The Snowy Snowy Mountains

Last weekend we took our first family trip to the snow.  We have wanted to take the kids to the snow for a couple of years, but the winters past have been fraught with ear infections and respiratory illnesses and I was afraid the altitude and cold would only make things worse.  This month everyone seemed well, so up the mountain we went.  

The kids were beside themselves with excitement.  William asked every day for a week, "Is today the day we are going to the snowy, snowy mountain?"  I don't know where he got the snowy snowy mountain thing.  Aaron suspects Dora.  It sounds like something she would say.  It stuck though, and that is now the official name of any mountain with snow. And there was a lot of snow on those mountains.  We missed the snow actually falling on us, but we got all the lovely leftovers.  

James was sure we'd be staying in a log cabin.  We were, and on Holiday lane, no less.  It was a sign of good times ahead.  
William's first glimpse of the snow was priceless.  There he stood, all bundled up like the kid on A Christmas Story, marveling at the snow.  Once he got down in it, the reality set in: he could hardly move in his snow suit, we had to take those gloves off so he could use his hands, it took him a while to figure out how to walk in the deep snow without losing his boots, but eventually, he loved it as much as he did that first moment.

Sledding was the first order of business.  James got right to it.  There was a perfect sledding hill right outside our front door and he knew just what to do.  Next year he wants to sled on a bigger hill, but he managed to have a lot of fun on this one.

 

Lilly even got in on the sledding action.  We sent her down in this pink saucer.  She was amazing.  Actually, this was a good place to deposit her without sitting her directly on the snow.  She couldn't crawl in her blue Teletubby suit and that pretty much irritated her, so she didn't last too long in the pink saucer or the snow.  She will like it more next year.  This time it was all about the brothers.

At first, William just wanted to be towed around the snow like on the boogie board at the beach.  But after watching James head down the sledding hill, he gave it a try and decided it was pretty fun.

Lilly got some Mommy and Daddy time since she tired of sitting still on the saucer like some kind of non-crawling 6 month old.  Aaron let her try eating the snow.  She liked it of course.

Obligatory family shot.  I need to crop it, but who has time for that?  It is a miracle I am getting these things posted at all.

William trying to walk in the snow without losing a boot caused him some difficulties.  The snow was really deep.  I sank right in to my knees.  Watching my kids in the snow made me think of kids who have never been to the beach before.  The waves scare them.  They don't like getting sandy.  They are as white as, freshly fallen snow (ha!).  My kids have the beach thing down.  We are working on this snow thing.

The boys had a blast playing together.  And I mean the big and little boys.  It was bliss for James and Noah to spend a whole weekend together.  William and Natalie loved being with each other too.  They are good at making mischief together.  One of the funniest moments of the weekend was when I asked William if he needed his nose wiped and he replied, "no, Natalie's got it."  And there she was, wiping his nose for him.  Ahh, young love.

William loved the snowball fights.  His favorite part was throwing snowballs at Uncle Greg's head.  What a sweet kid I've got.  James liked them too, until Daddy threw one in his face. Strangely, he wasn't too fond of that.  Who does Aaron think he is?  My Dad?  

On Sunday afternoon, we took a walk.  It started to rain, so we packed up to leave.  James shed many tears as we drove away from the cabin.  He always has a hard time saying goodbye to anything.  It was a great weekend, so we promised we'd come again.  I think the snowy snowy mountain is going to be a yearly destination.