snow.

2010 has been the year of snow. I don't remember a year of my life growing up when the calendar was bookended by snow quite like this one. It's killing me. Dickson County got as much snow or more than any other county in Tennessee, and the last count I saw was 6 inches. (Disclaimer: all my northeastern-living friends can make fun of me, I don't care.) I realize this isn't a lot of snow, but comparatively it is. We close schools around here for way less than that. Six inches is a blizzard and requires Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs -like quantities of bread and milk to be purchased by all families. Luckily, we are always able to get milk and bread because we buy organic milk and eat good bread...and even a blizzard can't get most southern papas to approve the expense of organic milk and anything other than white bread.

Now let's be clear: I don't like snow. I don't like cold and wet. I like humidity and heat. That's just how I roll. I have spent my entire life avoiding snow. I don't really remember ever wanting to play in it. When my brother would get all bundled up to go sledding or build snowmen or have massive snowball fights, I'd sit under a blanket and probably read or catch up on homework (because I've always been a dork.) When high school friends went on ski trips, I think I probably laughed out loud at the concept. So it's ridiculous to me that my daughter thinks that snow is the best stuff ever. Because her love of the most awful substance in the world that is legal (yes, I'm still talking about snow), we are going to have to invest in some actual snow gear. Last winter, when we were under-prepared, it was toward the end of winter, so we didn't feel bad about not purchasing snow pants or snow boots or anything else. We just bundled her up in layers and sent her out. She'd get cold and cry, then we'd come in, strip down, put on dry clothes, and that was that.

No more.

I thought I had until after Christmas this year to purchase snow stuff. It almost never snows here before Christmas. Snow comes (if it comes at all) in January and February. This snow blindsided me. Luckily, on snow day #1 (Sunday), I bundled her up, and as it was still snowing, she didn't have that much fun (also, she was only with me, and I'm not that fun frankly). We were outside for about half an hour. We achieved frozen lips and eyelashes full of snowflakes and we were done. Yesterday was a different story. We went to some friends' house where there were lots of kids and sleds. The sun was out, but there was lots of snow to play in. And play she did. She ate facefuls of snow, and snot literally froze to her face. She zipped down the hill with her friends. Mostly, she'd do this bobsled-style...meaning that one of the older kids would want to sled alone, and she'd give them a push then dive on behind them. It was pretty funny as long as you weren't the older kid. After what seemed like an hour, the mamas ventured inside and left the dads that were there to look after the kiddos. They stayed outside for what seemed like another hour. When S came in, I had to strip her down because, let's not forget, nothing that she was wearing was waterproof except her RAINBOOTS. She was so cold that her entire body was the color of a fire engine. I almost couldn't stand to touch her skin because it was so cold and looked so painful. She was just mad because she had to come inside. I do not understand this type of behavior. At all.

Anyway, that's what's been happening around here. Sunday's surprise for M was his favorite cookies: his mother's chocolate mint cookies, which are really excellent. They were well received. Yesterday, Elmer the Elf delivered the new pajamas I made her. Today, we're going to decorate Mr. P's tree when M gets home from work. (I know you all needed an Advent-ure update.) Also, to keep us inside today (because no one can realistically expect me to brave this snow THREE DAYS IN A ROW), we're going to make peppermint bark. We also got a package that contained egregious amounts of green packing peanuts, which we're going to string like popcorn because she's been asking to string popcorn, but no way that's happening as our dog would destroy the project almost instantaneoulsy. As a last resort, we can repaint her fingernails. I've seriously got this day planned out...with no plans for snow.

Now, I must get to it. We've got lots to do. Here's some pictures.

New pajamas and new slippers.