Snow day ruining my surprise Please help

[Sew into Disney]

I hope that someone on the boards can help me be super creative today. Woke up this morning to enough snow that they have cancelled school. We get snow here but not usually enough for snow days.

Today is the day I am telling my kids that we are leaving on Friday morning for Ca. and Disneyland. My plan was to have my oldest daughter go buy balloons today and write on them that we are going to DL for Spring break. She would then put them in a box with a fake address label/stamp, so it looked like we got a big package. Then when the kids came home from school I would have them open it. Balloons fly out of the box, kids read them, everyone is excited ... you get the picture.

I was going to record it (we vlog) so that my coworkers and family could see. This is the biggest and longest secret I have kept from my kids. We are a super close family so keeping surprises is hard to do. So now that everyone is stuck at home for a snow day I have no idea how to tell them.

My kids that don't know are 14, 12 and 8 years old. My oldest is 20 and she is helping with the surprise. My youngest is 20 months and does not understand but can be used in helping with the surprise.


Any help would be awesome this morning. I need to start packing tonight. Then I need to pray that the roads will be clear by Friday morning.


Shannon

 

[coaches24]

Is it possible for your oldest to get to the store? Your not snowed into your house right? I would do exactly what you planned just have your oldest go to the store get it all ready and leave it at the door while you are keeping the others occupied with something. Only thing you have to coordinate is making sure the others arent where they can see the oldest dropping off the package. I like your idea and think you might still be able to do it, its just a little harder so you have to be extra sneaky.

 

[awdsmama]

I'm so sorry SHannon!! I'm just outside Salem (Silver Falls School Dist) and we don't have school but are on 2hr delay because the outlying schools do.

What about making a treasurehunt and putting the first clue in a box, then sneaking it onto the porch today while they are distracted or when you go to get the mail (but don't 'find' the package until later).

You could give clues that lead them to various Disney things in the house if you have them - a dvd, toy, blanket/clothing etc. and then have the last clue be something telling them they are going to dl...maybe print something out in different colors or if you have park tickets it could be those?

Good luck and snow snow go away!

 

[farmgirljen]

Maybe you can call the newschannel and see if they will help you with your surprise.... ask them if htey could announce it at the 11:00 news or noon news, etc... Give them all the names of your kids, and have them announce SURPRISE your going to DISNEYLAND! Or you could generate a word search game on the computer, wiht words that describe disneyland and the rides...

 

[Colo Nana]

You could have the older daughter keep the kids busy in another room, cut small pieces of paper and on each piece place a letter & hide it...the letters will spell out disneyland...after they are hid you can tell the kids hidden in our castle are pieces of paper find all the papers, unscramble it for a suprise...

 

[CSAColl]

Go spell it in the snow!

 

[awdsmama]

Go spell it in the snow!

Great idea!

Use food coloring to make it stand out

 

[KaChow]

You can dye water with food dye and write it in the snow with a squirt bottle.

 

[KaChow]

Great idea!

Use food coloring to make it stand out

Jinx!

 

[pixiewings71]

Are you stuck at home? I think that's the most thing to consider. If not, go "shopping", maybe you're out of something that you "need", or maybe you can run to the store with them for cake mix or brownie mix so you make some fun, while you're out have your oldest come over and still do the balloons in the box thing.

Or, have her bring it over and put it in the garage, do a scavenger/treasure hunt and have them find the box last.

I like spelling it in the snow, that will work great if you're truly homebound.

I remember snow days from when I was a kid, we were rarely homebound for the full day.

 

[farmgirljen]

Have the kids go out and build a snowman where it can be seen from the windows of the house, then go out and put a sign on it that says Your going ot disneyland(and mickey ear hat if you have them)! then say to the kids that they need to see the snowman.... lol. Be careful if you do go out, it is ugly out there. 2 semis colided head on on hwy 99W between corvallis and monroe, and a sherrifs car spun out on the way to respond to that wreck and ended up in the ditch. My dad works for the Benton County road dept and has been out sanding and plowing all over the place since late last night.

 

[blakefamily]

I like the treasure hunt idea sorry the snow has made things difficult for you. Who would have thought we would have snow right before spring break. enjoy your trip....we have less than 2 months to go

 

[Sew into Disney]

You guys rock!

So I went out for a walk after my OP. One of the neighbors was out building snowmen so I asked if they would come build me a Mickey mouse head. He said yes!!

While he was building it I had my older daughter get the cameras ready. She then woke the kids and told them I needed to talk to them all out in the living room. Mind you not one of them realized it had been snowing or that we had a snow delay.

Once they were all in the living room I told them I had two surprises. One was that it snowed (I was in snow gear and drenched) and we had a snow day and the other surprise was something I made for them in the front yard. I told them they had to guess what it meant.

I opened the front door to show them what I made them. I think it took them a minute to realize it was a Mickey head. When they did they didn't say much. I said "What do you think it means?" One of them said "Disneyland" ... I said "When?" One of them said "Now?" I said "No we leave Friday morning we are going for Spring break".

I thought they would be jumping up and down. Instead I got tears ... Good tears though. Not the full reaction I was expecting but still good

I recorded it and will try to upload to YouTube tonight. Forecast is calling for 7-10 more inches by this evening. I am not thrilled by this. I am ok driving in the 7 inches we have now but if it gets worse I won't be. I expect it will freeze over tonight and be nice and icy tomorrow. Another snow day wouldn't hurt my feelings. We can pack and leave when the weather is clear.

Again thank you for your ideas! You are all so creative.

Shannon

 

[awdsmama]

Awwww I got teary that they got teary

sounds like a great reveal!

 

[KaChow]

Neat! Have fun!

 

[blakefamily]

Thats great!!! Cant wait to hear all about your trip !!!!

 

[nikkislaght]

Tell them they are going on an imaginary trip and they need to pack . give them clues and hints as to what to pack. like a scavanegr hunt.

While they are doing that get the balloons ready,
Make a plane with your kitchen chairs and give them a boarding pass , print the real boarding pass, if you cant print the boarding pass yet, then just make one.

when they get on the "plane " make them read where they are going. and then tell them the truth..


Have fun

 

[awdsmama]

I'm REALLY not liking all this snow we're getting!!! At home we just got about 3 inches in the last 2hrs. Ugh. We are to head out Friday. At least I5 will be plowed

 

[EmmersIsTheMommy]

OOOH I can't wait to see the video. Good job on figuring it out on the fly! I'm pretty sure my oldest will cry when we surprise them. LOL

 

[Davids-Coco]

Hope you got out ok. We didn't get a lot - enough to 2 hr delay school but I-5 was fine. Side streets a little sloppy around 9:30. Heard it was worse outside the metro area down by Salem and Corvallis.