hooray for snow!

Best snow day EVER! We got home last night after picking David up from work, and the grass at home was already covered up in snow! I left my Good Parent skills in a closet somewhere and took my sick-with-a-cold self and my sick-with-a-cold child outside to have a late night snowball fight. David snuggled up on the couch and shook his head, not a big fan of snow (and, as he pointed out, recovering from a 12 hour shift). Dennis and I headed out around 10 or so, and I fear we might have awakened the neighbors with our exuberant giggling (and screams of laughter as our snowballs found their targets). Dennis is a pretty good shot, as it turns out, and we had an excellent battle and a nice long walk in the snow.

It has snowed every winter, real snow, since Dennis was born. That first time, just before he turned 1, he sat in the snow in his snowsuit and didn't do much. Then he fell over and cried. The next winter, we spent Christmas snowed in up in Washington and Dennis got to ride on a sled and tromp through deep snow. Then we were snowed in the next month in Gatlinburg, and then it snowed in Alabama, so he was pretty used to it. He learned that winter how to sort of toss a wad of snow at us. Last February, we had a great snow and he caught snowflakes on his tongue, worked on his snowball skills, and learned about snow ice cream. This year he was like a real 'big kid', frolicking, rolling around, making snow angels, playing 'steamroller' as he rolled down a hill, nailing us with snowballs, and making a makeshift sled out of a plastic storage bin lid. He made two snowmen today, one dressed as a fireman and one as a knight with chest armor and helmet. He plans to make a scuba diver snowman in the morning. He has already set out fins, mask, and floaties but hasn't found his snorkel yet.

I had SO much fun watching and listening to him playing today. He would periodically burst into song, random lyrics he invented on the spot, all about loving the snow. And, oh, the giggling! Big happy belly laughs rang out loudly and often. He knows how to have some serious snow fun now, and I hope the coming years will continue to provide the opportunity for him to hone his skills. Today was just magical. Thank you, Lord, for sending enough snow to create beauty and fun but not enough to cause havoc on the roads. Awesome!

Tonight, he wore a swimsuit, floaties, fins, and mask around the house for hours. I guess now that he's had his snow experience, he's ready for summer! David walked in and saw him and said "it never hurts to be optimistic, Buddy!".