Oh, I know what you're saying...yuck! Winter already? Well, for me, winter brings out the fun in my kids and even Sophie, our precious dog. On Monday afternoon about 4:30, the snow was coming down in big beautiful flakes. I called the girls up from the basement to see it.
They ran to the biggest window and cheered, jumping up and down. They then ran to put on their outdoor gear, and flew out the door. I quickly grabbed my camera and the closest shoes to the door--my slippers. I followed them out to the deck, where Serena threw herself down and made a snow angel! Natalie did as she always has done. She ran out into the snow, mouth wide open, tongue reading to catch the flakes. Oh, the smiles and the laughter! It was music to my ears! They had their traditional snow fight, which usually ends with both of their glasses covered in snow, hats off, and giggling uncontrollably. Part of the giggling is always me! Someone usually yells "time out", then proceeds to fill the other one's face with snow. No one seems to mind at all. Now where is our 12 year old fluffy dog in all of this? Running and dipping her big black nose into the snow, then flinging her head back up! Her back is covered, her face is covered, and she hops like a rabbit, only stopping to bite the snow again. When she was younger and more energetic, she thought it was fun to grab my gloves right off my hands and run with them. I miss that! I still see a little bit of puppy in her aging body, and I cherish it as we all do.
Natalie always "writes" a big message in the snow outside the kitchen window for me to see. This time it said simply, "Hi Mom!" Serena carried her dad's funnel outside and began making mini igloos with it. While I watched her, I flashed back to when she was 3, and loved to do that very thing. Quiet, contemplative, and determined, she would take her time shaping that snow while her little cheeks turned pink. Her eyes look even bluer in the snow.
See, when your kids start to get older and don't play with "toys" much anymore, you don't get to see them "play" like they used to. When my kids are outside in the snow, they are like little girls again, being silly and free. I get the benefit of knowing they're not too old to play just yet.
So, before you start dissing winter, remember, it is a magical time for kids! Nothing thrills them more than fresh falling snow followed by cookies and cocoa from mom. It's a time when I can bundle them up, watch them waddle like toddlers, then stuff them with goodies when they come back inside.
Our play will advance this year to include skiing, tubing, and skating, and that will be fun too. But it's really just a simple snowfall that I will look forward to the most this season.
Where are the photos, you ask? Well, I'm working on that.... a computer genius I am not.
1 comment:
I LOVED the snow when I was a kid!! We would play and play until our snowsuits were literally soaking wet. It was so much simpler then...we didnt have to worry about icy roads, paying the heating bill, or whether we had our ears covered. It warms my heart to see my kids enjoying winter too and I hope that they do for many years to come!!
Oh to be that young and carefree again...
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