2 posts tagged “snow days”
It's a gloriously overcast day here in Flag County. The snow started after school yesterday and continued into the night. My classes were cancelled and now the kids' schools are closed. Unlike last week's unfortunate experience, this time the school district means it.
It is good to have a break. Yesterday I had a series of unsettling events:
- A teacher asked for a quick conference with me concerning a Flag child who is not making the academic progress he should, yet he clearly has a command of those missing skills at home.
- My phone rang and rang yesterday with a kind teacher trying to tell me that another Flag child was ill and needed to come home.
- Of course, I did not know where my phone was during those calls. That meant the very nice teacher had to do a bit of dectective work to find a responsible Flag parent.
- When I finally got to the school, I parked illegally (which is the norm at our school for picking up sick kids); unfortunately, that was the moment a school bus chose to pull up two inches from my car and demanded I move. Did the bus driver speak directly to me? No, she spoke through a group of 5th graders. That seemed to annoy the office staff, who demanded I not move my car. When confronted by the office staff and reminded that I was there to pick up an ill child, the bus driver remembered that she could actually drive around my van.
- When I got home, my neighbor had shoveled my driveway AGAIN. I should be grateful for neighbors who compete to shovel my driveway before I do, but I feel guilty. Of course, having the neighbor shovel is safer than the method used by a neighbor my parents used to have. His method was to pour gasoline all over his driveway and then light it. He had the clearest, dryest driveway in town.
Now it's time to enjoy the snow day. I am off to beat my 6 year in Guitar Hero. If I time everything right, the neighbor will be finished with my driveway soon.
I am sorry, mapper snapper, but we have SNOW -- again, again, and again.
There is nothing more exciting than the night before the storm. The anticipation is marvelous. School kids and teachers hope together and make plans "just in case it snows," and even the adults who have nothing to do with school anymore are excited.
The anticipation builds for days. "Snow in your forecast!" "Friday morning will be a slow commute!" "Dig out those boots again!" "It's a big storm - nine inches!!" And last night there was even a reminder on local radio: "Walmart has a new supply of snow shovels."
By 10:00 last night, a local district had already cancelled classes for today. Snow accumulation at that point: 0.00 inches. Kenseth made the promised snow a matter of prayer. "Dear Jesus, I know you want my teacher to have a day off. I really like him, so could you make it a really big snowstorm?"
At 5:30 this morning, Checkered and I watched our school district's cable channel and there it was:
"SNOW DAY. All district schools are closed."
Stewart and I double-checked the district channel again at 6:00.
"SNOW DAY. All district schools are closed."
I insanely awoke my other children to tell them to sleep in.
And then...and then....AND THEN at 7:30 the message said:
"All district schools are open. Expect bus delays."
The magic is over. The thrill is gone. The promised nine inches will be 4ish. And four angry Flag children are safely delivered to school.
