I’ve had a conflict battling inside my head for the last few months. Snow. I hate it. There are so many things I miss about Utah – giant piles of snow is not one of them. Pennsylvania normally has fairly mild winters – a real plus for the Weird Hat State, in my book. A few inches of snow will shut the state down until the two snowplows they employ can make it around to dig people out. Obviously there have been exceptions but this year, along with most of the country, has been extra mild. We had a freak storm in October and then nothing. No white Christmas, no white New Years, no white Week After New Years…you get the point. The conflict arises when you add my two beautiful daughters, looking at me with wide, hopeful eyes, almost every morning – “Mommy? Do you think it will snow today?” I dutifully pull up the weather app on my iPhone and have had to say that no, there is no snow today. The blow-up animal sleds Santa brought will have to continue to sit in the closet, unused.
So when Saturday morning arrived and low-and-behold, our driveway was covered with about 3 inches of snow – I was fighting the grumpy attitude emerging from the relization that I wouldn’t be able to go to my pottery class, because I had two EXCITED, EXCITED, EXCITED girls tripping over themselves to get snow gear out. Can we go out now? Breakfast first. Can we go out NOW? Get dressed first. CANWEGOOUTNOW?! Yes. (Imagine a squeal that I think only Koda could hear inserted here.)
We have a very small hill on the side of our house. Perfect for a 2 and 5 year old. And later, a 36 year old. And okay, a 33 year old got in on the action as well. Despite the trepidation shown in the video I’ll be sharing below, the girls stopped being nervous and fully embraced the track that became packed and slick, leading them straight in to the shed, where they stuck out their feet and called out “SHED!” and bounced off – funny EVERY time, apparently. Mommy and the puppy with a million ice-balls stuck to her fur gave up after about 40 minutes or so to head inside and get hot chocolate going. Daddy dutifully stuck it out until first, the Princess, and then the Bird finally gave in to the cold. Although – I think it was really the lure of marshmallows floating in a hot beverage that brought them in. They had to live it up while they could – the rain from yesterday has melted the white blanket into slushy piles of No Fun, and who knows if we’ll get more this year. I’m good. Set, really – for my snow intake, but I can’t help think that if Mother Nature could see the pleading blue and brown eyes that I see – she’d give in for one more go.
(I’ll have to watch the video when I’m not at work) But Will has been pretty anxious to go sledding. We got snow Sunday and Monday, but I’m secretly hoping it will be gone by this weekend. I’m a bad mom.
Ha! You’re not a bad mom. You just don’t like the snow. That’s what I keep saying to myself. Just go somewhere that isn’t too steep so that he can climb the hill by himself – I think that helps keep the enthusiasm level up.
I’ll take all the kids sledding. I like the snow.
The little hill in the back is absolutely the perfect size for your little girls! Did Soph ever muster up enough courage to take a ride?
Now when they are a bit older, you will have to take them to a much larger hill in Hershey at Shank Park. That’s one that will even get Tom’s heart pumping!
Yes. She went with Tom and I many times and really liked going fast – I guess she was just determined to make snow angels while the video was being taken. Heaven forbid we interrupt a plan!
Great video! I’m not a snow person either. So far we’ve only had one snow day and I’m hoping for a continued mild winter here, we’ll see what February brings!
Excellent form Tom! My guys are just waiting for the next storm (I could do without it and go straight to summer). They went sledding two days in a row and will now go through withdrawal. We do have some smaller hills near us but my crazy kids like the huge steep hills and then want to go ALONE! Dare devils. No wonder I’m finding some gray.