In Which I Get A Snow Day

So this was the sight I woke up to this morning. My heart sank. On Friday, I left out the bowl of last year's snow and a shot of whiskey out on the doorstep for The Old Woman, who had passed over us leaving an inch of snow in her wake. I was hoping to show her some appreciation, in return for her NOT dumping more snow.

So, whilst the rest of the country seemed to be suffering under the white stuff, we only got a couple more flakes at the weekend. And by Sunday night it appeared to be evaporating in the wind, rather than accumulating.

So I was more than a little stressed to see the five inches that fell last night. Any other day? No problem. But now I have A JOB. Actually I have two, but it's the weekend one I'm talking about. Yes, I'm well aware that today is Monday, but they wanted me in for two days in the week to train me. Today and tomorrow. So I have myself all psyched up to get The Witchlets into school, booked a taxi to take me from school to work (way faster than the bus) and booked another one to take me from work back to school to collect said Witchlets at home time. Simple.

And then The Snow. The bloody sodding effing snow. That was it; deep breaths required. Ok, Witchlets fed and into uniforms (act like the snow isn't there). Make packed lunches for us all (act like the snow isn't there). Check local council website. No schools closed. Oh wait, one school closed. No, make that three or four. See on Facebook that bus services are suspended. Then see half a dozen status updates about people trying to get taxis - "I've just been told they can't get to me for two hours!" - and start hyperventilating (long past acting like the snow isn't there). Check council website again. School opening as usual. Ring work, and tell them I may be delayed in getting there as transport may be an issue. Get Witchlets into gloves/hats/scarves/wellies. See Facebook updates that the school is closed. Check council website again - no, according to that it's open. Ring school. Phone engaged. By this time I'm starting to hit a major panic attack and am cursing the lack of Valium in the house. It's now five minutes past the time we should have left the house. Ring school again. Phone rings.

"Are you open today?"
"No, we're closed."

ARRRRGGGGHHHH (internal scream)

I've got no-one to have the Witchlets at this short notice, so I have to ring work and tell them I can't make it in. To give them credit, they are fine about it. I tried for an hour to cancel the taxi - if the phone wasn't engaged, it wasn't being picked up. After an hour of hitting redial, the battery on the phone died, and my heart was trying to batter its way out through my ribcage.

If you've ever had panic attacks, you know how they leave you feeling. I had all the cortisol and adrenaline still running through my system, so I had a cup of tea to try and calm down. And chased it down with two more in quick succession.

We did eventually have some fun in the snow, and Witchlet Two and I baked cookies and made Snowman Soup (hot chocolate with marshmallows in). Witchlet Two sneakily filled her coat pockets with snow and I didn't notice until it all melted and the coat started dripping, and they did have a major fight over a stick: "It's MY stick, give it back!" "No, MY stick, go 'way!" (And breaking it in half to give them a piece each did NOT go down well). But all in all, they were mostly just happy, excitable and covered in snow.

So now I have to face my first day at work all over again tomorrow! (And I'm fucking terrified.)