Got Snow??

They predicted flurries in the early afternoon Thursday. Everyone got excited, as usual. I figured it would be nothing, but the schools announced they would let out at noon. By the time noon got here, the weathermen had changed their mnds and said we wouldn't get it until later that night. But the kids went on official "Snow Watch". And it got grey, and then..... only about an hour later -

It snowed!!!!!!! And snowed, and snowed a little more. At first it was like tiny sleet. You could hear the shhhhhhhhhhhhh sound as it hit the bushes and grass. I like that. Then it turned to fluffy snow. Not wet, packing snow, but at least it was snow. The dogs were NOT impressed. They have gotten so spoiled, they don't like to get wet and they don't like to get cold. I made them go out, but they certainly didn't stay long. They tried to hide when I called for potty breaks.

Here are the front steps. Yes, those are still the Halloween pumpkins. I have to admit, I don't even think about them being there. I wonder what they look like on the inside now... Could we still scoop out the seeds and toast them? Probably not. I bet we were the only house in the subdivision to have Christmas pumpkins! (Maybe the whole state?)

So, my northern friends and relatives will look at these pictures and laugh out loud that school has already been cancelled for the next day. It wasn't even an inch of snow. But what doesn't show is the layer of sheet ice UNDER that cute snow. As usual, when the sun set, the temps fell and everything froze. And we live in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, so there is very little level land in the area. I was not happy about Mark heading out to work the midnight shift. But he was determined. At least he has lots of practice from living in Indiana, Michigan and Colorado. So he didn't panic when he slid sideways and backward down the driveway to the frozen street below, which is another hill. He fought his way up to the stop sign, turned right and then headed downhill to the subdivision entrance. I just had my fingers crossed as he disappeared. He admitted he forgot about the ski slope all the way down to the entrance and admitted that he really hoped no one was on the crossroad in case he shot right past the stop sign and out into the road. He was thankfully able to stop, and made it to the brewery, albeit very slowly. Of course, being a guy - he forgot to call and let me know he made it in one piece. Since work didn't call looking for him, I figured he must have made it. The weathermen predicted that we wouldn't get above zero until the next week.

The front steps were terribly dangerous and the dogs had almost all wiped out trying to get down them, so I put cat litter on the steps to make it safer. (There's no way we're gonna let Lucy break her knees after we paid so much for them!) But the only kind of litter I had was the clumping kind. Did you know that when clumping cat litter gets wet, it doesn't just clump? It turns back into squishy clay!!!!! Surprise!!!! I think I've finally gotten all the clay footprints and pawprints cleaned up. What a MESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mark came home around noon the next day and declared that he was done for the day. We weren't going anywhere else. He fell asleep with Brooke on the sofa. Thank heavens he wasn't scheduled to work the weekend.

They had a really nice nap while Olivia watched (what else?) Scooby Doo upstairs.

The girls loved the concept of "Snow Day" and had lots of fun building pillow forts and fighting while they stayed out of the cold. Neither one wanted to go out and play in the snow. I didn't encourage them. I remember playing in the snow and I hated getting cold and wet and having to wear tons of clothes. If the snow had been wet enough to pack, they could have slid down the hill and that would have been fun. But this wasn't fun snow. So, let's stay in, stay warm, and have hot cocoa and watch cartoons. Olivia especially hates the cold. She is already saying she is moving to Hawaii when she gets older because it is always warm there. One of her pre-K friends must have clued her in. I just told her she better have a really good job so she can pay for her room and board. Brooke wasn't impressed with the snow at all. It gets much colder in Luohe than it does here and the orphanages have little to no heat. She's been there, done that.

It's Monday night now and the schools will finally open tomorrow, Tuesday. Most of the ice is gone. But nobody wants to put their kid on a bus, on a steep hill, and pray it gets to school ok. It's just better to stay home and stay safe. It only happens once a year, so it's no big deal.