Today is Valentine’s Day — a Hallmark holiday filled with flowers, chocolate and sappy cards. Being a closeted romantic, I usually get into it — making heart-shaped, chocolate chip banana pancakes for breakfast, using all red and pink food for lunch, leaving tiny love notes in coat pockets, lunch boxes and briefcases to be found later in the day … But this year, I wasn’t feeling it. Is there a Valentine’s Day equivalent to “Bah humbug!”?
This winter has been rough. I’ve lost count of how many snow, ice and subzero-degree days we’ve had. All those canceled school days and the resulting “family together time” have moved beyond refreshing and fun, to redundant and irritating.
Until now.
Just as I was about to scream after reading our 9th (yes, you read that correctly — 9th) school cancelation message, I came across an awesome video clip of a North Carolina principal and his deputy rapping their school closure announcement to Vanilla Ice’s 1990 hit, Ice Ice Baby. Genius!
Check it out at http://www.ryot.org/video-durham-academy-teachers-declare-school-closed-epic-weather-announcement/567613
Not only did it have me smiling and singing along, it changed my mood. The cloud has lifted and I am once again back in the spirit … until, of course, we lose power again and the boys start bickering out of shear boredom. But while I’m in the mood, I’m going to embrace the snow day and try to see it through the eyes of my kids, who are looking forward to more sled races, snowball fights and hot cocoa.
As for our Valentine’s Day celebrations, I’m back on track. I’ll continue on with my traditions of red food and love notes, but I guess today I’ll have to put the notes inside snow boots and gloves instead of lunch boxes and briefcases.
And my special Valentine? I’m choosing Mother Nature if we can call a truce. I won’t be so bitchy anymore if she stops sending us winter storms. Maybe if I sweet-talk her … in the words of my 10-year old son (who — spoiler alert! — is giving each of his best buds a lollipop with a handwritten tag that bears this same statement), “You don’t suck! Happy Valentine’s Day.” Will you be my Valentine, M.N.?
– LJDT
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