complete with marshmallows

I love snow days! I was thinking of the agony & fun we experienced as we waited to hear if school was cancelled. It was always best when we knew the night before. However, this was rarely the case. I remember getting up early to tune in the Ray Rainer Show (yes, I grew up in the Chicago area) to see if my school was listed. If it was, I did a happy dance & waited for "Cuddly Dudley" to make his appearance on Ray Rainer.

Those blessed snow days of my childhood were the best! We bundled up & played in the snow. We went sledding, & of course, we had hot chocolate complete with marshmallows. If the snow was right, we built a snow man. He always had charcoal eyes & a carrot nose. I think in my mind he came to life (just like Frosty). The best part for me was a worry free day. No school!

So... as I became a mom,  my little ones went off to school, & history seemed to repeat itself. Again, we waited to see if our school was canceled. The radio was on, all ears tuned in. If we found out the night before, we thought we won the lottery. We got some big snows, & we had so much fun! Hot chocolate, yes! Marshmallows, of course! Sledding, our favorite snow day activity! And yes, we built a snowman when the snow was right.

Those days were precious. They were gold. And now... they live on in my mind. Each day we are blessed with a snow day, my mind travels back to some of the happiest days of my life. I see myself glued to the TV, waiting with such anticipation. I remember that feeling. I thought I was the luckiest kid on the snowy earth.

Then I see my own little ones playing in the snow. I see my youngest walking hand in hand with her little friend, so happy to have a snow day. I see the neighborhood kids all gathered in my back yard enjoying the winter wonderland. I'd be heating up the hot cocoa all the while trying to keep up with drying their wet clothes & warming their frostbitten fingers & toes. Those were the days! If we went sledding, that was the best!

Today, as the big snowflakes fell, I slid a few shovels of snow across my driveway. I relived these happy memories. I breathed in the smell of snow. I listened to the snowflakes as they landed on my hood. I watched my dog as he ran & played, tail wagging as if there were no tomorrow. When I came in, I sat down & had a cup of hot cocoa, yes... complete with marshmallows.