As you may have noticed, my posts have been a bit light these last few weeks. Winter is making me crazy this year. Not Wynter, my new dog (as Princess admonished me, "Mom! How can you be so mean ???"). But winter. In the bleak mid-winter. Cold, ice, snow, some sun, then more snow, more ice. Kids slipping on the driveway on the way to meet the bus. CT Dad also slipping on the ice while dragging the trash can up the driveway. The driveway finally clears of ice, then it snows again. As it did today.
I've tried to make the best of snowy days. Last week, when I was home for yet another snow day while CT Dad escaped to the office (I guess having 2 kids and 2 dogs underfoot was too much for him), I decided to make comfort food. Cinnamon rolls for breakfast, homemade lasagna and garlic bread for dinner. I didn't even get out of my pajamas. Then I got the email saying that chamber choir rehearsal was still on, so I showered, pulled my hair back, quickly ate dinner, then drove the 45 minutes to rehearsal. Only to have it cut short because of the city parking ban, and the director didn't want us to lose our cars. So less than hour later, I was back on the highway, and drove by no less than 3 different multi-car accidents in the opposite lanes. Luckily I made it home without incident, but many others were not so lucky.
When it comes to schedules, though, I can deal with a snow day. It's the late openings and early dismissals that wreak havoc with my schedule. The day after last week's snow day, school opened 2 hours late. The original plan was that CT Dad was going to take Princess to her 8:20 orthodontist appointment and then go to work. I would put Sweet Pea on the bus at 8:15, drive to meet Princess and then take her to school and be back home working by a little after 9:00.
No such luck. A two hour delay meant that Princess didn't start school until 10:00, and Sweet Pea started at 10:50. So I wound up taking both of them to Princess' 8:20 ortho appointment, which didn't end in time for her to catch her bus. I dropped her at school at 9:50, then got home just in time for Sweet Pea to catch her bus at 10:15. And trying to keep in touch with the office via BlackBerry so I wouldn't lose any time. Whew.
Today we had an early dismissal, which was not announced until the girls were in school for about 2 hours. Last June, we had an early dismissal situation when temps soared to almost 100 degrees, and they didn't make the decision until mid-morning. That wreaked havoc then, and you would think the superintendent would have learned from his mistake.
Not so much. I got the email notification at 9:58 am, the 6th grade phone call at 10:51 and the 3rd grade phone call at 11:15. Princess was dismissed at 12:30, and Sweet Pea got out at 1:15. I am very lucky that I work from home, because if I had been in the office, I would have been racing to get home in time to meet the buses. Chances are, this won't be the last time this season.
Punxatawney Phil says there will be 6 more weeks of winter. Not sure if I'm going to make it.
5 comments:
I am total with you! Due to the complications of my recovery, I must have solid, not slippery ground to walk on and still do not risk driving! So the couple of warm days I went out, but generally, I am stuck indoors! Talk about cabin fever! UGH!
A couple weeks ago, when we were dealing with horrifically arctic temps, my oldest son was in school for less than an hour when he called to tell me school was going to let out 2 hours early. Heck, he called me before the official announcement was listed on the TV stations. So I called work (which I was supposed to be at two hours after his call) and told them I would be missing my shift. Thankfully, I have a job where it's not earth shattering if I miss a shift (and honestly, they'd probably be happy to save the payroll expense), but I know if I was in a full-time office position, I'd be in a mess.
I'm just ready for winter to be over, too. It's supposed to be 51 degrees here Saturday. Of course, that just means the temps will drop again next week! I just hope we're completely done with snow days, though!
No such *luck* here in DC. We had one snow day, and one two hour delay and it appears that there is not another storm in sight...
Sounds like we need to make some Frickin' Groundhog Stew.
Sheesh! This winter we had two weeks of snow (as opposed to the typical 6 hours) and it made me nuts. But I especially feel your pain when it comes to schools, days off, in-service days, sno days, etc. There are drawbacks to growing older, but empty nest (and NO MORE CHILDCARE/TRANSPORTATION issues!) isn't one of them.
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