Once upon a time, snow days were a delightful escape, a chance to cozy up with a warm drink while watching the snowflakes dance outside. You could leisurely stroll to your favorite bar in the afternoon, sipping on morning mimosas. Fast forward to today, and snow days often feel like an unexpected extra shift—with no backup in sight. Here’s how it typically unfolds:
Three Days Out:
You catch wind of an impending snowstorm and silently hope the weather forecast is wrong. You need to hit the grocery store before the inevitable panic sets in.
Two Days Out:
You brave the grocery store, only to find that even a mere 1-3 inches of snow has turned other shoppers into frenzied animals, hoarding essentials like eggs, milk, and butter. As you navigate the chaos, you mumble to yourself that it’s just snow while tossing cookies into your cart.
One Day Out:
You suddenly realize your liquor cabinet is empty. If you’re going to endure a day—or potentially days—trapped indoors with the kids, you need reinforcements. Off to the liquor store you go, stocking up on wine, beer, and spirits.
Night Before:
As you monitor the weather, the snow seems inevitable. You think about digging out the winter gear but hesitate—admitting the reality of snow feels like defeat. Instead, you pour yourself a glass of wine to savor the calm before the storm.
Day Of:
Awakened early by the excited shouts of your kids declaring, “It’s snowing!” you mutter a few choice words, dragging yourself out of bed. Before that first cup of coffee, you’re already fielding inquiries about when they can go out to play.
Checking your phone confirms what the snowy landscape outside has already revealed: school is canceled. You take a moment to think this could turn into a fun family day—big breakfast, snow play, movie cuddles.
However, after slaving over the stove for an hour and burning a batch of pancakes, you serve them to an ungrateful family who’d rather be outside. When asked why breakfast is necessary, you finally sit down to your cold coffee and charred pancakes.
In a rare moment of peace, you scroll through Facebook, only to see your friend Jenna already outside with her kids, frolicking in the snow. Instantly, you feel inadequate. Good moms don’t hide in the kitchen watching morning TV; they’re outdoors making magical memories.
You get up to gather snow gear but realize your kids are quietly playing. Sneaking back into the kitchen, you pour another cup of coffee and grab a cookie. Just as you think you’ve bought some time, you hear, “Mom, can we go out in the snow now?”
Searching for snow gear, you find mismatched gloves, boots that are too small, and a hat from your teenage years. You curse your lack of preparedness. Digging through bags in the basement, you find boots that fit you and some that are a half size too small for your child.
After another round of “Mom, can we go out?” you rush upstairs to get dressed. You layer yoga pants and sweatpants for warmth, throw on a cute snow hat, and feel like you’re ready for anything.
Excitedly, you announce that it’s “TIME TO PLAY IN THE SNOW!” You feel like the best mom in the world—until your child emerges from the playroom still in pajamas, asking if he has to change.
Back upstairs you go to find appropriate winter clothes, only to discover you’re out of snow pants. With shouts of “I thought you said it was time to go out in the snow!” ringing in your ears, you settle on some sporty pants instead.
After wrestling him into his snow gear, you realize you’re sweating more than during your last workout. Just as you finish getting him dressed, he proclaims he has to pee. Back to square one.
Finally, you step outside and take in the beauty of the winter wonderland—only for the peaceful moment to be shattered by cries of “Mom, my glove fell off!” and “Mom, I’m cold!” You begin to sing “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” while feeling a twinge of self-loathing.
You build a snowman, dashing inside for buttons and a nose, only to return and find your child crying, claiming the snowman is down. You rebuild, snap photos, and post them to make your social media presence feel more accomplished than it really is.
As you suggest hot chocolate and retreat indoors, you leave a trail of wet clothes behind. In the comfort of your kitchen, you whip up some hot chocolate, adding a generous splash of Bailey’s or whatever liquor you have on hand. Then you glance at the clock and realize it’s only been 30 minutes since you stepped outside.
You turn on a movie, curl up on the couch, and check Facebook again. Jenna has moved on to crafts with her kids. Is that a tub of snow in her living room? It’s barely noon, and she’s done so much!
When lunch rolls around, you manage to sneak away to the kitchen, but your child’s cries of hunger echo behind you. You make lunch but are quickly bombarded with snack requests. Hoping for a moment of quiet, you hand over a pack of cookies and search Pinterest for more ways to keep your child entertained.
You remember the Play-Doh stashed upstairs and bring it down, only to find that the icing tool looks questionable for play. You decide to ignore it and dive into creating a Play-Doh cake. Before you know it, you’re the one doing all the decorating while your child barks orders from the sidelines.
After cleaning up the mess, you hear the dreaded “Mom, I’m bored” and realize that cookies might be a good distraction. You pull up a recipe and feel proud for having the ingredients on hand, but your child quickly loses interest after dumping flour everywhere.
Now baking alone, you hear calls for your attention while you wrestle with the oven. You briefly consider another spiked hot chocolate, but the clock reminds you that it’s only early afternoon.
“Mom, I’m bored” echoes again, along with requests to build a tent or play a board game. Finally, you hand your child the iPad, relishing the rare silence. As you check social media, you notice Jenna’s kids are napping after their fun-filled day.
You wonder why you didn’t think of the iPad sooner. Glancing out the window at the lovely snow, you clean up the mess of wet clothes that now litters your entryway and prepare a nice warm dinner. Pouring yourself a glass of wine, you pray for school to resume the next day.
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In summary, snow days have transformed from blissful retreats to chaotic experiences filled with frantic preparation and endless demands, but amidst the madness, there are still moments of joy and connection to be cherished.