Winter Winter Go Away

We are not wearing our PJ's inside out tonight. There will be no flushing of toilets at 9 p.m. We are not going to be watching the news hoping to school our district has cancelled school tomorrow.

I'm just like the little boy in the Seuss Classic "I'm Not Going to Get Up Today." I'm not going to take another snow day!!

We just started back to school today after two weeks of Christmas Break. Well, actually, Miss A's preschool started yesterday and since she goes MWF she went, but the big kids went today for the first time in two weeks and 1 day (Monday was a Teacher Work Day!! Yeah that's what I was asking, too!)

However if you watch the news it looks like this might be a one day week as far as school goes....

Evidence That Winter Needs to Take A Hike

1. My car's temperature reading started at 23 degrees today at 8:45- by the time we got to school about 1 mile away it was 4 degrees.

2. When my husband and son waited in hubby's car for the bus this morning at 7 a.m, the temperature was -16 degrees.

3. They are forecasting 4 to 7 more inches of snow tomorrow and we are running out of room to put the stuff. Miss M suggested that we start an assembly line and move the snow to the middle of our front yard or better yet Mr. C thinks maybe we should shotput it over the house to the backyard. Our driveway can't fit anymore. Soon, we won't be able to see our next door neighbors.

4. Most of the side streets in our fine city has been turned into one ways- they are too narrow for two cars. Today alone I had to back up once to let a car through, and waited in many a opening in front of driveway to let the other car pass me.

5. My daughter's teacher sent home some Reading homework that is not due until the 12th-thinking she might not see the kids again until Monday!!

6. Today, at Target, we restocked our pantry and fridge because I refuse to go outside my home when the temperature is -30 plus like they say it will be on Friday. I actually thought about buying powdered milk to keep "just in case," but wasn't willing to go that far.

7. We checked out movies today at Family Video and the gentleman said not to worry because they weren't due back until Sunday. "You should be able to get out by then!"

8. Finally, I'm at the point that I can't stand the smell of Hot Chocolate anymore. I've made so many pints/gallons of the stuff this winter for kids coming inside from the "shoveling, sledding and freezing" that I'm just sick of it. Today, I bought Apple Cider for a change of pace.

So, Old Man Winter take a hike. Usher in some sunshine, temps above freezing, and some snow melt and I'll be happy once again to talk about how it's not to bad to live in the Midwest. Our winters are mild and our summers are delightful.

What was Mr. Gore saying about Global Warming. Right about now, we could use a little right over my "neck of the woods."

You Know It Might Be Spring When...

The Midwest is notorious for long winters. Winters that keep coming back long after they should be dead. But this week we have a few signs that Spring might actually be around the corner. So. you know it might be Spring when......

1. Garage Doors are open
We laugh that in the winter we never see our neighbors. They pull in their garages, close the door before they get out of their car, and are not seen for months. It's too cold to stand around in the driveway and talk. This weekend, we saw a lot of our neighbors with open garage doors. Cleaning out the sand and gunk from the floor of the garage, washing cars, and moving bikes. Hello Neighbors, glad we all survived another winter!

2. Coats are taking over my laundry room
You never actually know what the weather is going to be like around here on any given day. We have winter coats, dressy winter coats, fleece coats, and jean jacket/spring coats for every child in my house filling every peg and crevices of the room. I've been foolish in the past and put snow pants and coats away before April and had to dig them out again for that last 12 inches of snow.

3. The Door Bell Rings A Lot
Kids are outside playing basketball, riding bikes, running around in all types of clothing. They are constantly coming over to see if C, M, A can come out. The dinner hour is the most frequent time the door bell rings. I wish everyone had the same dinnertime. My favorite ring, however, is when A is in the backyard and she rings the bell over and over again. That doorbell already rings double so you can identify it, so the over ringing can be a little much.

4. We wear a lot of different clothes
Because it can be 30 in the morning and 70 after school, there is a lot of changing of clothes to play outside, lots of baths and showers to rinse of the allergens, and lots of laundry for the mom. With baseball/softball practices starting up soon, even more is on the way.

5. Our backyard has toys and sports equipment all over it.
Between the swing set and the pickup game of baseball with Frisbee bases, soccer balls are now finding their way outside again. I'm hoping that child #3 will be my soccer player. The first two thought there was too much running. I think tomorrow, we'll cancel PJ Day and call it soccer practice day. In addition to the kid stuff, tonight, we used our grill for the first time this season and we'll be putting out patio furniture out soon.

6. Birthday Season has hit our house.
I'll have more on this later this week as the two males in our house are celebrating their new numbers days apart from each other. Lots of celebrations to come. No wonder both boys love spring so much. It's the presents!!

I love Spring! It is the promise of new growth, fresh cut grass, and flowers blooming. I'm willing to put up with a little more laundry, more shoes, and more coats everywhere I look. Goodbye Old Man Winter, I'm excited to see you go.

Who knows maybe PJ Days will be go out the window. Instead, we'll be ready a little earlier to walk the big kids to school and stop at the park on the way home. However, we might have to wait a week or two though as the 30 degree temp at 8:30 is not what I would call Spring.