gotta love some snow

After not seeing much of the white stuff this winter, last weekend we headed for the mountains for a little sledding and snow frolicking.  A bright sunny day.  45 minutes of driving.  A great family outing ... disrupted only by Natalie's distaste for the wetness of snow on her hands paired with a refusal to wear mittens.  Being three is so tough sometimes!  However, we persevered and managed to enjoy our little snow-cation.

Apparently, we also inspired some lowland snow showers.

Just yesterday the snow fell at our house!

and it caused quite a bit of excitement, wonder, and awe ... 

No Ice{skating}, Just lots of SNOW

Today was suppose to be the day I took Natalie ice skating for the first time. We were both very excited! Natalie couldn't wait to touch and smell the ice, and she kept saying, "Dat ice will be veeeerrry sippery!" I was curious to see how my ice skating skills would fare after a three year hiatus. I took lessons in my twenties and learned to jump, spin, and arabesque (my favorite!).  It was the most graceful (and best shape) I've ever felt; how I wish I could get those buns back again ... but that's another story all together ...

A gently snow was falling when all four of us headed for the rink.  CPV doesn't work on Mondays, and I convinced him to come along, mostly so he could take picture.  Within 15 minutes of  leaving our house, the conditions were getting treacherous and other drivers just can't be trusted.  We made the decision to turn back.  Natalie was so devastated by our change of plans that we had to come up with, well, another option.

Here's Natalie in front of our Plan B ...

We followed up lunch with a walk through the Home Depot Christmas department.  It doesn't get much better than that ... especially if you're three years old.  Thankfully Unfortunately some of the singing dogs, cats, reindeer, ... on display have run out of batteries already.

When we got home, the snow had slowed again, but I grabbed the camera, handed it to Chad, and ...he captured Charlotte's first experience with snow!

I know I am totally biased, but I think my husband is just about the cutest thing going ... and Natalie, well, her tolerance for picture-taking is about a maximum of three shots ...

It continued to snow (and snow hard) right on through the afternoon - while the girls napped.  I woke Natalie around 4:00 and suggested she look out the window.  Her face lit up, and she said, "Oh my goodness, Mommy, all the grass is gone!"

And now I have officially become a mama-who-turns-her-child-into-the-Stay-Puff-Marshmallow-Man-in-the-hopes-of-keeping-her-warm-while-she-plays-in-the-snow.  First layer of pajamas.  Second layer footsie pajamas minus the feet. Socks. Bib overall snow pants. Jacket with hood.  Hat. Gloves.  Boots, which were nearly impossible to get on because she was so puffy and clumsy.

Natalie and Chad had a great time trying out the new sled I bought on super (ridiculous) clearance at the end of last winter.  Charlotte and I stayed inside to play and prep a delicious dinner.

Snow Day ... Hooray!

Itching, Coughing, and Snowing

First and foremost, allow me to acknowledge that my life it pretty fabulous. And I hate to be a big baby whiner, but I am feeling a very strong urge to vent.

I have a rash. On my neck and throat. It's not like raised bumps. Just red and incredibly itchy. And sometimes my eyebrows itch, too. How very annoying! It started while I was in Virginia, and it flaired up again yesterday. I am slathering hydrocordisone on like it's some sort of skin-soothing crack. Here's the saddest part, the only cause I can figure out is that maybe I am having a reaction to ... red wine. Gasp! How can this be?! What will I do? My body of evidence is minimal at best. It's more of a hunch really. I drank my fair share of red wine at my friend Heather's house where Happy Hour is pretty much a daily and delightful occurrence. After being home for a few days, the itching subsided. Last night, I had red wine again (served with my friend Tammy's scrumptious spare ribs) and within an hour I was itching like crazy. Could it be?

Natalie is coughing. Not during the day. But late at night. For the past three nights, she had a coughing fit about 3 hours after she falls asleep. And I just feel awful for her. She cries out in pain and only wants her mommy. I hold her close, offer sips of milk, dose her with a little ibuprofen, and rock and rock and rock until she calms down, stops coughing and falls back to sleep. As I hold my baby girl, she clings to me, tries to stifle the coughs, fumbles for her binky when it gets coughed out of her mouth, and seems just miserable. Oh, I how I hate when my sweet Natalie doesn't feel well.

The weather sucks. And I am so over it. Enough with the rain already. Easter was soggy and cold and gray and dismal. Ugh! Today was even colder and cloudy and rainy. The short burst of snow-like precip late in the afternoon pushed me over the edge. I mean, come on, it's April for crying out loud! And don't give me that "April showers bring May flowers" cutesy excuse. It has been raining since October. Six months of gray skies and soggy ground. I am tired of wearing my down vest and scarf and hood and clunky shoes. I am tired of drinking warm beverages at all hours of the day just to fight a chill. I am ready for a little sunshine. I am ready for temperatures above 50 degrees. I am ready to play at the park. I am ready to put this winter behind me. Where is spring already?

Okay, I think I feel better. Thanks for letting me vent!