Snow Days

2010 ended with freezing temperatures, so instead of living it up on New Year's Eve, we went into hibernation instead. It was less than 5 degrees and snowing, and the roads were icy, so we were happy to hunker down. But the next day brought the New Year and some sunshine, so we decided to try out Penny's new winter gear.


You just can't beat purple snow pants.

I have some good childhood memories of making snowmen and playing in our back yard, but I don't remember lasting too long in the cold. I remember my mittens getting encrusted with snow and my fingers turning pink. I only recently learned how to ski, before Penny was born, and I was surprised to discover that being outside in the cold can be fun, as long as you stay warm and dry. And there's gear for that! Wow, winter just became exponentially more fun.

Penny and I both received new snow boots for Xmas, so we put them on and outside. Ooh, there was lots of pristine snow to mess up:






Snow castles are almost as fun as sand castles.

I'd forgotten how satisfying it is to make snow angels. Penny hadn't really seen one before (with the exception of the ones Peter makes in The Snowy Day), so I showed her how to do it. It turns out it's impossible not to laugh while you're lying down in the snow.



Before long, (as predicted) Penny's mittens became encrusted with snow, and her little nose was bright red. So we trudged back inside to warm up.



Last weekend, we attempted sledding at Penny's cousins' house. Since Penny had never been, she didn't think to protest when I put her on the sled with me. We weren't on a very steep hill, but we picked up a bit of speed, enough to make me shriek and giggle; enough to convince Penny she certainly wasn't doing that again. But she happily cheered us on, and laughed when Britt and I careened off track and tipped the sled over.

Today, it's raining, and the snow is almost gone. I'm not holding my breath for spring just yet, but it might be nice to make some more angels before the snow melts away completely.