I feel like we will remember winter 2013-14 as the time my kids stopped going to school. Even as an adult there is something magical about snow days - the lack of rules, the guiltless wearing of PJs all day, the break from errands and planning. But, like any good thing, too much is just too much. Last Wednesday I couldn't even feign excitement about our second "polar vortex" of the year. There's a difference between the occasional day off and a season that puts life on hold.
We don't own much snow apparel - random hand me downs coupled with accessories purchased at spring clearance sales. This is both because I'm cheap and because, up until this year, Northern Virginia hasn't received much snow. But given that the season's SECOND extreme cold spell has arrived, I purchased some sleds from Target and became a little more aggressive in searching for "gently used clothing" from friends with older kids.
As a kid my absolute favorite thing to do in the winter was sled with my dad - he'd stand, tumble, dive . . . crazy stunts. On a sledding hill, my dad never seemed like a dad, suddenly he morphed into my best friend, and a super cool one at that. Yet, up until last week, I never took my kids sledding, as Dan always works when it snows and I wasn't sure I could handle all three by myself. So we finally made it to the local hill where I was happy to realize we knew almost everyone there. We stayed for hours, despite temps in the low teens. And the snow day magic returned (even if it was our 4th this winter).
HOW FUN! And look at all that sun! not a single snow day for us. just endless days of grey grey grey, and highs of 41 -- which, let me tell you, just sucks, because that kind of weather tricks you into wearing normal clothes and then the wet cold just SEEPS into your bones. BLEH. Is it spring yet??
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