how we roll on a snow, I mean rain, day

You’re never too old for a snow day.  When I hear of an impending weather event, I get all giddy and excited about the possibility of all of us staying home, eating homemade stew and bread, and playing board games.  (If you think this is what actually happens, you’re probably on drugs.)  There’s just something about not having to go anywhere or do anything that sounds so fun.

Here’s how our day worked out, starting the night before:

• 9pm, night before snow event:  Instructions given to my offspring.  Do NOT set your alarm.  Assume you’re off.  I will wake you up if you need to go to school.
• 9:15pm:  Jenna fully prepared with inside out pajamas.

• 10pm: I have fantasies of waking up and looking out at the snow, while drinking steaming not-so-delicious (still working on that subpar stuff) coffee.  It will be so peaceful.
• 3am:  Wake up to use the bathroom.   Look outside.  Rain.
• 5:25am:  Wake up waiting for the call from Harford County Public Schools that school is cancelled.  The call always comes at 5:30.
• 5:31am:  The call has not come.  Harford County is getting cray cray!  Our kids might have to go to school and come home early. 
• 5:32am:  The phone rings.  Even though I’m awake and waiting for it I feel jarred and rattled.  A phone at this hour is LOUD.  It’s the school system cancelling school.  Now to try to go back to sleep.
• 5:50am:  I’ve fallen back asleep, which is a miracle.  Once I’m awake in the morning, going back to sleep never happens.  Well it did.  How do I know I was asleep at 5:50am?  Because Claire thought it would be a great idea to wake me up to ask if school was off.  Didn’t we go over the plan the night before?  No waking up.  Go back to bed.
• 6am.  Going back to sleep twice?  Not happening.  Ugh.  I’m going to get up and have the romantic cup of coffee sitting by the window looking at the snow.
• 6:01am:  Where is the snow?  I see rain.  Waaahhh.  Well at least it’s peaceful and everyone is in bed.
• 6:20am:  Well here’s Claire.  Me:  What are you doing?  Claire:  I couldn’t go back to sleep.
• 6:21am:  I’m now listening to the peaceful, soothing sounds of Dance Moms, while watching rain.  This has to get better.
• 7:15am:  Still just raining.  As in zero snow.  If there was some, it melted in the rain.
• 7:20am:  Jenna comes downstairs.  “I knew this would happen”, she says pouting and looking out the window.  I say, “Don’t worry. School is closed.”  Jenna’s frown is now upside down. 
• 7:30am:  Jenna plants herself on top of me and attempts to teach me how to play Subway Surfer on my phone.  I’m not good at it and die immediately.  She can’t believe this because “it’s so easy Mommy”.
• 8:10am:  Claire appears and wants to cuddle.  Cuddling involves sitting on me and is not entirely comfortable.  But I’ll take it.  She proceeds to tell me how old I look (my face, my hands, my feet…glad I’m wearing clothes.  I’m sure the rest of me looks old too.).  I kick off my lap for being mean.
• 8:20am:  My legs are numb from a 12 year old sitting on me. 
• 8:26am:  It’s 36 degrees.  I keep looking at Weather Bug at the radar.  The pink is coming (snow).  I can’t wait to see snow.  But I’ll believe it when I see it.
• 9:15am:  One of my children has a temper tantrum due to a friend not being available to play.  This involves yelling and banging on the wall.  Really?  How old are you?
• 10am:  Can’t stop looking at my phone, wondering where the snow is.  Forecasters keep saying “it’s coming”.
• 10:10am:  A different child gets annoyed because she thought we were going to the mall?  When did I say that?!!  She storms off in a huff.
• 10:45am:  Claire’s friend asks her to come over.  Agree to drop her off.
• 11am:  Hit the library to pick up a book Claire needs for the 3^rd time.  We should have just bought the darn thing.
• 11:30am:  Hit Gino’s with Greg and Jenna.  Consume 4000 calories of burger, onion rings, and chocolate shake.  It was soooo good but now I feel sick.
• 12:30am:  Go to Ollie’s Bargain Barn to wander, since it’s near Gino’s.  Why do I always feel itchy in there?  Creepy place.  Managed to pick up Starbucks coffee that is vacuum packed and still good thru April.  Great price.  I’m happy.
• 12:45am:  Come home and realize coffee is not decaf.  I decaffeinated myself remember?  I guess I’m adding caffeine back until I get this coffee done.
• 1pm:  A food coma nap is needed.  Big time.
• 1:05pm:  There’s still no snow.
• 1:15pm:  Hear Jenna and friends thumping around downstairs making a lot of noise.  Hide in bedroom with pets to nap.  Greg can supervise.
• 2pm:  Jenna wakes me up to say “that thing by the window blew off”.  What thing?!   “You know the thing next to the window.” Finally determined a shutter blew off and is in the yard.  Great.  “Go tell your father.”
• 2:15pm:  Hear kids and more thumping.  Keep hiding in bedroom.
• 3:30pm:  Um, still no snow.  Laughing at people’s comments on Facebook.  I mean seriously?  How do you mis-predict 10” of snow??
• 3:45pm:  Now 5 extra kids at my house watching Wreck it Ralph.  Claire calls Greg and asks him to go to Subway because she and her friend want a snack.  Greg gives her a big fat no.
• 5pm:  Get rid of all extra kids and make delicious frozen pizza.  (What happened to the homemade soup I was gonna make?)
• 5:30pm:  Kids discussing what they’re going to do on their day off tomorrow.  Told them emphatically, that is NOT happening. They WILL be in school.
• 6pm:  Feel sorry for all tv weathermen who didn’t predict this rainy, windy day.   Nomaggedon for sure.  (No, I didn’t make that up.)
• 7pm:  Have a headache.  It’s been a long, nonproductive day.  Not terrible at all, but long.
• 8pm:  Kids working toward bedtime and so is this mama.

I suppose I should be thankful.  At least I don’t have piles of wet clothes, gloves, and hats.  And no snow tracked into the house.

How did your rain day go?