Snowy Day

I started this post last weekend when there were a couple inches of snow on the ground and we went sledding down the hill in our front yard. This weekend is sunny, all the snow has melted and it might get to 60 degrees. The sun kind of kills the fun of a snow post but that's ok, I will take the sun in March. I don't really expect to complete anything on time these days anyway!

I bought the book Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats for Bear this past November in anticipation of our winter ahead. It quickly became his favorite book. For a little stretch there we were reading it 2 to 3 times a day. I love that the little boy in the story is dark chocolate like Bear.

I've been looking forward to this winter since last winter, knowing this year at 2-1/2 years old, Bear would be able to run and play and really get into the fun of it.  I am a kid who grew up in California, so even though I've lived in the Midwest for many years, snow still has a mystique. As kids, we only played in the snow on the occasional family trip to Tahoe. I used to think it would be soooooo cool to have snow right outside your door to play in. Yes, I've been very excited to share this with Bear.

So we've been reading about snow angels and snowball fights for months. I've been telling Bear that as soon as it snows we will go out for our very own Snowy Day. We've had the snowpants hanging in the mudroom, ready. He's been thrilled to clomp around in his ginormous (size 10) snow boots all through January and February. But as luck would have it, Wisconsin has been unusually snow free this winter. And on the days we have had snow it's been bitter and dark and not very friendly for frolicking outdoors.

We finally got our break a couple weekends ago. There was only an inch or so on the ground but the sun came out, the wind died down, and out into the wonderland we went. Mama and Bear. We did it all!

We made our first snow angels

We had our first snowball fight.

(I may have created a monster. He loved throwing snowballs at mama a little too much.)

And when our fingers and toes finally got too cold, we came back inside to warm up and....ate our first bowl of snow ice cream.

We both think snow ice cream is yummy!

Dodd and I are finding Bear's toddler stage a blast. It has its challenges for sure but there is so much joy in watching him engage in his world. Maybe I will write more about this in the future. Of course it will probably take another year to get it done.

Happy Snowy Day!