Normally I love having them home, but I have a LOT of writing to get done today - this post, a review of a play I went to see on the weekend (It stunk. But I can't say that.), a letter asking to be put on the local library board - as well as a ton of household tasks that MUST be done today. There are bathrooms to clean (and can I just digress and say how happy I am to live in a house with more than one bathroom?), floors to wash, beds to strip and about five zillion loads of laundry to do. Oh, and some baking. And now this all must be done with all three of my children hovering expectantly around me, waiting for me to do something fun.
By some cheerful happenstance, I just happened to have tons of fun paper activities ready for them - and this was just one of those unplanned but timely things - and so while the oldest child is draped across the couch, watching tv and barely moving, the younger two are happily colouring sheets of Christmas-themed paper dolls. (click on "seasonal" to find winter outfits and "holiday" to find Christmas outfits.) I don't know what I'll do when I run out of sheets of paper dolls, though.
My oldest daughter was in two theatrical performances over the weekend - not the stinky play, but a startlingly moving children's musical, with my daughter as one of the youngest members of the angel choir. I think of her so much as my big kid, and yet she was tiny up there, a vulnerable little child with bobbed hair and someone much too small to send out into this cold, snowy world on her own. So I'm going to put everything on hold for today and make sugar cookies with my children, let them use every cookie cutter (and whoo, we have lots) and cover the kitchen in sprinkles. My kids are rarely angels - and I'm laughing writing that, a bitter laugh. ha ha! - but they're plenty sweet enough and cookies will only make them sweeter, these beloved, annoying children with their fleeting and finite childhoods passing as fast as the snow is falling.
Sounds like Monday chores to me! You are such a good mom, Beck to put it aside and have a fun snow day with the kids.
oof. snow day on a monday. the worst day for a snow day.
hang in there.
mmm, sugar cookies on a snow day sounds much better than my Monday!
i am expecting a snow day tomorrow so i am madly baking stolen bread and cleaning so that i can be prepared for it.
i should go check out those paper dolls. we are SO over our million paper snowflakes!
Way to prioritize! I definitely need help in that category every once and a while. Good luck. :)
Beck, you're awesome. Your kids are one lucky, blessed trio to have you as their mom. I think you should host my kid for a visit so they could experience a mom who bakes on a snowy day instead of complaining about the snow they their dragging into the house and all the warm let they're letting out when they open the door. ;-)
Have a lovely snow day with your kids Beck!
You are so lovely.
I used to love snow days as a kid! My wife is 17 weeks pregnant and the only thing I could think of when I saw all that snow was how fun it will be to stay home with the kids on snow days! Reality check for me!
I dread and revel, in equal parts, the days when we're stuck inside. You are an inspiration.
I made shortbread with Miss M on the weekend. It all went very well for the first 10 minutes or so but then it spiraled into doughy, cutter cluttery chaos. Still, I wouldn't have traded the experience for the world. later this week, it'll be gingerbread men.
I dread and revel in, in equal parts, the days that we are all stuck inside. You are an inspiration.
And yay, me for the double post...I hate my computer.
You good mama, you.
Our school buses were cancelled today, too. Luckily we live a three minute walk from the school! But as I look out the window at the driving snow, I'm kind of wishing the kids were just here with me, warm and cozy. I think I'll make cookies for after we walk home together in this blizzard.
Hmm. Could your snow day be *my* excuse for not catching up on my writing?
I love the idea of making paper dolls. Just the other day I was remembering how my sister and I used to make tons of paper dolls and fight over the clothes...
And a snow day! I'm jealous, actually, although I hear you on the terror of having the kids around all day.
Yes, it's true, you have to ignore all those 'exciting' chores waiting to be done, but on the plus side, you're using your new stand mixer to mix that cookie dough, aren't you?
They're so lucky to have you! I would be running screaming from the house after being stuck inside for a couple hours. (Not that I don't love my kids - I just don't like being stuck inside...) :-)
Love the paper dolls! And I love your manic schedule - you're awesome.
Good luck with the board, btw.
Trying to be more in the moment...letting go of the chores and To Do Lists is something I am always working on. Sometimes I can do it and sometimes...it is hard.
Hope your snow day was fun!
Sweet and annoying. Ya, that sounds about right. (Describing my own children, I mean) Things will either get done or they won't, right? So why worry about it. That is what I tell myself.
A snowy day! We NEVER get those here -- Boo and I would be out and making snowballs all day. Then of course it's sunny here almost all the time, and we stay indoors doing craft and baking and watching TV. Go figure...
i'm surprised you get snow days. doesn't it snow all the time?
that's what you get for being such a creative, activity centered mom. your kids come to expect it. my kids expect to see me on the couch saying, "get outside and don't come in until i call you for supper."
Snow Day? Why, when I was young, we had to go to school not matter what--and it was a twenty-mile walk and it was uphill and against the wind and we didn't even where boots. Whippersnappers today, I tell you what.
It is so hard for me to turn away from my agenda on days like that. Flexibility is the name of the parenting game, right?
I adore snow days even though it means absolutely nothing in my life now!
And, I love that last sentence so much.
I love snow days.
I just laze around though. Sugar cookies sounds like a wonderful idea.
can we get the recipe?
Everything you make I want the recipe, just to read it, not because I am even kidding myself that I might make them. Ok I might.
Snow day! i can only have it in my dreams...can never see snow in Singapore other than the 'fake snow' created from soap foams...
I loved snow days when I was a kid. Hope you and yours had fun!
What a good mommy you are, putting off the household tasks to bake cookies with your kids. You inspire me! (And I mean that seriously. I just read over my comment and realized that it sounds sarcastic. But it's not! Promise!)
The snowfall over the last few days has put me in a Christmas mood. Even I am almost tempted to make Christmas cookies - if only I baked!
Playing with cut out paper dolls was something my older sister and I used to do a lot of when we were kids. When we ran out of ones from cut-out books we would cut some out of catalogues. With the catalogue ones we would play a game we called orphanage - as we always cut out a bunch of kids and/or babies and just a couple of adults. It was a strange game to be playing considering we came from a family of 7 kids!
With this cold weather, I have been cooking healthy meals like stews, soups, etc. I am a busy working mom and hardly find the time to cook this type of meals during the week. I was thinking a purchasing a slow cooker but would need some advice and suggestions. I have a family of 5 so we would need a large pot. Would you have any tip (brand, features, programmable/non programmable, etc)?
Your help will be greatly appreciated!
Your kids are so lucky that you are prepared for all these eventualities. As a teacher, I would be happy for a snow day, but the only time our school has ever closed for snow is when the Mayor closed the entire city in a state of emergency. The part I never understand is if I can make it to school, howcome my students can't?
Oh, the memories! Sitting around the table in our jammies & slippers with the transistor radio turned waaaay up to see if our school was open or closed...so much snow the power was out! We never have school days now.
Putting the kids first is always always so important because you are right they grow up way too fast!
Snow Days! I remember those. They saved me, as a child, from walking to school ... two miles ... in the snow ... barefoot ... uphill ... both ways.
How did I miss your Kitchen Party on Monday? I don't know. I look for it. So I'm late.