It’s every school kid’s (and teacher’s) wish … a snow day. Of course, the kids (and teachers) realize there are still a lot of folks who have to get up early and go to work anyway, and we do feel for you. We also pray that you’ll arrive at work and back home again safely. But for right now, there are a lot of students (and teachers) in Breathitt and surrounding counties who are excited to get their very first snow day of the year tomorrow.

Yes, we do realize that many of us just had an eleven-day break (seven school days plus two weekends), and today was our first day back. Even so, there’s something inherently special about snow days. We do look forward to and enjoy our scheduled days off, but there’s just something exciting about getting the word that school has been canceled because of the weather. It’s especially nice when you get that news the night before since then you don’t have to set your clock and wait for word early in the morning. And let’s face it. After having eleven days at home, the only reason some of us were able to get up and go in today was because Chris Bailey was telling us we were going to get some snow.

So, what should we do on a snow day? First of all, sleep in. I’ve never quite understood people who say they can’t sleep in. I guess I’ve just been lucky because I’ve never had a problem with that. On mornings I don’t have to set the alarm, I will sleep late. For some folks, late is 7:30 or 8:00 in the morning. For me, late is at least 9:30 or 10:00 in the morning, and depending on how late I stay up reading, sleeping late could mean waking up at noon. I do understand that if you have small children, you will likely not have this luxury. I’ve been fortunate; my children have always adjusted well to sleeping late. Cody will likely be up much earlier than I will, but since he’s seventeen, I don’t have to get up with him. Having older children does have its advantages.

Next, after sleeping in, fix a good brunch. When I first heard the forecast and began anticipating a snow day, I decided French toast would be an excellent brunch for our snow day. We won’t be having French toast, however, because the grocery store did not have any Texas toast I could use to make it. That’s OK. Next time I see Texas toast in the store, I’ll grab a loaf so I can fix the French toast. Tomorrow, we’ll just settle for homemade biscuits and gravy, scrambled eggs, and some bacon and sausage. After a leisurely brunch, go ahead and take a few minutes to clean up your kitchen, and then move on to the rest of the day. Be prepared at some point in the evening to fix a good supper, too.

After you’ve had your brunch, there are several ways to spend the rest of your day off. For many of my students that will involve playing various video games, and that’s fine if that’s what you’re into. For me, however, there will be no video games. I’ll look forward to watching some Food Network and reading. Since we are not on an official scheduled break (like Christmas break), I will also spend some of the time working on some things for school. I’ll prepare some lecture notes for the dual-credit class, get some materials ready for the AP kids to start their research papers when we get back, and work on the next college/career readiness unit for English IV. And, of course, I’ll spend some time writing and some time not doing much of anything.

There are lots of things you can do on a snow day so that you aren’t bored while you are at home. If you are not lucky enough to be blessed with a snow day, then be careful while you are out and about.