Do You Wanna Build a Snowman?

We received the perfect snow for sledding and snowman building a day ago, so what did we do?  We went sledding and built a snowman!  I'm so happy that we were able to go sledding once this Winter season.  I was beginning to wonder if our sled was going to hang in our garage for another year!

Kate, Maya, and I bundled up and went back to the hill that we had so much fun sledding on the last time we went sledding.  Kate was two and quarter, and I was four-ish months pregnant with Maya.

There were lots of kids there and we had a blast.  I totally got my workout in, carrying Maya and pulling Kate while walking up hill in the snow several times over.  At one point, there was a nice woman who spouted off all of her child-rearing credentials who held Maya while I took Kate up for a couple of rounds.  I would have never passed my first baby off to a stranger to hold, but, surprisingly, I have done this more than once with Maya.  I always end up feeling really bad though, so after going down the hill twice with Kate, we scooped Maya back up in our arms and put her on the sled with us for the rest of our sledding.  #thatswhereshessupposedtobe  #backinmamasarms

Bundled and ready to go sledding!

Maya's not entirely sure what to think of this whole
sledding thing.

Kate actually went down the hill several times by herself...

This HUGE hill!  See her up there in the pink?!
Yeah, no fear.

I'm pretty sure right after I snapped this photo she
turned around and asked me to pull her.

Sledding selfie!

Right as we were leaving Kate noticed a group of three girls building a snowman and was so curious!  She wanted to help build a snowman too, so after we talked about going over and asking if she could help, she did!  She amazes me.  Going up to a group of girls, probably four or more times her age, and asking to help.  Yes, she did that.  And, yes, the girls obliged.

Kate was the cutest ever, lifting the smallest amounts of snow and patting them onto the snowmans body.  I couldn't help but smile at her innocence and beam proudly of what a strong and confident young girl she is.

Walking over to ask if she could help.

Part of the group!

These girls were double her size and probably in middle school.

Sticking the stick arm in...but the snow was really packed so she
asked one of the girls to help.  #adorable

The only way that I could convince Kate to head back with Maya and I was to promise that we would build a snowman of our own at our house when we got back.  It's a good thing that didn't take too long because I totally overshot lunch and nap time and Maya was READY to be inside.

Letting Jackie Bones enjoy the snow too.

Kate insisted on chomping down on her snowball for the photo
next to our snowman.  I wasn't going to fight that battle.

We named him Snowy!

Jackie wasn't ready to head in when it was time so he lounged in the
snow for a bit while we warmed up and had lunch!

The snow didn't melt overnight and Kate had been talking about going to the park when it snows to "knock me down" from the swings.  We played this silly game last year when we went to the park in the snow and she never forgot about it.  It's as simple as her swinging, barely brushing me, and me falling to the ground and perhaps rolling a few feet in the most dramatic style possible creating a "you knocked me down" kind of effect.

Once again, Kate thought this little game was hilarious!  Maya, on the other hand, who was sitting in the swing next to Kate, didn't think it was much fun and did NOT like seeing her Mama fumbling to the ground. Even if I was smiling.  Bless her sweet little heart.

Maya Bear - ready to enjoy the show!

Kate - anxiously awaiting the first "knock down".

An attempt to get two girls looking at the camera at the same time
AND smiling.  #doublefail

I'm going to knock you down!!!

Maya and I also had the luxury of purchasing
AND EATING various size snowballs from the
General Store with our mulch money.

Oddly enough, even a day after our snow storm came through, no one had traversed yet on the playground area.  With as many children as there are in this neighborhood, I thought for sure that it would have been played on already.  It was just our luck that we had the playground all to ourselves to leave our very footprints (or body prints, in my case) all over!

I'm so glad we got a bit of snow play in this year!  It just doesn't feel like winter without it!

The Winter Woods

I wasn't sure if we were going to see snow this Winter.  Like, real snow, not just a dusting here and there.  We had gone all of November, December, and January without any real snow.  But today we got some, and there's even more in the forecast in a few days!

Since it was snowing, we thought it only fitting to watch Tinkerbell's Secret of the Wings movie, since it's all about finding Periwinkle in the Winter Woods, and enjoy the snow day!

Snow outside and snow on TV!  Yes, it's a snow day!

We played inside for a bit and then headed over to Walgreen's to pick up some photos for Kate's and Maya's Grands to include with the little Valentines's were sending.  Ever since the warm day we had at the beginning of the month, Kate has been super excited for Spring and for it to be warmer so she can wear dresses "without pants".  Her words.  As long as she is warm, I'm ok if she dresses herself in Spring dresses, and she looked absolutely adorable in her ensemble today.

Maya is nearly crawling...

She can easily get to where she wants to go.

And she loves Kate's stuff...

What a cutie!

Winter hat, penguin hoodie, spring dress, leggings,
snow boots, and a Tiana doll.  The only way I got her
to look at the camera was with this doll.  She is still
all about the princesses and she wanted to be sure I
remembered which one she DOES NOT yet have.

Part of the Valentine packages that we're sending
to all of the Grandparents.

It's been such a mild winter that it hardly feels like Spring is right around the corner.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, but it's just been a really strange season.  It was wonderful to see some of the white stuff before it is officially Spring!

First Snow

With the exceptionally mild winter we've had so far, we had not seen any snow yet.  That was, at least, until today!

We got about an inch this morning and as per usual for the first snow of the year we were all very giddy just to see the white coating!

After some Sunday morning snuggles, and Maya's first go at the bean bin, Kate and I got some snow gear on and headed outside for a walk around the block in the falling snow.  Maya was napping during our little excursion but we took her out to the backyard so she could see the white stuff first hand before she fell asleep!

The snow fell fast and furious and the winds whipped around us and then it was over.  That was it.  There's snow in the forecast two more times over the next week so I foresee some sledding in our future.  I have loved having a mild winter, but there's something really special about snow.  It just makes winter WINTER.

And I can't tell you how many times I heard about Elsa and Periwinkle today.  There was one point where Kate put on her Elsa dress and snow boots on and headed outside to walk in the snow "like Elsa does".  I kind of think Kate's been waiting for snow to reenact this moment since she saw the movie, but once she felt the wind chill temperatures she was convinced to come inside.  The cold may not bother Elsa but it bothers us.  We do not like to be chilly.

Sunday snuggles in cupcake pajamas!  Hard to beat!

As if legos and all the other small choke-inducing
toys weren't enough, we decided to add a bin
of tasty beans.
#whatwerewethinking

Maya loved them!

And surprisingly didn't try to eat them so much.

She just loved diving in and feeling them in
her little fingers and flinging them on the carpet!

Trying to grab the spoon!

Kate shows Maya how to really make a mess!  #imintrouble

Gearing up for our snowy adventure!

Just lettin' it snow on us!

How sweet it this?!

Love!

Snowy selfie!

It's SNOWING!

Kate and I ended up taking another walk later in the afternoon to the library where we rented Aladdin and Cinderella.  These are two Disney princess movies she hasn't seen yet.  So we got cozy on the couch, put Aladdin on, had a little picnic dinner and hunkered down for a snowy evening!

It was a happy snow day!

Sledding

We received another weekend snow this weekend and this storm has been forecasted to be the last major snow event for this season.  Whether or not that holds true, we didn't want to miss the opportunity to take our darling girl sledding!  This was the first time ever and to say that she loved it would be a complete understatement!  Her smile beamed from ear to ear the entire time she was being pulled in her sled and/or going down a hill!  When you see your child smile like that it just makes you happy!

We took some amazing slow motion video on our phones too but have not been able to incorporate them off of our phones, so until we can get that working I'll have to leave you with a ton of photos from our sled time!

Headed to the hill!

Daddy & Kate.

Snow!  Happy!  Love!

I heart this!

This series of four is your quintessential snow series!
1. Smiling!

2. Open mouth smiling!

3. Laughing!

4. Cheesin'!

We took the first few rounds down together.

I used my hands and feet as breaks the entire time.
Sledding while pregnant is frowned upon in this establishment.

Snow bunny!

Catching some snow flakes on our tongue!

Look at that smile!

:)

It just doesn't get much better than this!

Ready for round three!

Toward the end, we let her try a smaller version of the hill by herself!

Going smooth...

...going smooth

...ahhh!  A little tumble, but still a huge smile!

This was totally coincidental but this photo screams this caption:
Uh!  We have to go?!  But I don't wanna go!
So I just had to include it!

I imagine this will be the first of many sledding excursions, and while we are so looking forward to Spring, we are also so looking forward to more snow next season!