Kid and Caboodle

Just checked the Fairfax County Public Schools emergency announcement page and learned that school has been cancelled due to snow THROUGH WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 23. This, combined with the winter break scheduled to start December 24, means that A.J. is not scheduled to go back to school again until JANUARY 4. Good grief!

It’s a good thing I was already scheduled to be off all this week and that Chris was already scheduled to be off all next week, else we’d be scrambling for child care!

As a bonus, though, the federal government (in the D.C. area) is also closed tomorrow, so Chris doesn’t have to figure out how to get to work. Believe it or not, the federal government rarely gives its workers free leave because it costs so much money. This has been one heck of a snowstorm!

1 p.m. December 20: Driveway and walk are clear, but still no sign of a snowplow.

Looks like we’re not going anywhere for a while. We’ve gotten several inches of snow already, and the storm is expected to continue until this evening. This is the view of the cul-de-sac at 10:15 this morning:

View from the front porch

Since all of A.J.’s Saturday classes were cancelled today due to the weather, I had time to make moderately elaborate breakfasts for everyone this morning. Here is A.J.’s:

A.J.'s breakfast: sausage links, pancakes and blueberries

This is Chris’ breakfast:

Chris' breakfast: clementine segments, breakfast burritos and blueberries

A.J. is enjoying the unexpected break. He’s still in his pajamas at 10:30 in the morning, playing video games:

A.J. in the sunroom

As for me, I think I’ll have a cup of tea and read a book.

The forecasters say we’re going to get around 18 inches of snow tomorrow. If true, we’re probably going to have to cancel Chris’ birthday party on Sunday. It’s too early to tell how much will stick, but we’re already getting some of the white stuff. Chris, A.J. and I might end up with some prolonged family time this weekend ….

(Think positive, think positive ….)

It is getting close to summer, according to the calendar, but one would never think so to look at the weather today.  Right now my thermometer says it is less than 40 degrees Fahrenheit outside.  I had to get out my winter coat  this afternoon before I could go pick up my son from school.  It has been raining for the last three days; I think my plants are starting to drown.

I’ve been working from home for several days now due to illness Friday and a transportation problem today.  Got to the Metro this morning to discover that the tracks were flooded between two stations between my home and work.  There was a train at the station, but it was absolutely packed.  I got on, but after 10 minutes it still hadn’t moved, so I got off.  Because of the flooding situation, the trains were sharing a single track and thus coming and going less frequently than usual.  If I had stayed, I would have had to wait at least 20 minutes more to get on a Blue Line train to go one stop before getting off to wait for a shuttle that would take me to a Yellow Line station, where I would have had to get off and join the crowds waiting for the next train into town.  I decided my time would be better spent working from home today.  I got home just as my husband and son were leaving.  My husband reported no problems at all during his commute.  Humph.

I think I’ll go to bed early today.  Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day than today was.