A dollop of snow

So, hey - it snowed! I think it might still be snowing... Last time I looked out the window, nose pressed to glass, it was. Lovely, swirly white stuff to make us feel extra festive around here - in case indulging in scads of cookies and rocking out to our itunes xmas playlist wasn't already doing the trick... :-) Oh, and I am slowly making my way through 'Silent Night' on the harmonica. Seriously!

We needed present-wrapping tape today, so we had to venture out. Last night we used up our tape wrapping gifts for the extended family annual post-xmas-dinner gag gift exchange. A much anticipated event every year. And we needed some other supplies (unrelated to said exchange) from the weirdo Yoko Yaya 123 store we just found in Tinseltown last week. Kind of like Daiso but with less selection.

Plus, Cole usually takes a mini mid-day nap in the stroller and figured we should try even with all the snow. We debated about whether it would be insane to take a stroller out in the still-snowing snow but figured we'd be set with the handle switched around so the big wheels did all the pushing - Bugaboo's sales pitch had assured us that this is the way to motor through difficult terrain. It also makes steering the thing a more nuanced experience, but hey, we are crazy fools who want to walk in the snow so why not? Well, we made it about a block and half, just past the skateboard park, and decided it wasn't working so well at the first go around. The stroller was becoming more of a snow plough than anything and getting around was really hard. We came back home and strapped Cole into the carrier - boots that tend to fall off if you're not holding his feet and all - and grabbed our new baby sled. 'Grabbed' meaning read the instructions, swore, shook fists and then assembled. There's a strange little park in between our place and Tinseltown, perfect for a little sled ride.

Cole seemed really interested in staring down, watching the snow going by. The sled, I should mention, is really odd. I got it at Superstore a week ago on an impulse, looking for something else in the lane that also contained toboggans. I love and hate the Superstore. Inexpensive, yes. Hellish and wide, also yes... Love the impulse-purchase of a sled too. Why not just stick to the easily manageable candy and gossip magazines at the till? Anyway, the sled is named the Pelican, because why? Of course, everyone wants to sit inside a pelican's mouth and of course they are also such snow-loving birds. The hood thing comes off and it becomes a reasonably normal looking sled, good for ages 0-2, if you're curious...

It was a blast to pull him up the little slope in the park and down the other side, and there was so much snow out that we walked a ways more, pulling him along the covered sidewalks until we got to the main road. So much fun.

We spent the rest of the day enjoying being slow and quiet inside. Grilled cheese sandwiches using white bread and fake cheese. Lots of tea. Playing in front of and staring out the windows, often with comments like "it's really coming down out there" again and again.

I even took a nap! I was going to wrap presents since we are flush again with tape but laid down for a second while Jamie put Cole down for his nap. The next thing I knew it was nearly 5 and Cole was up for dinner... I'm not a napper - hey, and the result is now I can't sleep at night, but man, that nap was such a lovely feeling of hibernation.

I'm curious how much snow there is out there on the roads and sidewalks downtown now. We were out early, but it snowed all day...