Don't Tell Me, It's Another Snow Day

The snow days. They’re killing me. I know from the news I’m not alone. After last year’s Snowmageddon, I thought maybe we were in for an easier winter this year. Not so much.

The funny thing is my 4yo is in morning preschool and the baby’s not even IN school yet. So it’s not like I’m used to having entire days to myself. But I have gotten used to the rhythm of our regular schedule. Some days all it takes to retain my sanity is an hour at the gym or a pleasant afternoon playdate. Then it snows and it’s all shot to hell.

At first, snow days are a novelty. A fun little freebie in the middle of a workweek. Snowmen and hot chocolate. Sledding and watching movies. But then, after the next one and the next and the next? They get old fast.

I don’t know about you, but I struggle to get through the days when we’re all stuck at home. It’s too cold/icy/dangerous to go outside, playdates and activities are cancelled, and you’ve given up any hope of trying to get anything done with the kids around.

Those are the days I let the kids watch one more show on Nick Jr., I drink one more cup of coffee, and I beg my husband to come home from work early. Those days I look at the clock and think, “Really?! It’s only 10:30a.m? What NOW?”

We might do a craft project that takes up 22 whole minutes and ends in tears when I wrestle the markers away from my 23mo and take away my 4yo’s scissor privileges when he brandishes them at his brother. We read story after story until I can’t take the elbows to the gut anymore as they jockey for position on my lap. We go from one boy’s room to the other, from the family room to the basement, just for a change of scenery. Everyone gets on each other’s nerves.

There’s no sense bundling everyone up and risking the icy roads just for the sake of going somewhere, so even our usual standbys like going to Target or the gym or the library are out.

The only things I’ve found that help pass the time and maintain mental health on days like this are:

- Cooking or baking, which lends itself to little helpers and yields an edible result.

- Music, which can spur an impromptu dance party or karaoke session, and takes my mind off the clock.

- Magazines, which I can flip through while being constantly distracted, and I don’t get upset when someone tears out a picture of a dog or a toy. (FYI, Riley calls the models in magazines “pretty dollies.” I find this both adorable and slightly disturbing at the same time.)

So, dear readers, please share: how do you keep YOUR sanity during long, cold, school-less winter days at home?

Dreaming My Dreams: Blissdom

Hi, people! I’m back from my conference, the first time EVER I’ve left my boys for 3 whole days and nights. You’ll be happy to know that things improved greatly after my rocky start. For me; not necessarily for hubs back home.

It turns out school was cancelled the ENTIRE TIME I was gone, due to the snow. So he had to figure out alternate childcare arrangements, lunches, snowsuits, drop-offs and pick-ups, not to mention shoveling the walk every morning. The man’s a SAINT, I tell you. My gift to him is putting that in writing for all the world to read.

OK, so: back to the Blissdom conference. I could write at least 7 posts about it, but I will spare you since most of you reading this will probably never attend a blog conference. Although if you’re a blogger, I highly recommend it. They give you tons of free stuff and you’re surrounded by people who “get” you and make jokes about captcha and how much time they spend on Twitter.

For me, the conference was chock full o’ inspiration and self-revelations. After maybe a half-day of feeling like the uncool kid back in high school, I realized I am 36, not 16, and I no longer care about who’s cool and what they’re wearing and what I’m wearing and where I should sit. Everywhere you looked, there were friendly faces and people sitting alone and every type of fashion imaginable (including tiaras, sequins, jeans, pajamas, and Converse sneakers).

I realized that I am MUCH more comfortable striking up a conversation with someone in line or sitting next to me in a session than walking up to people at cocktail parties and thrusting a business card in their hand. I realized that I was allowed to walk out of sessions that didn’t interest me and go get a manicure instead. (Which I did, along with 2 shoulder massages. For free! That alone was worth the price of admission.)

For me, the best parts of the CONFERENCE were the speakers and the conversations. More on those later. The best part of the EXPERIENCE was having the space and time to think.

Think about that for a second – oh, wait, you probably can’t because you have people crying and asking you for snacks and where are their keys and can you put Spiderman’s head back on and when’s dinner. Until I was in my nice, clean, quiet hotel room, I didn’t fully realize that I rarely have time to THINK anymore. My head is so constantly spinning with grocery lists and to-do lists and schedules and chores and obligations that I almost never have time to simply think my own thoughts.

Check out this billboard I saw on my tour of downtown Nashville. Isn’t it great?

I went into the conference expecting to learn things – how-to’s, tips, resources. And while I did learn some, I got more out of the speakers and panel discussions about issues like work-life balance, authenticity, courage, and how to define success for yourself.

I had never heard of the opening keynote speaker, Brené Brown, but she blew me away with her funny, honest, and uncannily relevant presentation. (You can watch one of her popular talks here.) I am already halfway through her book, “The Gifts of Imperfection.” Another panelist whose book I’m looking forward to is Hollee Schwartz Temple's, “Good Enough is the New Perfect: Finding Happiness and Success in Modern Motherhood.”

I’m going to have to write a whole separate post about the interesting conversations I had with people. (Don’t worry, fellow conference attendees -– anonymity ensured!) It made me realize, again, that there is a whole wide world out there filled with fascinating people and ideas and opportunities. What a thrill to step outside my house-preschool-grocery store orbit for a few days and interact with it.

PIC O’ THE WEEK: I couldn’t wait to tell Miles that Nashville is home to “The Batman Building,” aka, AT&T Tower.

Plan F

I got cocky. I admit it. I thought I had this work-at-home mom thing down. I boasted that I never missed a deadline and rarely worked nights or weekends. THAT’S how important work/life balance was to me. I took on not 1, not 2, but *4* assignments at once, on top of the online writing class I teach. And you know what happened then? The proverbial “poop” hit the fan, people. So I had to go to Plan B, then C, then D, then … you get the point.

Plan F involved scrambling to turn on the TV for my 3 y.o. -- something, ANYTHING, quick, quick! -- and throwing the shrieking baby in the Exersaucer so I could interview a prominent doctor on my cell phone during dinnertime in the 8 min. he had between surgeries. Miles may have been watching “Keeping up with the Kardashians,” I don’t know. I just know I had to get the story done.

Granted, a freak blizzard resulting in more snowfall than the Mid-Atlantic has seen in decades could not have been predicted. Nor could the sheer number of consecutive snow days off school. There was is so much snow piled up around here that roads, sidewalks, and parking lots are still impassable even a week after the storm. And surely I would never have imagined that we couldn’t get to the sitter’s house a mere half-mile away, or that no one could come to us.

Still, the hits kept on coming. I had deadlines that required multiple phone interviews with hard-to-reach sources. I had to share our one laptop with my husband, who was forced to work at home as well. The snow stopped, but our sitter got sick. School reopened, but with a 2-hour delay. C. went back to work, but had to work extra-long hours to make up for missed time. My calls got rescheduled to the most inconvenient times possible. And still, I persevered.

My brother and his wife had their baby 10 days early, and I had to rush down to see him (wouldn’t you?!) and deliver the bouncy seat. We got some bad news about a sick relative and a flurry of worried phone calls followed. The enormous amount of snow and ice on the roof caused a major leak in the family room, requiring 6 bath towels to sop up the carpet every couple of hours. And on top of this? We’re heading out of town for my FIL’s birthday this weekend.

Did I meet my deadlines? No. I turned in one story on time, got an extension on the others, and am still working on the last one. Did I manage my phone interviews? Barely, though I can’t be sure of what callers heard in the background. Did I solve my sitter shortage? For a few days, by calling in some pinch hitters and rearranging my schedule, requiring the baby to -- GASP!-- skip some naps. Yep, it was that dire.

Was my career ruined? Did I throw in the (sopping wet) towel and slink away in defeat? Did I vow never again to take on more work than I could comfortably handle? No, not yet, and kind of. First, I was honest with my editors, clients, and students and they understood. The blizzard bungled things up for a lot of people. Next, I worked my butt off to finish my work as best I could. And lastly, I am going to think twice the next time an assignment comes my way.

The reality is, I’m the parent who has to drop everything when a blizzard hits, school’s canceled, or someone’s sick. Yet everything still has to get done. That’s the worst part about this juggling act I call my life.

The best parts? I get to build a snowman with my kids on a random Friday morning, snuggle up and watch a movie on a gray afternoon, do work that fulfills me for clients I like and respect, be a mom AND a professional. And I admit, being able to work in sweats and slippers is not too bad, either.

READS O’ THE WEEK: This article on why snow days suck resonated with me, and this post on HybridMom.com felt like I could’ve written it myself.

Snowy with a Chance of Insanity

Seasonal Snowfall Total in Baltimore: 79.9 inches

Previous Seasonal Snowfall Record for Baltimore: 62.5 inches in 1995-96

Days of School Cancelled This Week: 5

Number of Times Our Street Was Plowed: 0

Number of Times Hubs Shoveled the Walk: 7

Articles of Clothing Required for Son to Play Outside: 15

Games of Candy Land Played: 9

Games of Memory Played: 7

Number of Puzzles Completed: 6

Hours of TV Watched: 41

Number of Times My Kids Fought Over a Toy: 517

Number of Times My Family Got on My Nerves: 1,034

Number of Times I Considered Fleeing the House and Never Coming Back: Too many to count

At first, the record-breaking snowstorm that hit the Mid-Atlantic was an exciting event. No one around here had ever SEEN this much snow. The first snowfall happened on a Saturday, so everyone was home and nothing got cancelled. We sat around in our PJs, watched movies, went out to play in the snow, and got together with our neighbors for an impromptu potluck. Fun!

Then it snowed again. And a couple days later, AGAIN. Piles of it mounted up on street corners and once 4-lane roads narrowed to a single slushy lane. School was cancelled, churches and libraries were closed, and pretty much everything in the state shut down. The weather report played continuously on the TV and the snow continued to fall.

The kids began to get antsy, the grown-ups began to get irritated, and everyone began to wonder just when the hell things would ever get back to normal. And still, the blizzard dragged on. And on. And ON.

Two adults trying to work from home plus one computer and two active kids equals big-time stress. In desperation, C. tried to dig out and head into the office today. It took him 20 min. to get off our street, and 10 min. after that, he was back. The roads were a mess; not worth the risk.

Seriously? If this snow situation doesn’t improve -- and SOON -- I cannot be held responsible for my actions. Not least because the number of bottles of wine in the house is currently <1.

VIDEO O’ THE WEEK: How my boys are passing the time indoors

Holy Snow!

To say that we got some snow here this weekend is like saying Lady Gaga is a little quirky. The flakes started falling around noon on Friday, and when the kids woke up at 6:45 a.m. on Sat. we couldn’t see out the windows. Huge snow drifts on the roof obscured the view. Then I went downstairs to let the dog out the back door and … she ran face-first into a WALL of snow. Confused, she turned around and ran back to her bed.

Seriously. Picture a waist-high wave of snow pressing against a sliding glass door. The railings were piled more than a foot high with snow. The poor dog had to hold it until C. could get outside and shovel a path for her. The snow was so deep, he described it as a triple-layer shoveling job. He was drenched with sweat when he was done with the walk, and it was still snowing.

Miles couldn’t WAIT to get outside. He wolfed down some pancakes, then started the labor-intensive process of putting on his “snow gear.” That’s what he calls it: gear. Long johns, socks, snow pants, turtleneck, fleece pullover, coat, boots, hat, scarf, and gloves. Whew! To his credit, he stayed out there for HOURS, despite getting snow up his back and down his wrists. The boy loves snow as much as Lady Gaga hates pants.

I have to say, I’m glad this blizzard happened on a weekend. First, because my husband was home and not stuck on the side of a highway miles and miles away. And second, because HE could shovel the mountains o’ snow and play with our polar bear-blooded son. I’m good for a half-hour or so, but then I want to go back inside and have a hot cup of tea.

Besides, it’s not like you can frolic in the snow for hours when you’ve got an 11 m.o. baby. It’s hard enough getting 17 layers of gear on a 3 y.o., let alone a person half that size. Not to mention that if I dropped Riley in a snow drift, we may not see him till spring. And lastly, because he can’t move in that much snow, even if he could move in that many clothes, I have to carry him. Like he doesn’t weigh enough without the 15 extra lbs. of gear!!

We did bring him outside today, after the snow stopped and the sun came out. But that was mostly just for the photo ops. And because my MIL—who, incidentally, lives in a snow belt up north yet didn’t get a single flake there—scoured the stores to find a tiny snow suit for her youngest grandson. We couldn’t let that go to waste, now could we?

Riley seemed a bit perplexed and mildly interested in the snow, until a few moments later when he slipped and did a face-plant in it. That was the end of our winter family festivities.

I’m a little nervous about what happens when C. goes back to work tomorrow. Will I have to strap tennis rackets on my feet and bundle my children in 50 yards of Polarfleece to go get the mail? Will I have to melt buckets of snow to flush the toilets if a water main breaks somewhere? (My friend actually had to do that for 3 days once.) Will we lose power like my poor 9-mos.-pregnant SIL and have to stay in a hotel?

I don’t know, but if that happens can one of you ski over to my house and let the dog out?