First Snow

I believe in my Halloween post I said that it was a year where we avoided the "snowsuit under the costume" aspect of fall in a Northern climate.  Well, I spoke a few days too soon because later in the week it snowed.  Of course, this time of year the temperatures don't drop too low so it started with some lovely sleet and rain and left a nice ice crust over the streets.  The Friday morning school commute was interesting but I only saw one car that had careened up on the sidewalk.

Fortunately, we had retrieved our duffel bag of skiing clothes from the storage unit where the kids' snow pants had been stashed since March of last year.  I found boots for both boys but...only one of Tessa's.  I love hers too.  They have a Velcro cinch strap so they are really easy to get on and off.  The match is still nowhere to be found weeks later.  We have a pair of boys boots that fit her that are black with camouflage.  Not that it matters if snow boots are "girl" or "boy" but hers are so easy to wear that I hope we can find it.  I'm thinking of her teachers more than anyone!  I don't know how they do it!

Of course, the kids want to be outside all the time in full regalia.  Of course, I DON'T want to be outside all the time because it's cold and boring to watch kids shovel and fight and take off their mittens and get snow in the mittens and have trouble getting them back on because their hands are wet.  Ben and Tessa are finally at the age where I feel like they can be outside by themselves.  They were out with the neighbor for an hour yesterday afternoon.  BUT...Mr. Two Year Old Beast is NOT OK with seeing them walk out the door in their snowsuits while he gets left behind.  He stands there at the door and screams like everyone is a huge traitor then he desperately goes and tries to dress himself to go out too while tears pour out of his eyes.  So, this means that I do indeed have to go out and supervise anyway.  Yay.  I don't mind going outside but at my huge size I'm just not feeling like it right now.  The trudging around and ill fitting coats are bad enough but also my snow boots are in the storage unit and the first thing to freeze for me is always my feet.

They all love to shovel and Ben is actually pretty good at it.  Hopefully this love of manual labor lasts as he gets older.  

This was Milo's first snow adventure since last year and he probably doesn't remember it so he just stood there for a few minutes wondering what to do.  

The piles of hats and mittens that we have really bring out her inner eccentric and she always picks a different one every time. 

These were taken on Saturday evening which was our last evening playing outside in daylight before the time change.  It was six p.m.  See you in March, evening sun.  

She was whining for help getting dressed and I was too busy bundling Milo so she did everything herself and ended up with her snow pants over her jacket and also backwards and rubber rain boots which I know from experience (because they are currently all I have to wear in the snow) do not keep your feet very warm.  But it worked fine and she doesn't care so I don't either. 

Look at that shoveling form!  Tessa's not quite there yet.  Neither am I.  I never did much shoveling when I was young or now.  We had tractors for that when I was growing up and now Justin usually does it because I've either been too pregnant or...he just does it.  Sometimes our neighbor even does it just for fun.  I shoveled one day last winter after I got my Fitbit and it showed that I had like 20,000 steps and 100 minutes of exercise that day (I had already exercised earlier also).  I feel like it should be a workout class based on it.  It would be very effective but not at all fun. 

Here is Mr. Booger Face enjoying the sparse covering of snow.  He is like Ben.  He never wants to go in even when his face looks numb and snot is pouring from his nose.  On this day he kept taking his mitten off one hand to eat snow and his hand was frozen but he didn't want to quit.  

Yes, playing in the snow is fun but now it is necessary to send a huge assortment of crap to school every day.  Tessa's teacher said they will only go outside one day a week, play in the gym on another day and swimming lessons is the third day.  So that is only one day I have to gather her whole ensemble.  Ben needs it every day though.  I thought for the morning on the playground he could just wear boots with his jeans since there is really barely any snow and the grass isn't even covered but no...he had to wear everything.  It took about fifteen minutes for us to get out the door this morning.  

Milo was dragging his snow pants around saying "Outside! Outside!"  Sure...just what I feel like doing at 7:55 a.m. as dawn is breaking.  Ugh...you can see my almost twenty year old Adidas slide sandals that I wear to run out to the dumpster and when I need to go into the garage to dig around in the freezer.  They are my secret shame and I'm sure all my neighbors have seen me wear them.