Snow Day

Oh, yes, even in Texas we get snow days.  And today's snow was perfect.  Not that I went out in it, but a few crazies other people that I know could not be stopped from heading out (while it was still coming down!), getting soaking wet, and loving every second of it.

Christian went to school this morning even though quite a bit of snow had already fallen by 8:00.  Michaela and Eliana stood at the door like sad puppies whining waiting to go out until finally I said,"Okay!  But you can't stay out long.  It's so cold!  And you're going to get so wet!"  (What a fun mom!)  I got them ready, put on my coat, grabbed the camera, and we headed out into the front yard.

Well, technically, they headed out into the front yard; I stayed on the porch and took pictures.  The camera couldn't get wet!

They didn't waste any time...Michaela immediately began making a pile of snow on the sidewalk, and Eliana tromped through the yard like a merry little elf who had finally come home from a tropical island.

They started their snow pile on the sidewalk; I said,"Why don't you put that in the yard and roll it into a ball?"  I am an expert on these things, you know.  And experts know that making a ball of snow is much easier to do in the snow than on the concrete.  I know, so smart.  And I don't even have a degree in snowball engineering, or anything!

Eliana was happy to move into the white stuff.

When I say this snow was perfect, I mean that it was just the right amount of sticky and just the right amount had fallen.  It wasn't overwhelming and they could do fun stuff with it.

What you cannot see here (and what I brilliantly did not catch with our handy-dandy Flip video recorder, the easiest video recorder ever) is that Eliana is screaming with laughter, total glee, that Michaela is on her back in the snow.  A snow angel, of course.  And she was making a snow angel.  Of course.

"A big ball!"  She was adding this to the snowman's bottom.  I mean the bottom ball, not his bottom.  Oh, that doesn't sound any better, never mind!

I have no words.

They were working together to get the ball rolling.  (Are you rolling your eyes?  Are you rolling on the floor laughing?)

I am so sorry.  There is an inordinate amount of pictures.  You can either enjoy them, or gag.  This post is for the grandparents who are far away, and they need to see every other minute of our outdoor adventure.  Especially my mom and dad (they are in Virginia), who are not at all sick and tired of looking at snow by now!

"I love the snow!  I love snow!  I love it!"

Tromping in circles could not look cuter than it did today.

"Rollin', rollin', rollin'..."

"Move 'em on, head 'em up,
Head 'em up, move 'em out,
Move 'em on, head 'em out Rawhide!
Set 'em out, ride 'em in
Ride 'em in, let 'em out,
Cut 'em out, ride 'em in Rawhide."

She was wrastling that snowball like nobody's business!  Like cowboys round up the herd.  Or something like that.

And don't think Eliana didn't think she had everything to do with it.

That girl in the red coat is one persisitent child.

Now it was time to get the second snowball on top of the first one.  I cannot tell you how long she struggled with that humongous and very heavy ball of frozen vapor.  She called out,"Mom!  Can you come and help me?"

"No!  The camera can't get wet!  You can do it!  Hold it underneath!"  See?  I am a great cheerleader!

And she did it! 

And then she fell down, exhausted.

But she recuperated quite quickly, and made the final snowball.

At this point, they were soaking wet, and I was freezing (at least my fingers were...I had the camera, see), and Eliana said,"I don't want to play in snow."  She was all done.

We came inside and had hot chocolate (duh) and I got all their things in the wash and we heard from the school that afternoon class was cancelled.  At noon we headed over to pick up Christian, and do you know what they wanted to do when they got home?!

What kind of kids am I raising?  Are they double secret Eskimos?

Double secret somethin'.

Oh, but I do love when they get along.

And work together.  Tra, la, la.

He's got a smile that is so charming.

He gave Eliana this snowball...

and told her to drop it on his foot.  She screamed, and laughed, and did it!  Hysterical, I tell you.  Hysterical.

Delight.

Joy.

And this is where I said,"Everybody look at me and smile!" 

What was I thinking?

I just kept clicking.

Aren't you glad?

She was.  Not necessarily that I kept clicking.  Just to be alive, I think.

Yum.

"Don't eat the snow!"  (Guess who said that?)

"But I like it!"  (Guess who said that?)

I don't like it.  Laundry, that is.  But it was so very worth it.  And I've already got all that cleaned up!  It's not even midnight!

I can't say that the whole day went well.  I can't say that the living room, the dining room, the kids' bedrooms, or even one single bathroom out of five (I know.  Five!) is clean.  But they had fun today...and that makes me feel good.  I have a feeling there is more of this in store for tomorrow...but I promise I won't make you look at so many pictures at once again.  Maybe.