"Snow provokes responses that reach right back to childhood."
-Andy Goldsworthy
We knew there would be a chance for snow this week. We did not expect 6 inches of the stuff in our backyard. So once again the city shut down, and we used the opportunity to do something that kids rarely get a chance to do in Texas: we made snowmen. Three snowmen in fact, one for each kid. It was a lot of fun, for the kids and parents both.
James did not stick around for the group photo; he got back inside with a fire and animal crackers.
If you’re like me, playing in the snow makes you want to jump in some water. Luckily we had signed the kids up for swimming lessons to get ready for summer. We didn’t like the old school much so we switched to a new one. They both did really well. Ashlyn jumped right in with the class and was swimming back and forth under the water within 15 minutes of getting wet. James and I splashed around a bit in his class and he had a good time with it; that’s enough for a first lesson.
The kids are at the age where board games are becoming a feasible part of a cold afternoon. James is still a bit impatient and doesn’t have the willpower to make it through two games in a row, but we did have some fun family time in short bursts.
I’ll finish with something that’s actually pretty special, although it might not seem it at face value. For Mom and Ashlyn, Friday night was a girls night out to AT&T stadium to watch the Nastia Liukin cup. Ashlyn came back really excited about what she saw. She couldn’t stop talking about her favorite gymnast (who was pretty, really good, and just “amazing”). The night was special because it wasn’t Mom taking Ashlyn somewhere, it was the two of them enjoying the evening together in a shared interest. It was the first time for them, and it’s my sincerest hope and belief that it’s the first of many.
