Anatomy of a Snow Day

We had ANOTHER snow day again today. Aack. It was fun in December. Now, not so much. We haven't had a full week of school since some time in early February, I think. I'm jsut worried about the kids' education, you see.

Here's my recent article on snow days for Westport.Patch.

"7:00 am -- My son, QB, pounces into our room to let us know he's UP. Mind you, on a school day I can't drag him out of bed before 7:15, and that's after much prodding and blanket-removal.

7:10 am -- Tooth Fairy crisis. Oops, the fairy forgot to do her thing last night. Said fairy furtively slips a few bucks under QB's pillow. Later, he notes nonchalantly, "When I first got up, my tooth was still there, and then later I found some money and the tooth was gone." "Odd," I concur. "The Tooth Fairy's work ethic is slipping these days."

7:15 am – Despite my requests, QB and the cat play with a noisy toy in the hallway right in front of daughter Mopsy's open door.

7:16 am -- Mopsy's awake.

7:45 am -- Parental bribery begins. One episode of  Phineus and Ferb in exchange for another half hour of sleep. The accept my opening offer. Suckers.

8:15 am -- First sibling fight. Mopsy runs in to tell me QB yelled in her ear while they were playing a video game because she didn't want to be on that level but QB did want to be on that level and something else about a level. I don't really care all that much about the levels.

9:00 am -- Kids run outside to stockpile some ammo for a snowball battle later on. QB asks if I'll come out to help him find that snowball-making toy that he left outside weeks ago and is now fully hidden under the snow. He's a real kidder, that one. (Yes, this would be that same toy that we asked him a dozen times to pick up because he wouldn't be able to find it when it snowed.)

9:30 am -- Crisis in the home office. Husband can't find power cord for computer and needs me to help him! If power cord is really missing, he won't be able to work today! He needs to work today! Ah. Crisis averted. Power cord mistakenly sitting in trash can just inches from where it normally resides.

9:45 am -- First load of laundry. I have an ambitious goal for today: get completely caught up on the wash.  Call me an overachiever."

Click here to read the rest:

http://westport.patch.com/articles/anatomy-of-a-snow-day

Lice Happens

My recent column for Westport Patch:

"It's going around the schools again and being passed along from one unsuspecting kid to another. Then they bring it home where they share it with the rest of the family. In a word, it's misery.

No, I'm not talking about the swine flu or strep. This might even be worse:

Head lice.

It all starts with that dreaded letter that comes home in the backpack saying the school has a confirmed case of pediculosis in your child's classroom. The lice letters went out this week. I know there's no logical basis for this, but as soon as I get that letter, my head becomes incredibly itchy. (And my family has yet to personally encounter the little buggers.)

Of all the things our kids bring home: green runny noses, pill bug collections, the stomach flu, this seems to be the thing that puts people over the edge. Moms who are otherwise unflappable go a little bit crazy when the infestation hits home. "I can deal with anything except head lice," one mother said to me with a shudder. She has a point. It is rather gross.

Maybe one reason why emotions run hot over lice is that people still associate them with being unclean. But it has nothing to do with hygiene. The lice jump from head to head. Kids who are in close contact with each other at school all day are prime targets. In fact, some experts even think that the lice thrive on clean hair, not grungy heads."

Read the rest at:

http://westport.patch.com/articles/lice-happens

The Winter "Break" Misnomer

The kids were off last week for ELEVEN days. Not only was there a whole week of Winter break, but the Monday following it was a teacher development day. Poorly timed, if you ask me. And the Thursday before break was a snow day. In other words, the kids have been home a lot.

One mom I know said something along the lines of, "If you go on vacation, it flies by. If you stay home it's the longest week of your life."

Guess which category I fall into? It's painful when your whole neighborhood -- and all your kids' friends -- are gone, off to places like St. Martin and the Bahamas.

It's amusing, when school resumes, how the teachers are so delightful and refreshed. The moms, meanwhile, are harried and irritable. And now, we're hearing that we might have a snow day tomorrow! I know I've written about how much I love snow days and what a treat they are. I've changed my mind. Now I"m crossing my fingers for rain.

A Cupcake Challenge

It's a lousy job, but someone had to try all the cupcakes in Westport and pick a winner.  Bravely, I volunteered for the task.

"Crumbs

You wouldn't call these cupcakes subtle. Walk by the storefront and your eye will undoubtedly be caught by the confections topped with brightly colored M&Ms, crumbled Reece's Peanut Butter Cups and strawberry pink swirls. Don't even think of letting your kids go within a 20-foot range of the store unless you plan on buying some.

Before I knew how to navigate the menu, I often found myself disappointed with Crumbs' cupcakes. Their taste rarely lived up to their enticing looks. Then I discovered the classic vanilla and chocolate. No frills, no candies. Just good old-fashioned cakes with buttercream frosting in two tried-and-true flavors."

read the rest at:

http://westport.patch.com/articles/a-cupcake-challenge

Nerf Nuisance

My weekly column on Westport Patch:


"Is it just my neighborhood or are Nerf guns suddenly everywhere? Excuse me, I meant NerfBlasters. Those of you without 8 or 10-year-old boys might not know what these are. They're essentially enormous toy guns that shoot foam darts.

And, apparently, they're the most fun ever.

I'm anti-gun pretty much all the way around. I abhor actual weapons of all sorts and would never keep a gun in my house. When I found out my father-in-law stored a rifle at home and that my kids found it while playing there, I had a small cardiac event. When it comes to toys, I was hoping and praying we'd bypass the gun phase altogether. Unfortunately, my son, QB, had other plans."

read the rest at:

http://westport.patch.com/articles/nerf-nuisance