Snow Day

I grew up in California’s Mojave Desert, where Joshua Trees are plenty but snow is scarce. I could count the number of times it snowed during my childhood on my fingers. In the thirteen years that I attended school there I never once got to experience a Snow Day.

So now I’m making up for lost time. I take a Snow Day every chance I get!

This week we had our first real snowfall of the season. When I woke up on Tuesday morning there was a beautiful layer of fluffy white snow covering the ground. The desert rat in me still gets jittery inside and tingly all over whenever I see snowflakes. My excitement must have rubbed off on my kids too because once Josie saw the snow she didn’t stop asking to play in it.

We had already made plans to spend the morning with some friends of ours so I stuffed all the kids’ snow gear into some tote bags to take with us. After a community Christmas party we went back to our friends’ house, geared up, and headed out. Is it just me, or are kids even more adorable than usual when they’re puffed up in three layers of winter wear?

 

Josie spent her time in the snow making snow angels, building a snow tower, and playing kitty. Jamie spent his time marching around and admiring his footprints, eating handfuls of snow, and playing with branches. Our friend Robby sat on his Kawasaki ride-on toy and admired the beautiful scenery. When Josie asked him if he wanted to come make a snow angel with her he shouted, “No, I want to go see God!” Josie replied, “God lives really far away, Robby. You better drive there.” He made it as far as the front yard and went inside to his mommy. I guess the road to God is a tedious one....

The kids and I went back into the snow later in the afternoon, after naptime. Josie enjoyed shoveling and running around with the dogs (but she started to cry when Cinder, the cat, snatched her glove right off her hand and dashed away with it). Jamie only got to sled down the hill a couple times before we ran out of daylight but he was having a great time. Johnny, on the other hand, was not a fan. Maybe he needs to spend some time in the desert so that he can come to appreciate the beauty and fun of a Snow Day.