"Best Day Ever?"

I woke up at 5:00 on Thursday morning and peeked at our backyard through the curtain slats. The overnight forecast had predicted several inches of blowing snow, and there was speculation at work about a school cancelation. I could see bare patches of grass poking through what little snow we had back there. In my disappointment I whispered, "Looks like we're having school today after all..." I crawled back under the covers in defeat and waited for my alarm to sound.

Fifteen minutes later Daphne's cell phone rang instead. A robotic voice on the other end stated, "Urbandale Schools will be closed for the day due to inclement weather." 

We later learned that the snow day was called for how much snow was coming our way. The snow fell for hours, and I shoveled three times. The snow total in our area was well over six inches. There were many reports of accidents on the icy interstate and stuck cars on the side roads.  I was glad we were home.

But not as glad as Charlotte was. 

Our bedroom door flew open around 7:00, and Char loudly asked, "Do we have a late start today?"

I answered, "Nope... they canceled school for the whole day!" 

Char responded with a "YESSS!" and began dancing in place with her arms in the air. She was beaming. Char then hugged our dog Ellie and ran downstairs to turn on the TV. For the rest of my life I will associate the words "snow day" with the mental image of Charlotte's joyous celebration. 

I can explain Char's snow day without going into too much detail. She spent the day on the couch in her PJs. The television was on all day, and she played on either her phone, her Switch, or her tablet. She ate SpaghettiOs at lunch and had snacks before and after. I offered her a string cheese at 2 p.m., and she said, "I was just about to ask for that! Ha! Best day ever!"

She then surprised us by agreeing to go sledding in the backyard after dinner. While Char was putting on her snow pants, I quietly said to Daphne, "I'm going to try to take some pictures and videos. I have a feeling this is the last season she will agree to do this with us." 

My camera skills, like my writing skills, are a bit rusty, but I was somewhat successful. 

It's fun when Char yells, "No! Wrong way!" in this video clip, but I like Daphne's unconcerned laughter at the end even better.

Later I showed Daphne the pics on my phone. She smiled and replied, "I'm glad you got those because I think you're right. Char won't want to do stuff like this with us much longer." 

I suppose I could spend time thinking about what and who children leave behind as they grow up, but why dwell on that? I'm better off appreciating the present.

I like to tell people, "I don't care if we have to make up the time in June. I never regret a snow day." And I'm not about to feel regret now.

Best day ever? 

You bet.