Snow Play

We've had a bit of some weather issues up here these past two months. Most winters follow this pattern: huge snowstorm slow us down for a day, rain or warmer weather comes our way and melts most of the snow leaving a muddy gross mess, repeat pattern again until April or May.

But this year has been a tad different. December was as expected - we got 27" of snow but temperatures were not unbearable. Then January arrived. It has snowed ANOTHER 20" and it has been slightly frigid. We haven't received a single drop of rain or a warm enough day to melt the snow at all. There have been only 6 days this month when it was over 32*.

These has caused one big complication for me (in addition to the aforementioned fresh produce problem).

The kids are stuck inside - I don't let my kids outside unless the temp (and windchill) is above freezing. Jamison's cheek actually split open as I was walking him from the car to the church building one Sunday morning when the windchill was -125*...or something like that. Once it gets below 20* it all feels the same to me.

So Lily has overloaded on princess videos and princess coloring and princess dress up and princess books, and princess...you get my point...and Jamison has taken to literally climbing walls. He also climbs bookshelves and cabinetry - he does vary his routine occasionally. It makes it all that more exciting for me when I'm trying to find him in a room.

Luckily, we did get them outside in December and that's when I took the pictures below.

Snowy day in the neighborhood.

But I still asked Brian to take Jamison with him to get he mail. Jamie was clawing at the door and I was afraid he would escape into the storm.

I didn't take a picture today (Jan 31) but now the snow is at the bottom of the mail box itself. I actually had to move snow out of the way to open my mailbox the other morning.

It took four hours, but we finally got the kids dressed for the outdoors and headed into the snow. Winter apparel is exhausting. There is so much of it! And it's so heavy and cumbersome!

Jamison found out firsthand how difficult it is to walk in snowpants. He face planted as soon as he stepped outside of the garage. This was upsetting to him. What he didn't realize is that this happens to most of us who have grown up in the snow and it's a better thing that he did it at such a young age. (He refuses to wear his gloves so please don't think I didn't attempt to put them on him)

So Brian held him while Lily swam in the snow. I know it looks like we were outside at night. It was actually 4:00 in the afternoon. That's how early it gets dark up here in December. It actually comes in handy when Lily asks if it's bedtime at 5:30pm because the sun isn't out and I just tell her - yes, go on up and get into bed. No, I don't. But only because I know she'd wake up at 4am ready for breakfast.

He's getting happier after that "unfortunate incident".

And then he hears a plane and all is well with the world again.

Lily actually wears her mittens. She has three pairs of gloves and rotates them regularly.

The next day Brian and Lily decided to make a snowman. I didn't want to burst their bubble about how difficult it is to build a snowman. I just brought out a bucket of water to help the snow form better.

Brian quickly realized a normal sized snowman was not going to happen. So they made it Lily-sized. Actually, it was Jamison-sized but I won't tell them that because that would just embarass their snowman-makin' skills.

We didn't exactly have the proper equipment ready for the snowman. So this guy had Ritz crackers for eyes and a mouth and a baby carrot for a nose.

Then they made snow angels. It was very idyllic. But once she did it she finally stopped asking to go outside and make snow angels. And actually, the kids haven't been allowed outside since then so here's to a warmer February and hopefully more days outdoors.