The Snowy Day

We all have fantasies about things we want to do with our children when we finally get them home. One of Jean-Pierre’s fantasies was having the entire family joyfully romping outside in the snow. Not just any romping however. Oh no. Sliding down hills kind of romping. So, on Tuesday, away we went. Ever done this with two almost-three year olds and a wife who is a little afraid of sliding down hills? …..

First of all, we decide to do this late in the afternoon. We must have started around 3:00. It takes us at least 20 minutes to get the kids and ourselves all bundled up. 20 minutes that is if we have put all the mittens, toques and boots away in the right place. If not, then we spend even more time searching for one or the other of these things. Oh yeah, and 20 minutes is a vast improvement over the first couple of times we got ready.

So we're out the door and have made it as far as the garage. Jean-Pierre shoves the sled into the trunk of the car, but realizes that we can't get it all the way in because we can no longer lay one side of the back seat down (uhmmm, second car seat). Hmm. He hunts around for a bungee cord. Good luck. We still have 7 bags of recycling from Christmas time stuffed at the front of the garage because we missed recycling pick up before we left for China. Anyway, he finds a telephone cord, ties the trunk down and away we go!

Eva wants to be carried before we even get out of the parking lot. Sam is in a little purple sled and seems O.K. with it (not thrilled, but O.K.). Jean-Pierre somehow convinces Eva to walk to the top of the hill and they go for the first slide. She loves sliding, but hates walking, never mind walking in deep snow. Did I mention that this is just a hill in the middle of our town. Not groomed or anything.....Yep.

Jie-Jie and I still haven't made it up to the top of the hill yet as Eva comes walking up behind us. Somehow (I really don't remember how because I was so loving the freezing cold and lots of climbing), I end up with trying to get both kids and two sleds up the hill while Jean-Pierre stands at the top taking pictures. Yeah.... Jie-Jie looses his mitt and starts screaming his head off. Eva is in the other sled, which I drop as I try to put Jie-Jie's mitt on, and it starts sliding back down the hill. At this point the whole event is so *#& romantic that I can hardly stand it and I haven't even gone down the hill yet. You'll notice there's no picture of Eva heading backwards down the hill in the sled...

Alright, so we all make it up and pile onto the sled. Jean-Pierre pushes us off and I, being the excellent role model for my children that I am, yell all the way down, 'I don't like this, I don't like this, I don't like this'. Yep, I'm pretty sure I had the chance to say it at least three times before we came to a stop at the bottom. We haul, beg and plead with Eva to get her back to the top and we all go down two more times. Finally, Jean-Pierre takes matters into his own hands and I wait at the bottom (much less screaming that way). This is how it went:

By this time it's started to snow and the 'kids' 'indicate' that they'd rather just play on the path and in the trees beside the hill. I'm into that and we go for a walk on the path. As we turn around to go back to the car, Jie-Jie starts screaming again. Why? Because the falling snow is blowing in his face and he can't handle it.

All in all, although the outing likely didn't fulfill Jean-Pierre's fantasy sliding day......We did actually have a good time and the kids fell asleep beautifully that night! Can you say, 'Bonus'!