45 minutes of dress up. I'm betting 10 minutes of play.

We've had our first official "play" snow.  And I'm proud to say that it only took 15 minutes to get them dressed with the exception of the 30 minutes it took to get the gloves & mittens on.  Man of the woods refuses mittens as he is not able to use his fingers to pick things up, a legit complaint.  However, as he's been gifted with intelligence the fine motor skills of putting gloves on is well another story.  While Laughter's mittens wouldn't slide through his coat sleeves.  So why not put the mittens on after you ask?  Because both boys complain if the snow gets between the sleeve and the mitten.  a picky bunch I know, but to be honest I'm with them on that issue.  All toasty warm except for this one spot on each wrist, annoying if I do say so myself.  And so 45 minutes later they are heading out the door...Those hats I put on them off just about the time the door shut.
 

 

Laughter spending the first five minutes eating the snow while his dear big brother threw snow at him.  That is until he screamed at him.  Bringing me to the whole reason this Momma who loves anything snow is inside peaking out the window rather then being with them.  I'm not sure I could handle another battle of the boys so I just sit back and watch intervening only when I think it'll end there play time.  After 45 minutes of getting dressed I do not want this to end over some petty argument. besides I would be crazy to pass up these few minutes of quietness.

Onto snow angels they go and then fort building.  I silently watch them play as I remember back to my snow days as a child.  By the end of the winter we would have built and entire village taking up the whole front lawn.  Or the days we would jump off the deck railing into the snow below, that is until Mom saw us intervening afraid jumping an entire story into a few feet of snow wasn't the best idea.  Or the time I ended up getting x-rays because a sled landed on my wrist just right to causing massive amounts of pain and swelling, no broken bones though.  Or the time I tripped in the snow causing my chin to be sliced open by a jagged piece of ice to which I still have the scar to prove I had a full childhood.  And all the days I would sneak away into the woods to my favorite clearing, a swamp during the summer, snow field through the winter.  My favorite place to go to contemplate a God who could make something so wonderful as snow.  And the times...

Snow brings back some of the best memories of childhood.  I hope it will for my boys as well.  I hope they will look back feeling as though they too had a full childhood...

I lost the bet.  They lasted more then 10 minutes.  Over an hour actually. 

The dress up was worth it.

Watch yourselves, that you do not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward.

 2 John 1:8

2696.  Snow to play in.
2697.  Brothers working together.
2698.  Memories of childhood, imagination, and soul searching.
2699. Not having to take all of the winter clothes off 10 minutes later.
2700.  Sitting by the window watching the two amazing gifts God has given me grow into little boys.