How To Survive Being Snowed-In With Your Kids

As you probaby heard (after all, those affected tweeted about nothing else), New York City and much of the East coast got hit hard by the blizzard this past weekend. We got over two feet here (!), but luckily we never lost power. I've written before about just how much I suck at snow days with my kids, so this time, I spent all day Friday prepping for the storm. Then, once it arrived, I spent all day Saturday and Sunday cooped up inside with my husband and two bored little ones.

I learned a few things. Here's how to prep next time there's a massive snowstorm on the way.

1) Stock up on bottled water, flashlights, and batteries. Because having them will ensure you don't need them; while not having them will ensure the power goes out and you spend the weekend bored, drinking Gatorade, and walking around the house with a single Bath & Body Works candle for light. (For the record, I was prepared with a stash of four of these battery-operated lanterns, which came highly recommended.) 

2) Charge the iPads before the snow arrives. And then charge any external power sources you have laying around, too. (I swear by the Jackery. It's cute--I have it in gold, it's tiny so it slips easily into your purse, and it's on sale for $10.99 right now.) You'll need fully charged iPads (plus backup power), because unless you're a masochist, you're definitely going to let your kids go on an iPad bender during a snowstorm. Best case scenario, you'll just be stuck inside and that screen time is going to save everyone's sanity. Worst case scenario, the power goes out and you're going to be stuck inside rationing that sweet, precious iPad juice like it's gold. 

3) Load up your pantry with snacks. Just know that they probably won't be the right ones though. I got all of the things my kids usually love: Pirate's Booty, Goldfish, pretzels, fruit. Then, when we were actually stuck inside, they randomly demanded potato chips, which of course, I didn't have. If I were to do it again, I'd involve them in the process before I went grocery shopping and ask them for two or three snack choices they wanted to eat during the storm. Live and learn.

4) Scour Pinterest for cute and educational art projects for your kids to do while they're housebound. Haha. J/K. I'm way too much of a slacker mom for that. 

5) Make sure their snowpants and boots fit. It's best to do this in the fall, but if you're like me, you'll purposely procrastinate, thinking you could maaaaybe get through the season without having to buy these items, which they will end up wearing zero to two times. But nope. You always, always end up needing them. So you'll wait until there is an actual blizzard and your kids are standing by the back door ready to go out and play, before realizing...oh crap. I did have the foresight to buy my kids' new snowboots this year, but I flaked on buying snowpants. My size 6 daughter had to make do with last year's 5T snowpants that were about four inches too short, so she had freezing wet calves after five minutes outside. #momfail. This year, I bought these snow boots for my daughter, which she is obsessed with, and I now have these snow pants on the way. My son has Old Navy snow overalls and these boots. (Side note: I highly recommend Kamik Kids boots, like I bought my son, for any little kid around two or three. There is nothing harder than getting snow boots on uncooperative feet, but these open almost all the way, so they are simple to get on. They were also quite a bit cheaper than many other top-rated options I found. Win win.)

6) If all else fails, scoop some snow into a bowl, throw some sprinkles on it, and call it "snow ice cream." My kids actually fell for this! In fact, they loved it! And it bought me like 30 minutes of relaxing time! Snow in a bowl. Trust.

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Were you in the path of the blizzard, too? Or have you been stuck inside with your kids for other natural disasters? What are your secrets for making it out alive? I'd love to hear!

Why Snow Days Are Like Being In Prison When You're A Parent

Yesterday's "double iPad" lunch notwithstanding, I'm a good mom, I swear.

Fifteen minutes of getting him into this outfit for two minutes of playing in the snow.

We took a field trip to Dunkin' Donuts. I was desperate.

Learning numbers, animals, and shapes with puzzles. (a.k.a. evidence that not everything we did today had sugar or a screen.)

I remember when the words "snow day" would elicit joy. As a kid, I was elated every time a blizzard rendered the roads impassable and the schools closed. Even as a single girl, snow days were amazing. I'd stay inside, pig out, and watch movies on the couch. Maybe a friend would come over, maybe I'd just relax by myself. There were naps involved. Snow days were heaven.

Yes, "were" as in past tense. These days? Snow days are hell.

I was reminded of this yesterday. We got about eight inches in NJ (slightly more in the city), which was far less than the "historic" accumulation they were predicting. But truth be told, I would have preferred a record breaker. Eight inches, you see, turned out to be the exact wrong amount. It was just enough that my office closed, the subways were effed up, and my nanny couldn't make it in, but not so much that my husband couldn't make it in to work.

So, you know what that means: I was home with my kids alone. Remember last time I was home all day with them by myself? Yeah, it was a bit of a shitshow. Well, at least that time I had my daughter in school part of the day and decent weather. But snow days are different.

When you're a parent, snow days are kind of like being in prison. (I mean, a prison where you love your cellmates more than anything in the world, of course. But still--prison.) Think about it: You're stuck inside. You can't go outside except maybe for an hour a day, if you're lucky. You don't have a moment to yourself. You don't have privacy when you go to the bathroom. Everyone's bored and in a bad mood. And everyone's yelling at you and telling you what to do all the time.

Yesterday was tough, man. It was a lot of iPad watching, a lot of puzzles and books, a lot of junk food, and about fifteen minutes of getting suited up in snow pants, coats, and mittens only to go outside to play for about two minutes. And that was just the first two hours!

Did I mention our cable was down? Yeah. Thanks, universe. Even in prison, they have cable.

Around 4pm, there was major cabin fever happening--and I had the worst case of it. I was also craving a latte like nobody's business, so I made the executive decision to take the kids out for a field trip. To Dunkin' Donuts. 

My daughter refused to get out of her pajamas, so I threw a coat and boots over her nightgown and pj pants, stuck my son who is too big for the Ergo into the Ergo, and headed out. We trudged to Dunkin' Donuts only to find out that it was closed. (WTF?) So, after a quick photo op (above), we continued the excursion for a few blocks where we hit up 7 Eleven and Starbucks. I was desperate, people. 

We headed home, made dinner, watched a little more iPad (natch), and then DADDY CAME HOME. I have never been so excited to see my husband. My sentence was officially over. Free at last!

I handed my sweet little inmates over, ordered a pizza (Paleo, be damned--this day called for serious carbs), relaxed on the couch with a little Internet time, and then laid down for some blessed sleep.

Today, life returns to normal. My daughter is back in school, my son's classes are back on, and I'm back in the office. I'm even wearing a dress! That doesn't have Play-Doh on it! And, seriously, I've never been so freaking excited.

So, if I can leave you with one lesson, let it be this: If you see a mom today, do not ask her how her "day off" was. You've been warned.