SNOW!
Yesterday (just a week after Hurricane Sandy decimated the east coast) we had a nor-Easter blow through. Yes, Mother Nature is being a bit of a hag lately. And I'm putting it nicely.
That said, Colin was overjoyed. As soon as he heard there was snow (I mentioned it when I saw him at lunch yesterday) he asked if that meant he and daddy could throw snowballs. I didn't expect to have any accumulation, and didn't want to get his hopes up, so I said yes but played it down to minimize his disappointment.
Imagine my surprise when last night, by the time we got home, there was over an inch of snow on the ground. And moments after we pulled in the driveway, Hari got home. I opened the door and Colin exclaimed because the giant puffy snowflakes were blowing in on him (and he was cold). I unbuckled him and as Hari walked up Colin promptly used his bare hands to make a snowball which he threw in the general direction of his father. They threw a few more, but poor Colin's hands got so cold he gave up and we all went inside.
The winds blew through the night, and aside from one minor brown-out (and some more accumulation) it was an uneventful evening. Until I checked my email as I was putting the boys to bed, and saw that my office was having a delayed opening. WOO HOO!
In the morning I got up and got the boys' breakfast started, then Hari monitored the madness and I went out and cleared off the cars and shoveled the driveway. There wasn't much snow, and he was quite unhappy with me doing this, saying I just needed to brush the cars off and the sun would melt the rest. I don't agree with that philosophy... if I do that we end up walking on the snow, it compresses, and then I have ice and black-ice that I'm slipping over for the next month. So I would rather take the time to shovel the 2-inches of snow than deal with the ice.
When I got inside Hari was already getting the boys dressed. I checked the clock and saw I had some time. So... I got out snow pants and heavy coats and hats and went out back to let the boys play. (Colin also re-discovered the hat and scarf that Grandma Lulu made for him last year, which still fit his tiny little noggin, and promptly put them on!) The instant he walked outside Colin turned around and did the Nestea plunge, flopping on his back to make a snow angel. It wasn't deep (literally about 2 inches) but he was so happy. He was smiling from ear to ear.
You think that's fun, little boy?? I dug into the snow, and it was perfect for packing (nice and wet, just right!), so I made a snowball and threw it at him. GAME ON! He was so thrilled to toss snowballs back and forth with me, it really made me a little sad that we don't have snow more often. Ryan was not to sure about the whole situation. He went to walk, fell over, and his little hands plunged into the snow and he started crying. His stupid mom didn't have gloves for him, and it was COLD! (In my defense I never thought we'd have snow this early in the year.) I took my gloves off, slide them over his hands (the wrists cinch in and were a good fit over the arm of his jacket) and then he was happy as a clam.
The three of us played for a while, Colin and I throwing snowballs while Ryan just took it all in, with Sydney sprinting circles around us all, then it was time to go in. I got Syd inside first, then Ryan, and finally Colin (who was very upset, insisting he didn't want to come in yet). Until he got inside.
Once we were in I dried off Syd's feet, then took care of Ryan (gloves, shoes, wet socks, jacket, hat). As I was doing this I instructed Colin to sit down and take his gloves and shoes off. That's when he realized... he was cold. COLD! He started complaining "Mommy, I'm cold. I'm so cold. I'm soooooo cold!!!" I helped him get his wet socks off, as well as his snow pants and everything else, and the whining finally stopped. Then he and Ryan headed over to the bookcase to make a "party" out of all the books and masks that we keep in the bottom bins. And life was back to normal.
That was officially the best "delayed opening" for work that I've ever had!
That said, Colin was overjoyed. As soon as he heard there was snow (I mentioned it when I saw him at lunch yesterday) he asked if that meant he and daddy could throw snowballs. I didn't expect to have any accumulation, and didn't want to get his hopes up, so I said yes but played it down to minimize his disappointment.
Imagine my surprise when last night, by the time we got home, there was over an inch of snow on the ground. And moments after we pulled in the driveway, Hari got home. I opened the door and Colin exclaimed because the giant puffy snowflakes were blowing in on him (and he was cold). I unbuckled him and as Hari walked up Colin promptly used his bare hands to make a snowball which he threw in the general direction of his father. They threw a few more, but poor Colin's hands got so cold he gave up and we all went inside.
The winds blew through the night, and aside from one minor brown-out (and some more accumulation) it was an uneventful evening. Until I checked my email as I was putting the boys to bed, and saw that my office was having a delayed opening. WOO HOO!
In the morning I got up and got the boys' breakfast started, then Hari monitored the madness and I went out and cleared off the cars and shoveled the driveway. There wasn't much snow, and he was quite unhappy with me doing this, saying I just needed to brush the cars off and the sun would melt the rest. I don't agree with that philosophy... if I do that we end up walking on the snow, it compresses, and then I have ice and black-ice that I'm slipping over for the next month. So I would rather take the time to shovel the 2-inches of snow than deal with the ice.
When I got inside Hari was already getting the boys dressed. I checked the clock and saw I had some time. So... I got out snow pants and heavy coats and hats and went out back to let the boys play. (Colin also re-discovered the hat and scarf that Grandma Lulu made for him last year, which still fit his tiny little noggin, and promptly put them on!) The instant he walked outside Colin turned around and did the Nestea plunge, flopping on his back to make a snow angel. It wasn't deep (literally about 2 inches) but he was so happy. He was smiling from ear to ear.
You think that's fun, little boy?? I dug into the snow, and it was perfect for packing (nice and wet, just right!), so I made a snowball and threw it at him. GAME ON! He was so thrilled to toss snowballs back and forth with me, it really made me a little sad that we don't have snow more often. Ryan was not to sure about the whole situation. He went to walk, fell over, and his little hands plunged into the snow and he started crying. His stupid mom didn't have gloves for him, and it was COLD! (In my defense I never thought we'd have snow this early in the year.) I took my gloves off, slide them over his hands (the wrists cinch in and were a good fit over the arm of his jacket) and then he was happy as a clam.
The three of us played for a while, Colin and I throwing snowballs while Ryan just took it all in, with Sydney sprinting circles around us all, then it was time to go in. I got Syd inside first, then Ryan, and finally Colin (who was very upset, insisting he didn't want to come in yet). Until he got inside.
Once we were in I dried off Syd's feet, then took care of Ryan (gloves, shoes, wet socks, jacket, hat). As I was doing this I instructed Colin to sit down and take his gloves and shoes off. That's when he realized... he was cold. COLD! He started complaining "Mommy, I'm cold. I'm so cold. I'm soooooo cold!!!" I helped him get his wet socks off, as well as his snow pants and everything else, and the whining finally stopped. Then he and Ryan headed over to the bookcase to make a "party" out of all the books and masks that we keep in the bottom bins. And life was back to normal.
That was officially the best "delayed opening" for work that I've ever had!
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