but when the doldrums hit they have a lot of traction.)
At least they love to read. I anticipate a book marathon this afternoon… What are some of your snow day survival tactics?
Postscript: So much for the marathon: "Do you want to read some books?" "No thank you!" Sigh.
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posted by Suzanne @ 2:33 PM
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