Snow Days!

(First, with the new "tricks" I learned the photos are smaller than normal, I'm looking into how to fix this. I like the bigger pictures. Still, if you want to see them bigger, just click on them and then hit your "back" button to get back to the thread again.)

OK, here’s the first post in a VERY long time that actually contains as many pictures as I would like for it to have. I hope you have a good connection ‘cause if not you could be here for a while.

This takes us back to the week leading up to Thanksgiving. Sunday is when it all started. I didn’t suspect a thing really and usually I’m on top of this kind of weather activity. It was a pleasant surprise to wake up one morning and find snow.

Zion and Gabe were in awe.

Gideon was in awe. We got one dusting of snow last year and nothing else. When we got a ton of snow the year before he would have been too young to remember. When he came down the stairs and saw it for the first time the other day I said “Look, Gideon, what is it?” and he said “It’s Christmas!”

Eva was in awe. This is her first snow ever.

I can’t say that our plants were likely enjoying it much. Most of them still had blooms which is more Spring clothes for a flower than winter clothes. Poor things.

Our bird house looks like a cozy place to room for the winter. Except we can’t actually attract any birds.

Because of her…

Death thy name is Maisy.

If you’re a bird anyway.

Elias seemed in awe of the snow but he’s in awe of everything. Stick anything in front of his face and his eyes get big as saucers and he grins like it’s the coolest thing he’s ever seen. Snow was no different. He was content to stay in and play while his siblings went out and half froze and I was content to stay in with him (at least at first). He was just getting to experience his walker for the first time and was thoroughly enjoying it.

At last there was an opportunity to play outside. Even though Zion absolutely did NOT want to wear a coat of any sort and I could almost not get pants on her. She definitely does not get that from me. I hate being cold. I did realize later that one of the reason that she doesn’t like to wear a coat is because when she puts it on it forces the sleeves of her shirt up in a bunch. That she does get from me. I taught her how to hold the end of the sleeve so it doesn’t ride up and now my chances of getting a coat on her with less than three objections has gone up considerably.

Afterward Gideon knows how to warm up. A comfy pair of jammies and all the lovies the couch can hold; blanky, woof, Elmo, paci, and even Elias’ Pillow Pet that someone gave him at a baby shower.

After a couple of days where it snowed non-stop to some degree or another our water table was half buried.

And our patio swing wasn’t going to be welcoming anyone anytime soon.

Zion let me wrangle her into her heavy winter coat, honest to goodness jeans and real snow boots (which now she loves and wants to wear everywhere – and she’s not playing peek-a-boo she just inherited by intolerably sensitive eyes and can’t look anywhere close to the same direction of the sun ).

Of course one must temper outdoor activities by including lots of warm indoor activities so she also played with our new Nativity set a lot during these days. She seems to be adding to the story though. Can you find the double bed? Naturally Mary would have found this a much more comfortable place to recover from childbirth than a pile of straw, right? Or what about “Blueberry Muffin” one of Strawberry Shortcake’s good friends? Or how about the individual who I can only assume is the Holy Family’s tax account? Naturally they were seeking tax advice regarding all those expensive gifts.

When I suggested a craft Gabe got very excited and took over showing Zion how to make a turkey out of a fall leaf - all his idea (well, he came up with what to show her, I suspect a teacher somewhere showed him the craft originally). My first born sure is super sweet, he even cut out the teeny pieces to make the head and beak for her and patiently showed her how to place them.

While they did their craft I was free to put together a snack. I called it “S’mores In A Bowl”. It consisted of graham cracker pieces, chocolate chips and mini marshmallows all mixed together in a bowl. In this picture you can see Zion stacking hers together. All of yum of S’mores but none of the mess.

And later back outside for some more fun.

Who is this BIG boy? Certainly not my little Gideon. Alas, it is true. He’s growing so fast. But if I had a dollar for every time I’ve made that statement on this blog I think I’d be rich, they are ALL growing so fast and though some people may experience otherwise I absolutely LOVE my kids when they are two. It is such a magical time of discovery for them, everything is amazing and new and they are able to interact with their world in all new ways. I LOVE it!

I let Gabe borrow a loaf pan in order to make bricks for a snow fort. He didn’t get very far as he wasn’t packing the snow tight enough but I think if we get more snow like this he’ll be an expert in no time.

And still a puppy even though he’s on the verge of elderly in dog years. Towzer had a blast in the snow. Especially after I tossed him a Beggin Strip which he got to “lose” and find repeatedly.

I read (I think) a while ago that when you use bubbles outside in freezing temperatures that they crystalize so I got out some bubbles. By that time though it was late enough in the day that it wasn’t cold enough to freeze them but the kids still loved it and I was surprised that the bubbles seemed to last a lot longer in the cold air than they do when it's summer.

Gideon quickly had his hat (which didn’t last long on his head) and his mittens encased in snow. It didn’t slow him down though, not that he really needed much protection to participate in his favorite activity of eating snow.

Once again Elias found himself wiling away his time indoors, safe and warm and having a blast on his play mat.

We were a bit worried that the snow would keep us from getting to family on Thanksgiving but we dared to make the drive the hour North to get to my sister’s house and by the time we left there it was way to warm for more snow or for the roads to freeze.

We had such a blast that week. I’d forgotten how neat it was to have a snow day when I was growing up. The only drawback was that it was conference week so Gabe’s parent-teacher conference was canceled when school was canceled. By this time it’s been made up but that is for another post (in the very near future I think now that I’m back to being happy with my ability to actually post and upload pictures).