Snow Day!

Sweet Pea attends a fantastic preschool.  They are good about having fun events for the kids: Halloween Parade, Snow Day, Chuck-wagon Lunch Day (with Dads), etc.  Today was Snow Day.  The weather here has been crummy lately, so today was the third scheduled day for this event.  Thankfully today proved to be the perfect day for Snow Day.  It was a sunny and relatively cold day today: we had a high of 50. 

At precisely 10:40 the Red Ladybug and Green Gator classes descended upon the 6x12 ft. patch of snow.  The squeals of delight were priceless.  We live in a place where snow is something that only comes around every few years.  When it does come, it rarely sticks to anything.  Thus, this was a new experience for many of the children.  As with any new experience, the kids had varying reactions.  The texture was unfamiliar.  Kids were slipping and sliding everywhere (typically into mud puddles formed from the rapidly melting mound).  The activity was out of the ordinary.  There were moms everywhere snapping pictures of  their precious progeny.  There were several snow toys - think beach toys adapted for a new use.  However, there were not enough for everyone.  All of this newness was much to handle for a group of three and four year olds.

By 11:05 the festivities were done.  I know, that does not sound like much time to fully explore the snow.  It turns out, it was actually about 5 minutes too many. As the ladybug class lined up to retreat into the warmth of the classroom there was a collective wail.  They were overstimulated.  They were tired.  The mommies were leaving.  I am sure a Snow Day veteran would have expected this to happen.  However, as a rookie I was shocked.  Sweet Pea loves school.  She typically runs into class with nary a backward glance.  However, today was different.  You can call it exhaustion, call it peer pressure, call it over-stimulation.  One thing was abundantly clear: I was not getting out of there without a full meltdown.

Tonight I am going to try something new.   I am going to a knitting class.  Alone.  I have taken random classes in the past, but never alone.  I also rarely show up to something knowing exactly zero about the topic.  I am a quick learner.  However, I also frustrate quite easily.  My family tells me it is because everything has always come easily to me.  Motherhood has been the one, glaring, exception to that rule.  I am curious to find out if I have cultivated more patience for myself.  I know I am now more patient with children than I ever thought possible.  Will I extend that same grace to myself?  If history is any guide, the answer will be no.  However, I am hoping to leave history behind and embrace a new future.  Otherwise, I will not be getting out of there without a full meltdown.

It turns out Sweet Pea only had a partial meltdown.  The blow of Mommy leaving was softened by lots of hugs and kisses and a promise to return in a few hours.  Thankfully, she settled in and had fun the rest of the day.  I am hoping tonight's outing will be just as successful.