Friday, January 7, 2011

Life Without School

A snowfall that fell just as morning broke forced school opening delays of two hours in our area this morning. As homeschoolers, none of that mattered to us. We still started our day in much the same way we always do, outdoors in our fenced side yard, running wildly with our dog. I can remember praying for a snow day when my son attended public school, hoping the roads would be too bad for travel so that the day could be filled with snow ball fights, snow fort building, and hot chocolate.
Invariably in those days, the school superintendent would deem the roads safe for travel and my son would end up spending his day on a seat behind a desk rather than on the seat of a sled- a perfect day in the snow wasted. Luckily, as homeschoolers, we get to decide our snow days and today would have been just such a day if we hadn't had prior arrangements to spend the day socializing with other homeschoolers at a local boys and girls club.
So, after spending some time with our pup outside this morning, we packed up our lunch and headed out, admiring the beauty of the snow sticking to each individual branch of the trees as we rode up and down narrow roadways past forested hillsides and open fields toward our destination.
With cooler temperatures in place, there will be plenty of time to enjoy the snow over the coming days ahead. Maybe we will make Monday our official snow day and spend the day on a sled, sailing down the hill behind our house, or take our dog on a hike around the pond. No matter what we decide, it feels good to know that we are in charge of how we ultimately spend our time. Snowfalls and childhood are finite. I think it is important to make the most of them!

1 comment:

Folkways Note Book said...

Darcy, son and dog; Yeah for snowball fights and sledding -- and rosy cheeks and wet dog fur. No school days due to snow are a wonderful combination -- barbara