Snow Fun

Finally a weekend with some snow!!! We got about 5" on Thursday night and it has been soooo cold lately! Craig said it wouldn't be good packing snow for snowmen and he was right. Too cold and not moist enough. But we found some other things to do with the white stuff.

On Saturday morning while Sophie was taking her first nap, Will and I went out to play. As we were getting dressed, I told him we should look for some animal tracks in the snow. (I had an idea of leaving out a cookie sheet the night before dusted with cornmeal and a little peanut butter so we could really attract some animal tracks... but Craig veto'ed that plan.) So we talked about what sort of animal tracks we might see. Will's first thoughts were an elephant and a lion. I said that wasn't likely, but that perhaps we would see some raccoon tracks... or dog or rabbit or deer or maybe even a coyote. So off we went and I first showed him what our footprints looked like. Here he's comparing his own to mine and Brutus's.

So he hopped in the sled and I pulled him all around our one acre yard to the edges of the field and back by the burn pile where I thought for sure we'd see some tracks.

It wasn't till we came up the side yard to one of the trees in front that we discovered our first set of foreign tracks: a deer! (I think?... Do deer walk in single file? Anyway, if I'm wrong, he's too young to care. And more importantly, he was just excited at the prospect of any animal walking in our yard. I could have told him it was a cheetah and he would have been no more excited.) So we talked about what that deer might have been doing. Was he looking for food? Was he walking or running? Could Will walk in single file like that?



Also the night before, we'd seen a TON of snowmobilers going by and he thought that was cool. So I showed him the snowmobile tracks and we walked along side the field in the tracks for awhile. That's our house in the background.

After that, every animal track we saw belonged to Brutus, but Will still said "Look it's a coyote track!" Or "Look it's a raccoon track!" LOL

Following our tracking adventure, we attempted a few snow balls.

But then hunted around for the perfect sticks to draw in the snow.



After a failed attempt at packing the snow into any sort of ball, we resorted to drawing snow shapes...


...and snow feelings...



...and of course, snowmen...


Then we played snow hopscotch and jumped from one circle to the next.

I showed him how to do it first. But this is what he came up with to mimic me: he'd walk up to each circle, jump up with both feet, then lift one leg out to the side after he landed. LOL So even though this may LOOK correct... it was much funnier to watch in person.

Here is a mid-air pic:


Then Will took his stick and cleaned off the pine tree branches 'cause they were "dirty".



And, confusing seasons, we brought out a beach ball.

Here he is hiking through a drift by our deck that came up past his knees. Good thing he found the big hiking stick!



And he never let go of that pine cone either. :)




Then, pink-cheeked and tired, we came in for lunch and nap.


On Sunday morning (again while Sophie was napping), Craig took Will over to Big Papa & Grandma's house to go sledding! They have the perfect Will-sized hill behind their pond and there would be no bigger kids hogging the hill and pushing him around. Before leaving, Will was pretty adament that he did not want to sled. But we told him he could just watch Craig sled and he could visit with his grandparents... Turns out he LOVED it!

First, Craig and Will went down together.




And this is how the trip back up the hill looked :)

Next, they got out the little saucer and Will went down alone. Aunt Kelly and Big Papa are at the top to help him get going.



And he's off!


Even with his "scarf" on, you can SEE the smile in his eyes.



He LOVED it!


So cute.


And, once again, Craig carried him back up the hill each time. Will would say "Again daddy! Again!"







Craig was sweating and tired towards the end of it... and resorted to pulling him back up the hill. LOL





Good times. Good times. And what a difference from last year when our sensory-sensitive, little boy was revolted by the cold, white snow.