Happy Groundhog's Day--No Shadow?? February 2, 2016

So, today the groundhog apparently did not see his shadow, which is pretty remarkable because, as Al Roker was quick to point out, there is not even the slightest hint of a cloud anywhere near all of Western Pennsylvania.  We are in Eastern Pennsylvania, which is a bit away, but there is not so much as a whisper of a cloud anywhere...just blue skies.

However, apparently the powers that be decided that the groundhog didn't see his shadow today, which means 6 weeks until Spring (or something like that).  I think I was 25 years old before I realized that 6 more weeks of Winter is saying the same thing as 6 weeks until Spring.  Both events will be happening in 6 weeks.

I always remember Groundhog's day for another reason, because it is a story I have told my children over the years.  When Jack was 5, or 15 years ago (2001--seems like another lifetime), he decided he didn't want to go to school one day, which happened to be on February 2, 2001.  I have never been one of those moms who was willing to let her kids skip school.  If you had school,  even if just preschool, I wanted you to go, because I had other things I had to do in those 2 hours while you were in preschool.  Anyway, Jack really didn't want to go, and I was trying to convince him to go, but he just needed a day off, so I let him stay home.  

When we went to pick up Anna at school at noon, she was only 3 1/2, and I remember Jack asking her how school had been, because I think I had told him he would be missing out on Groundhog Day fun.   She was fairly oblivious, but I jumped in and told him about all the fun things Anna's class had done for Groundhog day, none of which had really occurred, because I wanted him to think he was missing out on a fun morning of school, and then he wouldn't ask me to miss a day of school in the future.   I told him about the Groundhog Day party, and the Groundhog Day parade, etc, etc, really playing up all the fun he had (not really) missed.   Anna turned to me and quietly said "where was I during all that?"  It was adorable, because she thought she had missed out on the fun.

Jack never took another day off of school, so apparently the Groundhog Day parade that he (didn't) miss convinced him he should go to school in the future!!

Anyway, Happy Groundhog Day!