ssssnow!

For months now, Anna has been asking me to tell her stories about snow. Stories about when I played in the snow when I was a little girl as well as make-believe stories about Anna playing in the snow. She would get so excited at the thought of this. So it broke my heart a little every time I sketched out the details of how one day we would look out the window and I'd say, "Anna!! It's snowing!!" and we'd make a mad dash for the front door because it's been so long since we've had a good snow here in Georgia and I was beginning to think maybe it wouldn't even snow a little bit this year. But today, as we were playing on the couch, I heard the sounds of out-of-control kids on a schoolbus outside and I pulled back the curtain to see...snow! It felt just as good as I'd imagined it, that moment of exclaiming, "Anna! It's snowing!!" I was a little afraid that it would only last a minute and that by the time we got bundled up it would be over. But after throwing on a jacket (a very light jacket) and a hat, and having a quick talk about how even though we'd always imagined that we'd wear boots in the snow, one pair was too small and the other too big the black shoes would have to do, we ran outside, leaving poor Eli on the floor.

It was classic. Neighbors began appearing on their porches; small children came out obviously bundled in a hurry in their mothers' scarves. There was a little bit of standing still to catch snowflakes and a lot of running about, not knowing quite how to best enjoy it. The snow got heavier and the flakes got bigger. We made multiple trips back and forth for various cameras and camera batteries. And hats. I noted maybe four hat changes over the course of 30 minutes. Most of this was due to my not having a hat that fits Anna (oops) and therefore having to put my own hats on her, none of which stayed on very well. But I think maybe she takes after her mom a little and sometimes can't decide which winter hat is more fun to wear.

And poor Eli. When he wasn't being left on the living room floor, he was being hurriedly dressed in bulky winter garments. He looked stunned the entire time we were outside. His poor pajama-clad legs were probably freezing. I just liked seeing his teeny hands in a pair of red mittens. He was happy to finally watch from inside.

After a while, Anna wanted to come inside. We inivited some neighbors in and Anna immediately took off her skirt and tights. Wha...? When asked about this, she replied, "Me warm my feet by the fire." We didn't have a fire, though. I suppose that must have been part of the story we'd made up about playing in the snow. And it also included hot chocolate of course. So not too much later, she was snug in front of a fire, rocking in her bear chair with a cup of hot chocolate and marshmallows in hand.

I think the snow experience may have acutally lived up to her expectations.

With the exception of the part where I gave her a sharp warning about the dangers of fire and she began to sob.

The rest of the evening was cozy and I couldn't have been more grateful that I got to enjoy snow with a three year old. As I went through the regular tasks of making dinner, changing Eli, etc., it was pleasing to see little reminders of the snowy day: wet shoes on the floor, mittens and scarves strewn about, and various winter accessories spilling out of the hallway dresser drawer.

And now it's time to pick up all the things that were left on the rug by the fire. A hot chocolate mug, a skirt, a pair of stockings full of building blocks..."I'm Santa Claus," Anna had explained to me earlier as she dropped in block after block.

What a wonderful day.

huh?

i just posted a new entry but it's hiding beneath a post from january 10th. ??? pesky computers.

so while i'm here, i'll show off my new shoes. oh how i love new shoes. especially when they fit my goofy feet. (don't mind the winter sock-lines that adorn my winter feet.)

forgot

i meant to post a picture of the gift i made for amy. so here it is. i've made a few of these so far. maybe after about 13 more, they'll be a bit more tidy and less organic.

if you like it, let them know

mmmmm. we received another loaf of amish friendship bread from bay today ('bay' being anna's word for matt's mom, otherwise known as 'gram'). it's a pretty coveted food item around here. once we raved about how yummy it was, we began receiving a loaf almost each week. if you've made bread from a starter before, you know that it can be a slow, never-ending endeavor...squishing bags on one day, stirring with a wooden spoon the next. and a cycle that is almost addictive. it invades your kitchen like moths in a pantry, but you're never quite sure when to let go. all in all, i think i've figured out the best way to go about it: have someone else do all the squishing and stirring and then deliver you a fresh loaf once a week and skip all the daily steps towards multiplying your own starters.

today's loaf reminded me of the benefits of letting someone know how much you like something.

speaking of, my aunt gave me this book for Christmas. i hope to have something to show from it soon. there's a birthday coming up for a soon-to-be four year old and i'm anxiously awaiting the reply from her mother as to whether or not little stella owns an apron. if not, i think i may have an idea.

i've tried everything

and i can't get my new header to load! now that i see it here, i realize that the typeface doesn't work, so it still needs some fiddling with. and this one was just supposed to be a quick temporary place-holder until i sorted out the header i've had in my mind for a while now. but instead of me throwing something together one evening to make my blog a little less boring, it's turned into this ongoing battle between my computer and i which i am determined to win. sir chalk vs. blogger. check back for results.

another view of yesterday

this is one of the few shots i got with both our heads making it into the frame. **note to self: use something other than a 50mm lens for these sorts of shots.

if you have to lie on ice

i've begun about five posts lately--uploaded pictures and everything. but there's a lot of incompletion (probably not good grammar but it just feels right) going around these days due to some ongoing back troubles that are making me feel quite helpless and a little blue. but 70 degree weather can really lift my spirits, especially in january.

after a nice break while my mom visited this morning, it was back to figuring out how to entertain eli while also taking care of my back. so i gathered up a quilt, my ice pack, a chewable toy, and a five month old and headed to the back yard. one more trip inside to grab the camera and we were all set. i laid back and watched the clouds while eli tumbled about beside me. it reminded me of my first outing to the park with anna once she was old enough to play around on a blanket. i felt so so happy to just be quietly enjoying eli's company and feeling so relaxed at the same time.

we have a new camera and i'm trying to learn how to make the most of it. today was a good day for that but mostly, i just felt like getting a few pictures to help me remember our nice time together. he was so happy as i held him in the air above me, but it was terribly hard to get a picture of him, while supporting him in the air. i tried balancing him on my legs with one hand (and managed to get the shot above) but it did feel a bit risky (and not the least bit helpful on my aching shoulder!).

it's time for bed. and more ice. and hopefully a few more shortish posts soon.