Snow much fun

This winter, Elliana hasn't shown much interest in playing in the snow. "Mommy, too cold outside. Ana play inside," is normally her reaction when I ask her if she wants to play in the snow. So, you can imagine my surprise when upon seeing the fresh layer of snow on the ground this morning, Elliana ASKED to go outside and play.

"No coat Mommy. No gloves." I explained that to go outside both were required. She still seemed interested, so I quickly jumped on the opportunity before she changed her mind (as toddlers often do.) Elliana quickly asked to wear her "pretty dress outside" and lucky for me, she thought her snowsuit was a pretty dress. So, we were on our way to the world of outdoor play.

Before heading outside, Elliana mentioned Frosty and all of a sudden I realized her fascination with going outside this time. Over the Christmas season, Elliana had her first encounter with the classic children's cartoon "Frosty the snowman." And thus, her interest in playing in the snow was reignited.

We ran around the house, all bundled in our snow gear, gathering accessories to build our very own Frosty. Elliana insisted on a black hat for Frosty but settled for Daddy's Bengals hat which was the only black hat we could find. We grabbed a box of raisins for the face and eyes (as they HAD to be black) and outside we went.

It turned out that the light fluffy snow that was continuing to fall was not sufficient to build a Frosty of our own, but it didn't stop us from trying. Elliana helped me gather the snow into a pile and announced "Snowman not working Mommy." So, she decided to jump in the pile instead.

After failing to construct Frosty, we ventured to the front yard where I attempted to shovel part of the driveway. Elliana wanted to be buried and stood perfectly still while the shoveled snow piled up around her. Although she looks like a frozen popsicle in the picture, she did assure me she had a good time. And sometimes, making the most of these wintry days is what it is all about.