Snow Day?

What is it about snow?  When I was in California on Saturday, my Facebook feed filled up with posts about the snow in Seattle and I’ve got to admit that my first thought was, Eh?  Really?  Are we THAT excited about the snow?  I mean, snow makes it hard to drive, it’s SO cold, and what if my flight is delayed?   We get snow every year and Seattle goes a little nuts every time.

As I was flying home on Sunday we were up above a cloud cover, bathed in sunlight, when the captain said we were beginning our descent.  I watched (seriously!  I did!) as we slowly lowered through the clouds and I drew in my breath when I saw all the snow.  What a sight!   I was suddenly so glad that I had made it home in time to enjoy the day with my fam.

I think I had been remembering with sour grapes the years past when snow meant that I would be cooped up for days on end with two toddlers.  Back when snow meant 45 minutes of huffing and puffing and shoving the boys into snow pants and coats and mittens and hats and boots and jackets only for them to enjoy tolerate the snow for about ten minutes before one of them had to pee and the other one was cold.  But that was so two years ago.  This year it only took me Jason 30 minutes to pile on all the gear and we were able to play outdoors all morning.  Not a bad trade off.

I also like how snow makes three things happen…

1. It makes things quiet.  We Seattle-ites like to shut down when we get even the slightest sprinkling of snow.  And true to form, the roads were almost entirely empty.  The only sounds were the crunch-crunch-crunch of boots stomping in the snow and the gaiety of sled runs and snowball fights.
2. It brings people outside and lowers barriers.  It felt like the whole neighborhood was out by the pond on Sunday.  We talked with other parents while we all watched our kids fly down the sloping hillside.  We shared sleds and threw snowballs with folks with whom we would normally exchange just a murmured hello as we cross paths on the way to the mailbox.  I even saw our oh-so-serious neighbor, Justin, throw a snow ball.  Wonders never cease.
3. It makes things pretty.  Everything looks good with snow on it.  Got an ugly house?  Put some snow on it.  Unsightly trash can?  Put some snow on it.  We went to an empty lot late in the afternoon to throw the ball to Mr. Bates.  We’ve never set foot there before because it’s a brambly brown eye-sore.  Put some snow on it, though, and it’s transformed in a magical winter wonderland.  The boys and Mr. Bates frolicked and we walked the long way home across a white blanket that’s usually snuff-colored and slick with mud.

The snow is gone now and we’ve got a week of rain ahead of us.  It sure was fun while it lasted, though.   I’m guess I’m finally starting to see what the fuss is all about.  So long as Jason keeps wrangling the boys into those clothes, I’m all in.