Our First Winter Wonderland

We had our first snowfall yesterday, as promised by the forecasters, and it was a good one. I'm not sure how many inches we finally received (any local readers know the answer to that?) but it was a worthy result. It began while the kids and I were at therapy, and it really picked up speed when it was time to leave -- of course. The roads were fine, although try telling that to the panicked drivers. Driving 10 miles an hour on a major highway is ridiculous, especially when at that point the snow wasn't even quite sticking on the road. We made it home tired and frustrated after a too-long journey.

I spent the afternoon shoveling while my dad managed his snow plow, and at that point, as soon as we ventured outdoors, the lovely white fluff turned into heavy sleet (My Friend Murphy seems to have a hand now in the weather). Nasty. I was soaked by the time I came indoors, and still had to get ready for the Christmas party for Don's company. After a wonderful evening, we arrived home to one of my major winter peeves -- someone parked in our spot. Now, our neighborhood is very crowded, and with muti-family homes sporting multiple cars, you can imagine that parking is always an issue. I have to fight this selfish sense of entitlement every once in a while -- we're one of the oldest and original families in the neighborhood, we've parked in this same spot for generations, etc. I spent a great deal of time and energy shoveling that spot, only to find some obnoxious trespasser claiming squatter's rights. That car -- unknown to me; someone's guest perhaps -- is still there this morning. Peeved indeed.

This morning we awoke to another inch or so on the ground, but this time it was stiff and frozen. The kids begged to go outside and play, so for the next 20 minutes (at least) we began the task of layering and bundling. First Grace, then Aidan, then myself. I was a bit tired after all that clothes-wrangling, and the idea of shoveling thick sheets of frozen sleet-snow didn't seem quite as appealing as it did a half hour earlier.

We trudged outside, the kids frantic with glee. I was a bit surprised at how long they lasted, but very pleased. Last year, Grace was just too young to really "get it," repeatedly pulling off her mittens and then screaming with that burning ice pain enveloping her little hands. She hated it. And Aidan isn't what you'd ever call an outdoorsy type, often giving up after a short while. This time, however, they hung in there for quite a while and had loads of fun in the snow. They played ice cream shop for a time, dishing out ice cream and snow cones and having a jolly time. I was listening very intently at that activity, for the first mention of a "lemon ice" would send me running a frantic interception ...

Even good old Jack came out to romp in the snow, puppy-like, long velvety ears flapping in the cold breeze

Grace was content simply to roll in the snow

Aidan found great joy in a quick slide down into a big pile of softness

As I was finishing up the last of the shoveling, the inevitable happened ... and I wasn't prepared for it one bit. As I was walking up our front steps, shovel in hand, here comes my little girl, rosy-cheeked and warmly cocooned, with a certain look on her face.

"Mommy ... Mommy ... I have to poop!"

My eyes widened; I believe I panicked a bit. Oh my gosh! Now?! Are you sure?! Yes, she certainly was. OK, I said ... RUN!

She was dripping with snow and ice; our boots were wet. The finicky part of me screamed internally: Get that wet stuff of before you go in the house! I foresaw puddles I would have to clean up; more work for me to do. But I didn't want to take that risk; I wasn't sure how certain I was of Grace's powers of retention. Forget the puddles -- I picked her up like a football and ran into the bathroom.

Now what ... she was bundled so tightly, so completely, and her face was beginning to look even more strained. I unzipped, I tugged, I pulled ... finally I freed enough of her top half and plopped her on the seat. There! Phew. While she sat, I finished the task of unwrapping the rest of her until she was free.

We finished out the morning with hot chocolate and homemade Christmas cookies. The kids were warm, happy, and rosy. A perfect ending to a perfect first foray into our Winter Wonderland.