Best. Week. Ever.

I'm being slightly generous with defining the past week...it's actually closing in on about 10 days now...but I'm going to give myself a pass on that little transgression.

What a glorious last few days!!!

It started with the girls' 9th BIRTHDAY last Friday.  WOW!!!  We had all our traditional birthday fun...

...French toast with homemade strawberry syrup.
...lunch with the girls at school.
...goodies (ice cream cups this year) with their classmates.
...Mommy picking them up after school.
...shrimp scampi and MOLTEN LAVA PUDDING CAKE.
...and fun presents, oh, my!

Traditional first-thing-in-the-morning birthday picture!

Saturday, I surprised the girls with "tickets" I mocked up to the indoor climbing gym.  We had an absolute blast!!!

Even Mommy got in on the climbing action!

Sunday, we had a productive day at home, and then a productive few days at school/work.  Of particular note, the girls both made 100% on their timed math tests, even after the holiday break.  Baby A is only one test away from earning the title of MULTIPLICATION GRAND MASTER.  She is excited!!!  B is doing great, too, tracking a couple of weeks behind her.  Those titles will be cause for major celebration!

On Friday, we all got a huge surprise.  School was preemptively cancelled late Thursday due to impending snow.  The shock was that Mommy's work closed early Friday morning, too!  What a glorious family day we had together.  We mostly snuggled by the fireplace, and the girls built an obligatory snow-day blanket fort.  AND Mommy and Daddy got most of the holiday stuff packed away (FINALLY).

Saturday morning, the girls were up EARLY in anticipation of snow play.  And PLAY in the SNOW we did!!!  We had great snow for sledding, and it's wasn't unbearably cold, either.

Snow Bunny B!

Snow Bunny A!

Wipe out hugs!

Getting ready!

Winter perfection!!!

Yep.  Best week ever.  We're loving it!!!

My Snowy Valentines

The girls have a book called Snowy Valentine.  How many times have I thought about that title over the past few days??!!!

We had an unexpected snow day last Tuesday.  It was a big, white, slushy mess outside…not enough for me to work from home, but plenty that school was cancelled.

The forecast called for more snow on Friday.  That was the day of the girls’ Valentine’s party at school, and we were all hoping the weatherman was wrong.

No such luck.

The girls were a little bit disappointed, but they took it mostly in stride.  They agreed they could wait until Monday to exchange goodies with their friends.

And then on Sunday -- Valentine's Day -- we had our MoMs group Valentine’s party scheduled.

Until…

…the forecast called for snow again.

We postponed the party on Sunday morning, seeing the snow would come to fruition.

My friend D, whose twin boys are the girls’ BFFs, asked if we wanted to come over for a play date.  We thought the snow would start mid-afternoon, so we planned to slip in some heart-shaped goodies and crafts, just the few of us.

The girls were ecstatic when I told them about the play date.  “That’s even better!” B exclaimed, so happy to see her friends two-on-two.

Until…

…the snow came in earlier than expected.

We cancelled our play date.

Seriously.  Our poor girls were 0-for-3 in Valentine’s parties.

While we may have lost out on our original (and then makeshift) plans, it was actually a huge blessing that the snow came early.  We headed out as a family for some awesome sledding!

The snow was powdery…not good for snowballs or snowmen…but deep enough that we had a blast!

After we established our run down the hill (and Mommy got in a couple of trips), I headed back to the house for my camera.  It was a Valentine’s Day to remember, for sure!

Trudging up the steep hill!

Daddy and his B!

Daddy and his A!

Thumbs up after a great run!

B, zooming fast!

B's thumbs up!

Such a satisfying afternoon!

The Snowy Valentine book will no doubt have more meaning for us when we read it in years to come.  L-O-V-E!!!

(The girls were out of school AGAIN on Monday, but headed back today for a belated party.  I was able to slip away from work and join them for a bit.  They were just as excited on Tuesday as they would have been on Friday…seeing their friends after a FOUR-day weekend AND extending their holiday celebration.  Woo hoo!)

What My Husband Said...

What my husband said this morning was one of the sweetest things he ever could have spoken.

Yesterday was a snow day.  I joked that my girls were fine with that, but my husband (a teacher) was the one doing the Happy Dance (yes, in caps) at our house.

I know they had a fun day together.  They did numbers...they tossed the ball in the basement...they went out to lunch...and B reported she read "A LOT".  Hubby said something about watching a soccer game, so I know he had some "quiet time" to himself.  And they generally hung out with the cats, and watched the cats watch the snow.

"These days are such a gift," Hubby reflected to me early this morning.  He said how the girls are at such a wonderful age...so much fun, so communicative...and he is so appreciative of having the extra time with them.  "I'd rather have a day today than have that day three months from now," he said.

Yep.  Three months from now, the girls will be three months older.  They'll have grown.  They'll be at least a little bit different than they are today.

How dear it was for me to hear my husband verbalize that sentiment.

Way Back When-esday: The Girls' First Snow Day

It's been a while since I gave a nod to the original blog throw-back (at least in my book)...sweet Cheryl's "Way Back When-esday" on Twinfatuation...

...but looking back to the girls' first time to play in the snow, contrasted to this week's jaunt, was the perfect prompt.

Oh, my...I almost can't even.  

My BABIES were just over two, which means this was FIVE YEARS AGO.

Gulp.

Seeing them with those little sand buckets and ears on their hoods...just divine.

I'd wager that we had even more fun these past few days, romping through the powder together, sledding super-fast, and wiping out in a big heap at the bottom of the hill...

...but these sweet pictures will always hold an incredibly sweet place in my heart!!!

THREE DAYS at Home

We had a colossal snow (12”, which is huge for these parts!) on Friday.  I worked from home that day, and we spent the weekend snowbound, as well.  That’s THREE days I’ve been HOME with the family.

I’m just coming off a lot of holiday vacation, so a three-day stretch away from work isn’t a shock to my system.  It’s not leaving HOME those three days that I realized is such a new (old) experience.

I truly can’t remember the last time I was HOME for three days.  I know I spent a lot of homebound stretches when the girls were younger.  (And when they were infants, there were many stretches longer than that when I didn’t even leave the house to go to the mailbox!)  Surely this can’t be right, but my best guess is that it probably dates back to PRESCHOOL, maybe THREE YEARS AGO, when I last enjoyed such a treat.

Actually, back in the infant and toddler days, I’m not sure I would always have characterized three days at home a “treat”.  But it sure did feel like one these last few days.

Certainly it wasn’t a “vacation”…especially since Hubby hasn’t felt 100%, I’ve cooked and cleaned and done laundry and organized.  I’ve not had much “prop up” time…even after the girls have gone to bed, I’ve been tooling around most evenings.

But…

I enjoyed cooking a nice breakfast for the family every day.  I made creative lunches and yummy suppers.  AND I made homemade dessert a couple of times, too!

I PLAYED with my babies.  We snuggled and read and played games and built creations.

I WORKED with my babies.  By this, I mean that we did things in the house together…I involved them in the organizing, just the way I like to.  We weren’t rushed to clean up in 30 minutes.  We took an entire morning to organize the books in the house.  And another morning we made a giant color-coded list of all our toys, games, and art supplies (something for them to refer to when they seem to get in a rut).  And we went through their closet to pull all the too-small spring/summer things to get ready for an upcoming consignment sale.

I COOKED with my babies…a little bit, anyway.  The girls were ecstatic to peel eggs and help me stuff them.  They stirred guacamole, and watched me chop veggies for soup.  These last couple of years, that seems like a luxury.  So often I’m cramming in cooking amid five other things, such that I don’t take the time to involve the girls.  I miss that.

And of course we PLAYED in the snow!!!  There’s something completely exhilarating about donning our snow gear and setting out to tromp, stomp, run, jump, and wallow in all that white powder. 

Day 1 I took a few pictures here and there.  Day 2, we went sledding as a family, no camera in tow.  I would have loved to have recorded our antics, but we were all so in-the-moment.  Day 3 the girls and I had a lot of sledding fun…by that time the snow was beginning to pack a little more, and it was FAST!!!  We all played hard, and then I came in for the camera for the last 20 minutes or so.  It was a perfect balance for me of fun and picture-taking.

Judging by lamentations on the computer, there are a lot of folks who are ready for this snow event to be over.  Sure, I’m looking forward to a nice lunch out and a trip to the grocery to replenish a couple of things…but it wouldn’t hurt my feelings to have another day or two at home.

And this experience reminds me what a blessing it is to BE home for a few days.  I just might have to schedule that again soon.

***savoring the little things...for they really are the big things...***

Snow Days and Balance

After a really warm fall, we’ve had some really wintry weather here this week.  We had about 3” of snow on Wednesday, and we’re experiencing near-blizzard conditions (at least for this part of the world!) today.

Hubby and the girls have only been in school one day this week.  Monday was the MLK holiday, and things have been shut down here with the weather since Wednesday.  Even Mommy enjoyed working from home on Wednesday, and I’m typing in my pj pants again this Friday morning.

I am so thankful for the gift of technology that allows me to work from home…but at the same time, it’s challenging to do so.

The girls want me to be hanging out with them full-time.  But I am trying to be respectful of the work-from-home privilege.  It’s an uncomfortable balance at times…I am on the computer, and they are begging me to play.

I managed the balance well enough on Wednesday until early afternoon.  Then I decided to call it off and have fun with my babies. 

Although the snow wasn’t deep, it was the perfect consistency for snowballs and sledding.  I only took a few pictures (relatively speaking) before sledding and afterwards…I was in the middle of the fun!  I will treasure seeing Hubby instructing the girls on the perfect snowball formation…and their intense giggles as they prepared to attack him many times over.

Sledding was a blast, as always.  The beautiful rolling hills of Kentucky make for a wonderful playground!

And it always cracks me up how our girls love to lie in the snow.  Sure, there are snow angels attempted…but there’s something about crawling and rolling in the snow that A&B find irresistible. 

First steps outside...first picture...right on their tummies!

Baby A likes to do forward-facing snow angels...HA!

My A!

My B, tired after sledding!

My favorite picture...they snuggled together without me asking.  <3 td="">

After our snow excursion, I treated everyone to homemade hot chocolate.  And then I made a big pot of split pea soup, a family favorite.  While I still got the “…but you didn’t play with us much today” before bedtime, I know we all had a great time frolicking in the snow.

I’ve been on the computer since early this morning, trying to knock out a few things.  I’m planning to have more balance today.  At least it’s Friday, so I can make up some additional time over the weekend.  It will be worth it to enjoy a rare Friday home and some PLAY with the girls.

My favorite place to be, between my girlies!

Snow Days are Hard

Until this school year, snow days were all fun and games for the girls and me.  It meant Daddy was home from school, somewhat unexpectedly, and we got to hang out as a family of four on a random weekday.  If there was enough snow, we’d play…but at the very least we had a fun time inside (and Mommy got a break from standard SAHM duties…I may have even gotten a nap!).

We’ve had quite a few snow days over the past three weeks, and things are different these days with the girls in school themselves and Mommy working.  In total, counting today, the girls have missed 7 days of school.  I’ve worked from home for three of those days, and then managed to make it into the office the balance.  That’s the tough part…the not-just-fun-and-games part…and I don’t love the way it makes me feel.

We’ve had plenty of notice for both recent snow storms, and I was able to pack files home to work on.  Snow days are “vacation days” for Daddy and the girls, but for me, they’re work days.  Granted, I get to conduct that work in my pajamas, but I still have work to do.

The excruciating part is that I feel like I spend so little time at home with the girls, and I miss our unstructured time so, so much.  When I am home on the weekends, I try to make that time just about what we want to do.  That’s not always easy, or possible…there are groceries to buy and laundry to do and meals to cook…but I try to harken back, as much as we can, to the 5 ½ years we spent hanging out, doing our own thing.

On snow days, how I would love to be hanging out in my pajamas all day with the girls…doing crafts, reading books, playing games, setting up some crazy pretend scenario.  Instead, though, for a large part of the day, anyway, I am holed up in my office, trying to respect the privilege of working from home.  The girls are respectful, for the most part, but they keep asking, “When are you going to be done?”  “Mommy, can you please come play with us?”  “I thought you said we could play XYZ???”

Yesterday I got up early to get some work stuff done before the day started.  I worked until lunch, and then I worked during “quiet time”.  I did call it for the day (at least until after bedtime) around 2:30.  At that point, our *FUN* started for the snow day.

Baby A's static-crazy hair as she crawled out from the "tent" she made during quiet time.

And we did manage to have quite a bit of fun…the four of us had a fantastic time sledding and throwing snowballs!!!  The snow had a little more moisture to it, instead of the total powder we had two weeks ago, so it was great fun.  And after we were totally exhausted from playing outside, I made homemade hot chocolate when we came in.  And then the girls got a bubble bath.  They watched a little bit of TV with Daddy (while Mommy might have rested her eyes for a few minutes), and then it was time for supper and bed.

The tracks we made in the snow, taken at sunset (through the window).

Certainly the day was not a bust.  We had some great fun together, and I got most of my work done, too.  It’s just hard when I am trying so hard to separate Work Time from Family Time, 99% of the time, to have to combine the two on what feels like it should be a pure day of Family Fun Time.

I’m hoping my girls remember snow days as fun…and not as days they were begging Mommy to pay attention to them.

Happy Birthday to Me!!!

I had a fantastic birthday weekend last weekend!!!

Saturday morning was blissful.  We didn't have anywhere to be!  I made one of the girls' favorite breakfasts, French toast with homemade strawberry syrup, and then we hung out and played.  No agenda.  Yippee!!!

The girls were so excited to give me my birthday present.  Hubby told me they spied it weeks ago -- a Starbucks gift card (at the grocery store, I think) -- and insisted they get it for me.  Hee hee!!!  It was wrapped in a homemade card, made with so much love.  And to top it off, B, in particular, kept drawing pictures of Starbucks mugs all day.  Cracked me up!!!

We had an easy, slightly early lunch, and then I headed out for a MASSAGE.  That was blissful, in an entirely different way, of course.  :)  Before heading home, I stopped by Starbucks to treat myself to a coffee, and I picked up cake pops for the girls.  They were thrilled with the treat!

Given all the snow we *still* had on the ground, plus the 2-3" of rain we were getting, I hadn't thought much about going out for my birthday dinner.  Hubby suggested we give it a go, though.  That was a nice surprise in itself, not to have planned all day for something, but to feel the decision on a whim.

The girls were tickled to hear we were going out to 440, one of our favorite restaurants, but one we rarely visit.  Baby B wanted to wear a dress, and Baby A said, "Do I have to???"  HA!  Before we left for supper, the girls granted me a birthday favor...a picture with Mommy.  B can hardly stand the flash, so, after several eyes-closed shots, I told her to give Mommy a kiss.  I am pretty happy with the way this turned out.  LOVE.

The girls did such an amazing job at supper.  The restaurant isn't 5-star, but it's definitely the fanciest in town.  The girls sat like little ladies, with their napkins in their laps, and they drank from their stemmed water glasses.  They were tickled to order calamari for an appetizer.  I even convinced A to order, "We'd like to start with some calamari, please."  Hee hee!  The girls helped me with my salad, and then their shared the crab cake plate with pan-seared Brussels sprouts...right up their alley.

My dinner was delicious -- the first steak I've had in years, I think -- but it was equally such a pleasure to see my girls enjoying their experience.

On Sunday morning we went out to breakfast, ran a couple of quick grocery-related errands, and then came home to play in the SNOW one more time.  The rain the day before had packed the deep powder, and it was finally perfect for a snowman!

The girls worked really hard, helping [mostly Daddy] roll the big balls of snow, and then they packed on additional snow to make him nice and tight.  They were incredulous when I went inside to get "a real scarf!!!" for him.  HA!  I got a carrot for the nose, and prunes for the eyes.  They were all too giddy to pose with him.  Seriously!

We had a blast sledding -- our fastest times of this snowfall! -- on a different stretch of hill behind our house.  I wish I could bottle A's, "That was AWESOME!" at the bottom of her run, and B's infectious giggle as she wiped out and rolled, head over heels, a couple of times.  Even Daddy got in on the sledding action.  

And our new ski gloves (in addition to the girls' snow bibs and slow boots), which arrived just the day prior, were put to great use in allowing us to play and play and play.

The rest of Sunday was filled with warm stuff inside (including an only-semi-interrupted nap for Mommy!), and I made a delicious dinner of pork loin, mashed potatoes, white asparagus, and roasted mushrooms.  YUM!!!

This was truly a weekend for the memory books.  We had a great time in so many ways!  Happy Birthday to me, for sure!!!

I Didn't Have My Camera...

We had such great fun in the snow this afternoon, but alas, I didn’t have my camera.  I missed so much!

…the way the late afternoon sun glistened off the immense blanket of snow…

…the way Baby A looked, running toward me, kicking up snow as she went…

…the look in A’s eyes as we found an excellent spot for sledding…

…the signature raspy laugh of Baby A as she SAILED down the big hill…

…the wipeout A took at the bottom of the hill…and then hopped up for more…

…the surfer-girl, “That was AWESOME!!!” commentary from A after her first big run…

(And once Daddy and B joined us…)

…the way B dressed herself, tying her scarf just perfectly…

…how B trudged through the snow – an uncharted path – with such determination…

…how B wanted SO badly to sled by herself, but she tried to start long before she got to the top of the hill…

…the way Daddy said, “I’ll make a new path!” and scooted himself along on one of the sleds…

…the way he lay on his back on the sled and eventually gathered some speed, much to the girls’ delight…

…the way Daddy was impressed that A was like a slalom sledder, going down the hill…

…the way we all trudged back to the house…cold, tired, and elated.

Yes, I missed capturing all these things.

But I was fully present, neither hand tethered to my camera, having the time of my life with my baby girls and their daddy.

Committing this to memory, I am.

(This picture was taken yesterday, when I did grab my camera a couple of times...this was after traipsing through the snow for a while...LOVE!!!)

The Perfect Snowy Day. Seriously.

On Saturday morning, we woke up to a good 2" of snow.  We've had fun in the snow before, but this was absolutely, positively The Most Perfect Snowy Day.  Ever.

We enjoyed a warm breakfast with scrambled eggs and cheese, and then we promptly began to bundle up to head outside.  I invested in snow bibs for the girls back in the fall...we were so excited to break them in!

We got outside around 8:30.  The sun was shining brightly, and it really wasn't very cold.  Baby A made a beeline for the front yard and started making snow angels.

Baby B quickly followed suit.

After a few angels, Baby A wanted to RUN!!!

Baby B ran a little, but stopped to appreciate the angel she made.

After RUNNING, Baby A decided to try out forward-facing snow angels.  It didn't make a very pretty outline...but it sure made a pretty picture!!!

At one point (looking for a cute picture, I was), I encouraged the girls to taste some snow.  Baby A wasn't a fan...

...and neither was Baby B, but her distaste was short-lived.  "It's just frozen water," she said.

And then Baby A decided to try an army crawl.  HA!

The girls asked me to get out their "snow castle" gear.  I suggested we build in back of the house, where we don't get so much sun, hoping their village would last longer.  They packed a few buckets to make a small city.  Baby A started talking about the break in the sidewalk being an interstate.  HA!

[A couple of times, Baby A said, "Is this picture time or play time?"  Hahaha!  I played far more than I took pictures...but I had to capture some things on film, too!]

The girls had been dying to go sledding since they saw the first glimpse of snow.  Over breakfast, we watched some of the neighbor kids attempt to sled, but there didn't seem to be enough snow.  I originally told the girls we'd just have to enjoy playing in the snow...but I finally decided to let them give it a try.  I'm so glad I did!

The first few trips down the hill were not exactly smooth.  I scooted the girls down most of the way, and they'd slide a foot or so before having to inch along.  Eventually, though, the snow became packed.  As long as we stuck to our "trail", we flew!

Baby B was WHIZZING here!

And I can't get over how "professional" she looks, holding her board.  Who says a girl from Alabama (at least at heart) can't compete in the Winter Games???

I was really lucky that some of the neighbor kids had abandoned their sleds by the hill we like.  After seeing the girls having so much fun, I borrowed one of their sleds and joined in the fun.  It was exhilarating!!!

The girls had snow bibs, but they had on their regular Ugg-style boots.  I knew my feet were feeling pretty chilly, so I thought it was probably time to head inside.  I asked Baby A at one point how her feet were.  "Oh, they're fine.  I can't even feel them."  Yikes!!!

Here are the girls, wiped out at the bottom of the hill.  What fun we had!!!

After an incredible morning, the snow melted by mid-afternoon.  That's my kind of snow...loads of fun, but none of the stuck-in-the-house to go along with it.

I never want to forget this day...hearing Baby A's raspy laugh as she gathered speed down the hill, and Baby B's notorious giggle as she did the same...sledding down with the girls (one at a time), and wiping out together, doing an extra roll or two in the snow and snuggling up tight...and Baby A's characterization, after homemade hot chocolate inside, "This was the best morning ever, Mommy."

The Perfect Snowy Day

(That’s the closing line to one of our favorite Curious George stories…where he has lots of snowy fun, and comes home to a big mug of hot chocolate and a cozy blanket on the couch.  It always makes me sigh contentedly to read that last line.)

A couple of weeks ago, we finally had quite a bit of winter accumulation, although it wasn’t your standard variety snow.  Instead, we got about three inches of frozen sleet = ICE, and then a couple of inches of silky, powdery snow on top of that.

The girls and I went out to play in it on Day 1, Monday, after it fell Sunday night.  The girls had fun with their sand pails and shovels, although it was an odd sensation, scooping up just the top layer of snow, as the ice underneath was packed tight.  

I reeeeally wanted to sled, like the neighborhood kids, but – alas – our sleds were still at the old house.  I asked Daddy to get us a lid from a plastic storage bin, hoping that might do the trick…but it definitely did not work well.  Still I got a handful of super-cute pictures of us trying to sled.

Trying...and giggling!

She decided to lie down on the "sled"...she wasn't going anywhere, but she was cute!

All in all, it was a fun adventure, although it didn’t turn out quite as I had hoped.

Tuesday and Wednesday went by with us holed up warm and dry in the house.  By Thursday, temperatures warmed above freezing, and the glorious sun came out.  FINALLY we felt safe to attempt a trip to town.

We enjoyed a wonderful family lunch at the Thai restaurant, and we were far too excited about going grocery shopping to restock on fresh fruit.  Afterwards, Daddy suggested we run by the old house to pick up our sleds, thinking we might still have some sledding time to log.

And was that the best idea ever?!!!

Temperatures were relatively decent, and the top layer of snow wasn’t quite as powdery as it had been.  I simultaneously put away groceries while getting the girls dressed for the snow.  In the meantime, Hubby scouted out the best hills behind our house.

Daddy did the first trial run, followed by Mommy, and then the girls were OFF!

Ultimately, Daddy positioned himself at the bottom of the hill (as there are large rocks covering a drainage area).  My job was to get kiddos situated on sleds at the top of the hill, and give them a swift push.

The girls didn’t have a moment of hesitation at flying down the slick, steep hill.  In fact, they were GIDDY!  And so were WE!  It was SO much fun to watch our girlies have SO MUCH FUN!  They squealed all the way down every hill, and then huffed and puffed to climb up the hill to do it all again.  Well…Baby B didn’t always make it up the hill.  Many times she got halfway up, sat down again on her sled, and squealed for the shortened ride to the bottom.  Hee hee!

(And one of my favorite memories will be how much fun Hubby had.  He gushed for days about how much joy he got from seeing the girls sled.)

I took video of sledding, so this is one of the only pictures I have from the day.  You can see how invigorated Hubby is!

After an hour or so of bliss, we were all soaked.  I took the girls in to change, and sent them back out to make a snowman with Daddy.  Unfortunately, the snow wasn’t the right texture, so that little adventure will have to wait for next time.

We came in to enjoy mugs of steaming homemade hot chocolate, followed by a bubble bath.

While our day didn’t exactly mirror Curious George’s, it was definitely the perfect snowy day in my book.

Our Annual Snow Pictures!

We had the most beautiful snow about three years ago, when the girls were just more than two.  It was about 5" deep, and perfect for playing.

With the girls being so little, though, we didn't spend too much time outside.  In particular, I was afraid for their hands.  We only had fleece mittens, and I knew those would soak through very quickly.

Still, I managed to take some of my very favorite pictures.

Each year since, I've been focused on taking more snow pictures.  We've had snow (and/or ice) each year, but it hasn't been that beautiful powder that's perfect for play.

Last year, I finally took the girls outside for our last snow, on March 1.  It barely covered the ground, but we still had fun with our white backdrop.

This weekend, we had a gorgeous snowfall, albeit a small one.  There was barely more than a dusting on the grass, but we had close to 2" on our driveway.  The girls were thrilled to finally get to play...and to wear the ski gloves I bought them a couple of years ago.  And you'd better believe I took plenty of snow pictures.

B was proud of her "snowball"!

B, triumphantly tossing up snow.

A, tossing up snow...although she did NOT like when it came down in her face!

There was a whole lot of tromping and scooping going on!

I asked the girls if they wanted to build a snowman, and they were thrilled at the prospect.  The snow was incredibly powdery, though, so it really wasn't conducive to anything more than a snowman head.  Hee hee!  The girls didn't mind a bit, though!

Here's A, starting to craft her "snowman".

And here he is, complete with a baby carrot for a nose and raisins for his eyes and mouth.

I called for Daddy to come join us for a few minutes.  He didn't venture beyond the garage, but he did grab the camera long enough to snap a picture of the three of us.

Oh, how this mommy loves her little snowbabies!!!