Snow Day fun...

Well, we got to enjoy another fun "snow day" here in Northwest Arkansas. When we get any snow or ice, everything stops & everyone stays home (well...almost everyone). Anyway, on Wednesday the weather reports said that we were going to be getting some ice/snow/sleet, etc., beginning on Thursday morning. The kids were excited, as usual, and were hoping they they would be out of school on Thursday and Friday. Well...Thursday morning came...and NO snow or ice! The kids were looking forward to it, so I had a couple grumpy kids, not wanting to go to school. I guess that's what happens when you tell them the "MIGHT" cancel school. But, they managed to cheer up, after looking at the weather reports again, saying there was a 100% chance of snow & ice on Thursday evening (so at least they'd get to miss school on Friday). I kept checking the school website & weather all day on Thursday, because the reports were saying it might come in earlier and schools would be let out early. We managed to finish out the school day. I picked up the younger kids at 3:00, and then PJ at 4:00, and just as we were driving home from the Jr. High, the icy rain started. We got home without any problems, and I called Neil to let him know to be safe coming home. As soon as the ice starts forming on the roads, it can get VERY dangerous.

Well, Neil got home as usual, and we had a nice dinner together. It still hadn't started snowing yet, so I thought maybe the storm would pass & the kids would still have to go to school on Friday. But the rain & ice continued, and around 8 or 9 p.m., the news reports were saying that all the local schools would be closed on Friday.

We woke up Friday morning to a little snow, but with the combined ice & snow on the roads & the snow still coming down, most people didn't go into work. Anytime there is questionable weather with snow & ice, the Walmart Corporate offices don't require that the employees come in (for their safety). I find it a little funny when it's just snow, since many of the people around here have driven in snow most of their lives--it's nothing new. But, that's the policy. Neil had a ton of work to get done at work, and figured he'd be able to get a lot done, with so few people there, and no interruptions. It was actually really good for him. He got about 3 times the amout of work done in half the time! Then, around 3 p.m. or so, Neil headed home, and just finished up a little more work from his laptop. We had our traditional "snow day" dinner of pancakes, bacon, hashbrowns, etc. and played some games & just relaxed. It was great.

The kids enjoyed the day by spoiling our dog (who usually stays outside all the time, except at night--she sleeps in our laundry room). They also had fun playing with legos, playing on the computer and the Wii, playing games, building forts, etc. They also played outside in the snow for a while, until their hands & feet were numb, then came back in for some hot cocoa and Valentine cookies. Oh, and they also helped me fold 4 baskets of laundry. As you can see in the picture in the slide show, after Clay helped fold the towels, his idea of helping was running around with the laundry basket on his head!

It was a nice day! At least our power didn't go out like it did during last year's ice storm--that was CRAZY! We'll see what the next couple days brings & if church is cancelled or school is cancelled again on Monday (they don't have the equipment to clear off the roads, so they just wait for it to all melt, which can take a while if it's a lot & the temperatures stay cold). We are already up to 6 snow days now, that the kids will have to make up at the end of the school year, but I think that is the maximum amount of days that they'll go over.

(The snow finally stopped by Saturday morning, with a total of about 1/2" of ice on the bottom with 8-1/2" of snow on top of that!)

Anyway...HAPPY SNOW DAY TO ALL... :)