HI! I'm Maggie and I'll be your tour guide this snow day.......

I can hear all the kids in Frederick yelling YEA!!!!  It's a snow day!!!!

I know some parents hate snow days and some parents love them. I fall into the latter category, I LOVE SNOW DAYS!  Here is the good, bad, ugly and fantastic parts of a snow day for this Lunatic Autism Mom:

• Maybe they will sleep in! Usually I will wake up early on a snow day and check my phone for email alerts from the school. If I see one, I will sneak into the boys room and shut the curtains tight and turn off their night lights.  Sometimes it works and they will sleep a little extra. Extra sleep for boys = extra sleep for Mom + well rested boys in good moods!

• Hot Chocolate for breakfast! Okay, okay lets give a nod to nutrition... It's not full fat, melted chocolate over a hot stove with extra whipped cream and marshmallows-- it's Ovaltine.  Yes it still exists and yes the boys think they are getting a big treat for breakfast. Sometimes I even throw in a few mini marshmallows. 

• Here's why they might not get any mini marshmallows: Rice Crispy Treats! Snow Days and baking goes hand in hand and the boys love to help stir Rice Crispy Treats! This is also a day where I will pull out the family brownie recipe or apple cake recipe. Depending on the projected level of snow we might even ration the mini marshmallows and make Peanut Butter Rice Crispy Treats instead. These are DELICIOUS and in no way nutritious. 

• We will have at least one big knock down drag out fight, usually involving a light saber duel gone bad. Both boys will be sent to their room for at least an hour. I will use this time and my high frustration level to throw laundry in the washer or walk through the main floor of the house throwing things in sorting baskets or trash cans. 

• Let's organize! On snow days I have an overwhelming urge to organize something. Last time it was the play tables in the boys' room and the pantry. Today it might be the medicine cabinet. I know that would make Rob (the husband) happy! 

• Clearing snow. Time for these boys to earn their keep! We've got three shovels, yep, you read that right THREE not four. Being the only girl in the house should have some privileges! I think not shoveling snow should be one of them. 

• We might do a craft, we might read together in a heap on the sofa, I'll probably take some videos and pictures of silly things to send out the family and facebook and we'll play a game or two but most importantly there are things we are NOT going to to!!!

Snow Days are NO DAYS for therapy!!!!!  I did the math remember? There is no time for play during the week, its a small consolation but let's check the Autism at the door on snow days! At our home, Autism is our normal and when we are here normal reigns! The in home therapists are going to call and cancel because they don't drive in the snow, social skills/OT/Speech is going to be cancelled because no one is going to do the drive and the schedule already flew out the window the second you got notice from the school. Snow days are a free pass to do what you love, to watch your kids have fun, and get caught up on those little nagging tasks that just require a little free time. Here's your free time and your free pass, I hope everyone has a wonderful, safe and fun snow day!