Sunshine and Snowflakes

JDubbs and I are big fans of getting our babies out into the fresh air, winter or not.  As you may remember, Jax had his share of family outings in the Baby Bjorn, strapped to Daddy's chest.  With him I usually waited until the temperatures were somewhere in the forties, but with two babies and both parents at home, we'll settle for high twenties.  An excuse for some fresh air and family fun.

So this past Sunday, with Daddy home and the sun shining, we decided to bundle the kids up and take them for a walk to the bottom of our driveway.  Our driveway is pretty long, downhill, and leads to the cul-de-sac at the end of our road.  Very woodsy. All unpaved.  A little winter haven for our kids to soak up some sunshine and snowflakes. 

Big whoop, you say.  A walk down your driveway.  That's it? 

I don't think you understand.  You live in Civilization, where there are such things as neighborhoods and mailmen that deliver to your house and not a P.O. Box.  You need to think in Vermont-size proportions, where every yard has at least an acre and six inches of snow is a dusting.  A pretty long driveway to you means a-long-way-to-walk-in-your-bathrobe-and-slippers-to-get-your-newspaper kind of way.  Nope.  You have to supersize it.  I mean long in the pull-your-kid-in-a-sled-to-get-to-the-bottom kind of way.

Yup, that's the bottom of our driveway.  That big mound of snow is the center of the cul-de-sac.  See any neighbors or mailmen?  Yeah, you won't.

Once we got down to the gigantic snowbank that is the middle of our road, Em got a turn in the sled.  As with the ice-fishing, generally not impressed.  It might be here humongous snow suit that could probably double as a flotation device if need be. 

You're kidding me, right?  Get this snowflake off my eye.  Where are my hands?

Yes, it started to snow in earnest while we were traipsing about down there, which made for one happy boy and a pretty picturesque afternoon.

He loves throwing huge snowchunks to Baxter to make him run, but the kid can only throw about two feet.  Not much of a shot put future for our little guy.  Baxter just sits there and waits as the snow lands nicely at his feet.  Then he attacks, much to Jax's glee.

Em was still not thrilled.

I was hoping that maybe it was the sled that was keeping her down.  Or the gigantic hand-me-down snowsuit.  So I decided to let her do a little exploring of this snowy world for herself.

I'm pretty sure she was plotting my death (Stewie Griffin-style) when gravity stepped in and tipped her over.  I'm not so cruel as to photograph it (although I considered it for a fleeting second) since she didn't have any mittens on underneath all those layers and I didn't want her fingers to get cold.  Had to scoop her up immediately.  But it would have been a good picture.

Needless to say, still not much of a fan.

But her brother was still loving it enough for both of them.

There's a great big world of winter out there, and he's just experiencing the tip of the iceberg, excuse the pun.  Snowballs and snowbanks and sled rides and crazy dogs.  Oh, and shoveling.  Don't forget that!

Wait.  Did you say, "shovel"?  Dad!  Let's go!

That is really what happened.  For some reason we said the word "shovel," and Jax hightailed it back to the house to shovel the deck.  The kid was practically sprinting, which is hard to do in a snowsuit.  He didn't even look back to see if we were coming, until about halfway up and then he quit.  Daddy's hands were full--

--so guess who got to pull him?  Me.  And he's not light, either.

At this point, Em and I had had about enough.  Time to get into our comfy clothes and sit by the fire.  Well, maybe we could try to get her to enjoy the snow just one more time.

That look screams pure betrayal.  She is definitely going to kill me now.

So in we go, change of clothes, then Em put on her favorite TV show:  The Daddy & Jax Shoveling Snow Show!  Starring her brother and daddy.  Girl was in heaven.

And Daddy taught Jax a survival skill.  How to make funny faces on glass.

Finally, cue those amazing moments where Jax and Em seem so in sync, making each other smile, making their mommy's heart grow with happiness.  And I remember that is why we had them so close together.  So they could grow up together and love each other so fully that they never remember life without the other.

Yup, sub-freezing temperatures don't feel so terrible when you're having fun with your favorite people in the world.  And this big winter world that just keeps on coming?  It's pretty exciting when you're two and under, so I guess I've just got to get used to taking advantage of all.  Could be a lot worse than sunshine and snowflakes.  I think I'll take it.