Last weekend, it was 82 – a record. As the week progressed, we kept hearing about the cold weather setting in. Then, sleet entered the lexicon…and then…snow! I was more than a little excited. I was obsessively checking my various weather apps. I was seriously hoping for a snow day, because that’s just exciting. I was also stressing over whether or not to hold my Moms on the Run class. The weather at class time was to be rain/sleet, wind, and temps in the mid-30s. Have I done that in Minnesota? Yes. Would Austin runners be up for it? After some consultation, I cancelled class. Austin just isn’t prepared for this type of mayhem that grips Minnesota for five months out of the year. Granted, running in sleet/wind/cold isn’t exactly enjoyable, but it doesn’t put some hair on your chest…if you’re into that kind of thing.
The excitement of the watch issued on Wednesday is diminished because you can’t see that we’re under a watch because of the chance of a “Dusting of Snow”. But by 7pm on Thursday, the sleet was falling, accumulating and making things slick.
Thursday evening, I was off to a neighbor’s house for a girl’s night. I debated driving the 1/2 block because of the rain/sleet, but I figured having to find my ice scraper and then use it at the end of the night would take longer than actually walking to and from their house. So, I slapped on my YakTrax, parka, and tucked a bottle of wine in my pocket and walked the harrowing minute down the road. A group of us shuffled home around 11:30 and things were getting considerably slick. Ella’s district had already declared a two hour delay. Once I was home, Austin ISD closed, so I knew Lily’s school would be closed. At 5:55am, I got the text that LTISD was also closed! YES! Of course, Ella started stirring around 6:20 so I sent her back to bed with a kiss and she slept until 8.
Lily was first up just before 8 and was quietly playing. When I told her it had snowed, she was ecstatic. When we heard Ella stirring, Lily tore into the room yelling, “Ella!! It snowed! It snowed in Texas!” Both girls tore around looking at the “majestic” snowfall from each window. I walked across our crunchy yard in my pjs and slippers to snap a few photos of our snowfall. It may be one of the few snowy photos I get of our house.
If you squint, you can see the snow. Otherwise, there’s a nice layer of ice on everything.
Lily thought she’d go outside to play in the snow, maybe build a snowman, make a snow angel, build a fort. However, the deck stairs were pretty harrowing, so she turned right around and came in for the morning.
Longhornageddon 2014
Loran left to bring my car to the shop for inspection and a couple of quick repairs, he figured the wait would be pretty much non-existent. He found the roads pretty decent, which could be based on our past winter driving standards. There was a sheriff posted at the bottom on the hill outside of our development only allowing one car up at a time. Hilarity.
Now that we’re homebound until the big snowstorm is cleared…or until it goes above freezing, which it just did, we’ve found some fun things to do. The girls and I used our empty girl scout cookie cases to create a play kitchen. The girls enjoyed their school lunches packed by Daddy on the kitchen counter. In a bit, we’ll make peanut butter blossoms for Loran’s birthday tomorrow. The fireplace is lit and we’re nice and cozy.
The early morning news was extended this morning to cover this terrible snow storm. Eventually, I had to turn the news off because listening to the ridiculous reporting over patches of ice was too much. Granted, we have about three salt trucks in our giant county. But seriously. I was going to pull an eye muscle from rolling them if I kept it on.
This weekend it should be in the 70s. *This* is the best way to spend a snow day. All the thrills of anticipating a snow day and then actually getting it. But, we don’t have to shovel or deal with it. It’s just melting away as I write this and we’ll be warm again tomorrow. Awesome!
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