SNOW

We had the first snowfall of the season - not a lot, but enough for the kids to get a taste of what snow is all about.  Deklan and I explored the front yard while Maksim was at school.  Maks' entire classroom went exploring in the snow-covered woods as well.  (His school has it's own apple orchard and adjoining woods that they regularly walk through.  When he's in Upper Elementary, they'll harvest the apples, make cider and then sell it for profit!)  He was fully decked out in boots, coat, snow pants, mittens and hat when I arrived at the pickup line.  Oh, and he was eating snow.

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

Maksim and Deklan were quick to understand the rules (or lack thereof) for snow fights.

Brotherly love:

Littlest man holding his own:

Kira jumped in on the action, too!  Here's her very first EVER snow experience:

A quick slide down the wooded ravine (against the rules!) by two sneaky boys while I helped the neighbor whose dog got loose, and playtime was OVER!  Apparently Maks had said, "Come down the hill with me, Dek!"  And that's all it took.  

Remember, I'm on crutches for 2 months post surgery.  Maks was able to climb back up the hill on his own, but Deklan was stuck.  In hindsight, it was so very foolish to have them out there.  But seriously, we have an entire front yard to play in - which is where they were supposed to stay!  I actually tried to pull Deklan up the hill with a rope, but he couldn't figure out how to hold on tightly.  He finally gave up, let his little body slide even farther down the hill and said, "You have to come and get me, Mama.  You HAVE to!!!!"  And I did have to.  I crossed my fingers that my boots didn't slip and that my hips didn't rotate (no internal rotation, external rotation, full weight bearing or bending past 90 degrees allowed).  Thankfully, Deklan was only about 10' down the ravine and I reached him on the first try - without slipping (but with some explicit language).  Our snow adventures without Daddy have now concluded.

Leave it to Bryon to show up after work a few days later with a sled for the kids!  Maksim exclaimed, "I knew you would get one!  This totally rocks!"  The language he picks up from the kids at school is cracking us up!  Bryon's back was towards me when this happened, but I can only imagine the gigantic smile that beamed across his face in response.  Now to wait for a real snowstorm...