One thing that the kids have been asking since we got orders to Spain way back in March or so was “Are we going to see snow??” They were so little when we moved away from Iceland - Isak was 3 and Anja was not even 2. When we lived in Washington from 2002 to 2005, it snowed maybe twice the entire time, and both times it was a forgettable dusting. And then, of course, 3 years in Spain and there was not a flake to be seen.
So we moved to the Pacific Northwest where it’s mild and rainy year round. Not cold, not snowy, but mild and rainy. One would think that in a mild and rainy climate, if the temperature drops to below freezing it would be cold and snowy, yes? Apparently, if the temperature drops below freezing the clouds have nothing better to do except move to Wisconsin to dump snow there instead. My kids have been understandably disappointed by the clear blue skies over the last week as the temperature dipped all the way down, according to our thermostat, to 11°.
But this morning I was sleeping in, until I heard a loud yell of, “Kids! Look out the window!” with an instant response of “It’s ssssssnnnnnoooooooowwwwwwwwiiiiiiiinnnnnnngggggg!!!!!!”
It started out slow at first, just some flurries, but it turned into a winter wonderland of fat, fluffy snowflakes that ended with about an inch and a half of snow. The kids, however, didn’t know how long it would last so they wasted no time in getting out and enjoying it.
See all those little patches, and the long spoke-y lines? That’s how much snow it took to make a snowball at this point. But they did a good job of amassing a small arsenal of them, ready to launch at unsuspecting parents. Little did they know that I was watching from the upstairs loft. I love the view from here, especially when it involves sneaky little ones plotting for our demise.
Can you name three unusual things about this picture?
1. Isak is wearing pants.
2. Isak is wearing shoes.
3. Isak voluntarily got himself wet, although he probably didn’t know it when the snow was still frozen.
The kid hates pants, and he hates shoes, but he was dressed so fast in layers of clothes, socks and shoes, and out the door before I even knew what was happening.
Anja, on the other hand, is NEVER one to pass up on an adventure. The snow brought out the best in her beautiful, energetic personality. She’s happiest when she’s outside, and today was not only no exception, but her happiness was at a whole new level. She couldn’t get enough of it.
Who needs a hill to roll down when you have our driveway? I wish I could figure out how to calculate the slope, but unofficial calculations show it’s The Perfect Slope For Turning Oneself Into a Human Snowball:
She really just couldn’t get enough of it. No matter that there was barely enough snow to cover the ground, she was GOING to make the most of it. I love this picture; I can just feel her love for being outside and the excitement of finally being able to make a snow angel.
And then my cover was blown, and the even bigger personality came out…
Unfortunately, I didn’t get any “after” pictures to show how much snow we ended up with, but it was quite a bit! Probably close to two inches…enough for mini snowmen complete with mini carrot noses (sorry no pictures!) If it snows overnight and is enough to close down the schools (from what I hear, 4″ is more than enough to shut them down around here…wusses!), they are going to have so much fun tomorrow they won’t ever be able to have this much fun again.
