There is a Pete the Cat story about snow days called, Snow Daze. The story's premise is that school gets called off due to lots of snow and the kids are beyond excited, but then it snows even more, and the next day school is called off…and called off again…and again. There are so many snow days that Pete and his friends miss school. I didn’t think a Pete the Cat book would resonate so much with us until we had snow day after snow day last week. With temperatures reaching -18 (literally what I woke up to my watch telling me Sunday morning) and snow, of course there would be a snow day. When I wrote the idea for this blog post last week, I had intended to tell you about the amazing first two days off. I was going to list the snow activities and talk about all the fun we had—which I still plan on doing later in this post. But I want to be honest with you all. Every week, if I just listed the sunshine and rainbows, I would be leaving out the sibling bickering and long days. Then you might think everything is perfect over here and feel even more alone than you might already. That isn’t my intention with this weekly blog. Parenting is a journey and every week can’t be complete magic. However, if we try to stay positive through the hard days, I believe we can foster connections with our children and grow together. So, I hope you are getting back to a routine with your family and if you are in a cold weather state, you find a way to stay warm and keep your sanity. Read on for the complete picture of our own snow daze story…

Keep in mind my little guy has only gone to school twice since Christmas break because of these snow days and then with the holiday on Monday, it was like another break. In the beginning, we leaned into the fun. We played an epic game of hide and seek. We created some snow magic with a little baking soda, food coloring, snow, and vinegar. The kids bundled up and “raced” around the yard as best they could in all their layers. I watched from the window sipping hot coffee while smiling at their fun, grateful for the warmth indoors. Instead of heating their rosy cheeks with hot chocolate, we embraced more snow and worked together to make snow “ice cream”. Fortunately, the snow in the front yard remains untouched by our dogs. We played Memory and other board games. We laughed. The kids argued a bit, but the snow continued to bring us all back together.

But then the snow kept falling and the temperatures kept dropping. We had been stuck inside for days and it was starting to show. I was out of snow activity ideas. The kids were pushing each other’s buttons any chance they got and in turn, I added some yoga to my daily routine…I needed the extra Zen! One day we cuddled up on the couch and watched movies most of the day. I had to remind myself that doing nothing is sometimes the biggest something. Some of my friends were sending pictures of different things their kids did with the snow and another friend sent a post she had read on Instagram about parenting guilt. It said something to the effect of, ‘Reminder that even if you didn’t do a single snow activity you’re still a great parent.’ So, whether you got crafty or cozied up—no guilt, no shame…you are still a great parent.

Luckily, the first two snow days were fully enjoyed and didn’t reach the point where the kids and I wanted to shovel our way back to normalcy and routines, but by the end of the week, I had my shovel ready. I have listed the activities we did during this extra snow break, but I hope after reading this you realize it doesn’t matter whether you did incredible and out-of-the-ordinary snow activities, cuddled on the couch, or had to get a babysitter to watch the kids because you still had to work. We are all showing up and doing our best. Our kids are loved, and there isn’t anything more important than that. Enjoy your weekend and stay warm.

Happy reading.