PJ days are some of my favorite days...and at 72 with no kids or grandkids close by who might need/want my participation in snow days (or any other “days” 😂) I enjoy them whenever possible! #Pajamming
I’ve never experienced a snow day (always lived in the SF Bay Area in California), but so appreciate the way you capture that circular thinking that I know many mothers have crowding their minds. Spot on. I am most definitely a pajamming kind of gal.
Maybe you can build a snow “sculpture” or just enjoy the feeling of packing snow, and stay on the front steps of your house as a sort of compromise? Your daughter can bring you fresh snow and you don’t have to do the full 100% ?? 🤩
I share your sentiments completely, and I feel like I got almost the exact same communication from my daughter's school this week ;) Two delayed openings and a snow day reminded our family just a bit of the absolute wreckage of the pandemic lockdown. While I 100% supported lockdown to buy science time to figure this out, break chains of lethal transmission, and to give healthcare workers like myself a chance to secure some PPE and have our wills made... the rhythm of work and school and family life was left in a sad state of wreckage. This week was just an echo of that as my wife and I scrambled to get help. Adulting with a job does not have 2 hour delayed openings and snow days!
That being said, we saw Ain't Too Proud (about the Temptations) at the Academy of Music Thursday night, and found it really entertaining, with impressive choreography, voices, and some inspirational moments among heartbreaking ones.
Life. The show goes so fast, and it's later than we think.
I'll resolve to head out into the snow tomorrow with my daughter. That's a more fair, mutual expectation for everyone on a Saturday, right? When it's cold outside, I got the month of May.
I'm new to your newsletter. I thought this one was hilarious! I chuckled throughout those paragraphs on lost opportunities.
I too started therapy related to "fun". I'm part of The Great Resignation group; several friends and I retired at the same time. A close friend would text me everyday about whatever "fun" thing she was doing that day. I couldn't understand why I wasn't having "fun". (After a year of therapy, I now understand why.)
We're in Maryland and we've had two "over-performing" snow events this week. My friend, who has FUN every day, texted me so gleefully: "OH MY GOD! It's snowing again!!!"
Whereas I, going through a particularly challenging time this week, can only see all the shoveling I have to do to get my car clear to get to a hospital appointment, woke up and groaned: "oh.my.god. It's snowing AGAIN."
Great post! Speaking from the "other side" (my youngest is 17), if it's the last snow day ever, you probably had other snow days where you did snow stuff. All you really need is one photo of you out in the snow as evidence - hang it up, frame it, point to it often and say, "Wasn't that fun?" They'll grow up and think it happened all the time! ;)
I did make a snow girl. Yesterday I was grumpy about the snow. As I explained to my acupuncturist after taking the metro in to downtown DC (and being the only person on my metro car), I was feeling more the "threat" than the "fun" of snow. (This might have been due to my unceremonious fall first thing in the morning taking my dogs out for a walk. The dogs were fine. My feet just went out from under me for no reason as I walked across a flat parking lot.). But today it was just snow--not mixed with ice. And I want to play like my puppy was playing with the snow. So my snow girl has a jaunty magnolia pod hat sticking out of her head, slanting beige willow oak leaves for eyes and a puckered up tiny pin oak leaf for a mouth. I almost stopped myself from starting by saying to myself, "Who am I making this for?" like if there wasn't anyone to share the fun with, what was the point? But then I got into it, and it felt great! And fun!
(But I HAD to shovel the driveway to get our cars out so husband could go to work. Which then because I had to move my car out of his way, I asked my autistic son whose program was canceled today if he wanted to go get groceries and go for a swim. He did. And THAT turned out to be if not “fun,” enjoyable/satisfying and the swim cleared out my snow blues and annoyance at myself that I no longer like snow.
It’s pretty. But I just don’t like it like I did before snowmaggen 14 years ago when school was canceled for A MONTH!
I think if I were you my goal today would be to bond - spend quality time - with your kids. Forget about fun for the day, frankly. But if you get some quality time with them today it will likely be considered fun at least in retrospect and will also pay off today and in the future. Making positive memories = fun.
I am SOOOO feeling this!!! My 6 year-old has only had a half-day of school this week (in northern Virginia) and like you, all I really want at this point is my OWN snow day, all by myself! (That made me laugh; thank you!) In fact, my sweet boy is sitting here in full snow pants, boots and coat, patiently waiting for our 3rd day of sledding. Siiiiiiggggghhhhhhh.
I love you and I thank you for this post; truly your most appreciated one ever! Now I’m off to get dressed but with a good bit less annoyance than I felt prior to reading. Winning!🫶🤗❄️❤️
I think there is delight in feeling free to complain - I say this as a 70-year-old grandma - and it seems like it is worth investigating the right balance of positive thinking and righteous negativity. Pajamming is a great word! My friends and I share our thoughts a lot about living in old bodies, and that can be fun too.
PJ days are some of my favorite days...and at 72 with no kids or grandkids close by who might need/want my participation in snow days (or any other “days” 😂) I enjoy them whenever possible! #Pajamming
I’ve never experienced a snow day (always lived in the SF Bay Area in California), but so appreciate the way you capture that circular thinking that I know many mothers have crowding their minds. Spot on. I am most definitely a pajamming kind of gal.
Maybe you can build a snow “sculpture” or just enjoy the feeling of packing snow, and stay on the front steps of your house as a sort of compromise? Your daughter can bring you fresh snow and you don’t have to do the full 100% ?? 🤩
https://share.icloud.com/photos/0fbPFn_Nk1gLGMnkSuljSPspQ
I share your sentiments completely, and I feel like I got almost the exact same communication from my daughter's school this week ;) Two delayed openings and a snow day reminded our family just a bit of the absolute wreckage of the pandemic lockdown. While I 100% supported lockdown to buy science time to figure this out, break chains of lethal transmission, and to give healthcare workers like myself a chance to secure some PPE and have our wills made... the rhythm of work and school and family life was left in a sad state of wreckage. This week was just an echo of that as my wife and I scrambled to get help. Adulting with a job does not have 2 hour delayed openings and snow days!
That being said, we saw Ain't Too Proud (about the Temptations) at the Academy of Music Thursday night, and found it really entertaining, with impressive choreography, voices, and some inspirational moments among heartbreaking ones.
Life. The show goes so fast, and it's later than we think.
I'll resolve to head out into the snow tomorrow with my daughter. That's a more fair, mutual expectation for everyone on a Saturday, right? When it's cold outside, I got the month of May.
I'm new to your newsletter. I thought this one was hilarious! I chuckled throughout those paragraphs on lost opportunities.
I too started therapy related to "fun". I'm part of The Great Resignation group; several friends and I retired at the same time. A close friend would text me everyday about whatever "fun" thing she was doing that day. I couldn't understand why I wasn't having "fun". (After a year of therapy, I now understand why.)
We're in Maryland and we've had two "over-performing" snow events this week. My friend, who has FUN every day, texted me so gleefully: "OH MY GOD! It's snowing again!!!"
Whereas I, going through a particularly challenging time this week, can only see all the shoveling I have to do to get my car clear to get to a hospital appointment, woke up and groaned: "oh.my.god. It's snowing AGAIN."
Great post! Speaking from the "other side" (my youngest is 17), if it's the last snow day ever, you probably had other snow days where you did snow stuff. All you really need is one photo of you out in the snow as evidence - hang it up, frame it, point to it often and say, "Wasn't that fun?" They'll grow up and think it happened all the time! ;)
I did make a snow girl. Yesterday I was grumpy about the snow. As I explained to my acupuncturist after taking the metro in to downtown DC (and being the only person on my metro car), I was feeling more the "threat" than the "fun" of snow. (This might have been due to my unceremonious fall first thing in the morning taking my dogs out for a walk. The dogs were fine. My feet just went out from under me for no reason as I walked across a flat parking lot.). But today it was just snow--not mixed with ice. And I want to play like my puppy was playing with the snow. So my snow girl has a jaunty magnolia pod hat sticking out of her head, slanting beige willow oak leaves for eyes and a puckered up tiny pin oak leaf for a mouth. I almost stopped myself from starting by saying to myself, "Who am I making this for?" like if there wasn't anyone to share the fun with, what was the point? But then I got into it, and it felt great! And fun!
Delight!!
Me either. Thanks.
(But I HAD to shovel the driveway to get our cars out so husband could go to work. Which then because I had to move my car out of his way, I asked my autistic son whose program was canceled today if he wanted to go get groceries and go for a swim. He did. And THAT turned out to be if not “fun,” enjoyable/satisfying and the swim cleared out my snow blues and annoyance at myself that I no longer like snow.
It’s pretty. But I just don’t like it like I did before snowmaggen 14 years ago when school was canceled for A MONTH!
I think if I were you my goal today would be to bond - spend quality time - with your kids. Forget about fun for the day, frankly. But if you get some quality time with them today it will likely be considered fun at least in retrospect and will also pay off today and in the future. Making positive memories = fun.
I am SOOOO feeling this!!! My 6 year-old has only had a half-day of school this week (in northern Virginia) and like you, all I really want at this point is my OWN snow day, all by myself! (That made me laugh; thank you!) In fact, my sweet boy is sitting here in full snow pants, boots and coat, patiently waiting for our 3rd day of sledding. Siiiiiiggggghhhhhhh.
I love you and I thank you for this post; truly your most appreciated one ever! Now I’m off to get dressed but with a good bit less annoyance than I felt prior to reading. Winning!🫶🤗❄️❤️
I think there is delight in feeling free to complain - I say this as a 70-year-old grandma - and it seems like it is worth investigating the right balance of positive thinking and righteous negativity. Pajamming is a great word! My friends and I share our thoughts a lot about living in old bodies, and that can be fun too.
this is something I soooo needed to hear. I was shoulding all over myself this week. thanks for this reminder!!
I love your school's snow closure email! In the spirit of Elsa, I say "let it go, let it go!"
Well played, Paul! WELL PLAYED.
As always...so refreshing and real. Thanks, Catherine 😊