Playing In The Snow

If you've been following my snow saga over on my other blog you'll know that we were anticipated to receive a few inches, but mostly got rain.  And it made me sad.

I love the snow.  A lot.

It's hard, though, as a parent to revel too much in the crappy, sloppy mess.  And then there's the whole drama of getting little ones bundled up, to rush outside, only to have them fall down, cry and want to come back in.

And then there's the issue of living in St. Louis.  Have I ever bitched about St. Louis weather before?  No?  Then you haven't been paying attention.  Winter here is cold.  Bitter, ass biting cold (and in six months I will be whining about the dismal, tropic conditions of the impossible summers here - one or the other, folks!)

This means our children own heavy duty winter coats and have a sled buried somewhere in the garage.  And they know that sled exists.  And when snow is predicted they first think of having school called off and then think about that sled.  Nevermind that perfect sledding hills are not abounding on every street corner, that many children have to be driven to such locations and driving conditions in this stupid town are usually unbearable after the drop of the first flake.  Nope, kids are focused on winter fun...

...until they step outside, fall down, find insufficient snow to properly sled, and realize it's really assbiting cold.

And around here, we don't usually get but one, possibly two, storms with any accumulations.  Usually, it's a meager dusting.  If the ground is frozen enough, kids still manage to slide down the hills.

Soon the best part of snow days is getting back inside the house to cups of mouth scalding hot cocoa.  Hey, have you ever made hot cocoa with something other than from packets and hot water?  If you have baking cocoa, read the directions on the box to make it with hot milk.  OMG, totally fabulous.  The stuff you use water with will always taste like... well, something made with a packet of stuff and water.

Between the lack of real snow, the kids fussing, driving conditions, the cold, and a burnt mouth, I'm forced to remember the fun of snow of my childhood in Oregon.