Snow Day

You have to laugh at us Northwesterners and our propensity to freak out about snow. 

All this week we've been hearing about the 'snowstorm of the year' scheduled to hit yesterday.  We were advised to stock up on groceries, equip our cars with emergency supplies and prepare for record snowfall for February.  Names like "Snowlandia" and "Flurricane 2011" were being bantered about.

Which reminds me, have you seen this Dodge ad?  I love this!

I'm fairly certain they don't air this commercial in Minnesota.  Or maybe they do - so they can laugh at us while snuggling in their igloos!

By Wednesday afternoon, the poor defeated weather forecasters were downgrading their predictions, scaling back on their snowfall amounts and admitting that maybe things didn't look as dire as they'd been saying. 

The headlines could have read "Meteorologists Flee Angry Mobs."

I am subbing in first grade all this week and I was very excited (along with the kids and the other teachers) to have a snow day today and probably Friday.  Standing outside yesterday afternoon in the carpool line, with the sun glaring in our eyes, the teachers looked at each other and resigned themselves to the sad probability that the weathermen were wrong and that we'd all be back there today. 

When I woke up this morning and peeked outside, there was about a half an inch of snow on the lawn and none on the street.  Sighing, I prepared to get ready when my phone rang and I got the good news that school was closed, along with all the local public schools in the area.  Wow! 

A few more flakes fell early this morning but by now all the snow is mostly gone.  I had been out in the yard yesterday and snipped some daffodil buds so when I ate (a liesurely) breakfast this morning, I sat at a cheerful table.  The buds have almost all opened.

I do love first graders and I'm sure I'll see them tomorrow.  This little girl's feet especially delighted me this week.

Of course, the minute I snapped this picture with my phone, I had a line of kids wanting me to take a picture of their shoes. 

I read a few chapters in "Ramona the Brave" after lunch and got to witness the amazing power of suggestion in action.  Ramona has a loose tooth and is trying to get it to come out at school.  Beverly Cleary's descriptions are very vivid and by the time I finished the chapter, I had FOUR first-graders with bloody kleenex in their mouths asking to go to the nurse because their teeth were about to come out.  I am not exaggerating.  So funny.

So... I'm enjoying a day of not tying cute shoes or finding containers for bloody teeth.  What are you up to today??

And be careful out there!