Let It Snow

Snow days are a lot more fun when you're a kid.  As a parent, they really are just a lot of extra work.  We woke up to several inches of snow.  Hayes was dying to play outside.  Houston really could have cared less, provided we let him play Pokemon.

To play or not to play?  Adam and I wrestled with the question.  Prolonging our indecision, Adam and the boys made a quick trip to Lowe's while I cooked a big breakfast.  (Breakfast is my favorite meal to cook)  By the time we ate and cleared the table, it was 11.  Again, Hayes was begging to play outside.

You see, as a Mom, snow days go kinda like this:  Dig through all the drawers and the bottom of the closets looking for the matches to all the single gloves that you haven't seen or used since the last time it snowed.  Then you start layering the kids up.  The more you layer them, the hotter they get and the less they can move.  By the time you are on your third kid, the first one has been baking in his fleece for a good 20 minutes.  "I'm hot.  When can we go outside?  I'm dying", etc. etc.  You get everyone bundled up, start to layer yourself, and then someone has to go to the bathroom, even though you had asked them all to please go before you began the whole process.  Undo steps 2 & 3 and then re-do, all the while pacifying the now well-toasted kids who are still whining and complaining.  You finally make it outside and it isn't long before somebody's something starts to itch them or bug them or gets wet.

But even knowing all that, how could we deny our children the opportunity to play in the snow?!  We don't get a lot of snow where we live, so even though it is a complete pain in the backside, I remember how special it is as a child to play in the snow.  I would be the meanest mom ever to rob my children of a day in the snow.  But you better believe the first time they complain about an article of clothing, it's coming off and not getting replaced!

We kicked the fun off with a group picture...

Other than the adorable orange-legged bear in the front, they look about ready to rob a bank.

And some snow angels...

Houston attempted to roll his own snowman...

Adam made Hayes a seat of snow...

Hawkins made his own "no-man" and began to sing, "Frosty the no-man had a shiny nose.  And you ever saw it..."

We headed down to the park...

And stopped for a "water break".  Houston inquired how many calories are in snow.

Holt even played in the snow...

For a minute anyway, and spent the rest of the time warm and cozy...

While at the park, Hayes and Adam attempted to extend the slide at the playground an additional two feet by packing snow up to it.  Houston again tried to build his own snowman but it wasn't long before his prototype was morphed into the slide extention.  Holt began to get fussy and it was impossible to tell if it was because he was too hot or too cold.  So Holt, Hawkins, and I left the big boys at the park to have a snowball fight and explore the woods a bit while we headed home to get hot chocolate ready for everyone.

We even had a surprise visit from Abby!



Once it was all said and done, it was a super fabulous day and well worth the extra load of snow laundry.  If only they had school tomorrow and not another snow day!