Oh Snow!

Alexander has really enjoyed playing in the snow this year. (Just maybe it's because we actually had snow this year). On Wednesday and Thursday of last week, the snowman we had made on our back deck had all but melted down to nothing more than a pile of peanut shells and the cap. It was pretty depressing.

Every morning Alexander would run to the back door look outside and say: "Frosty! Melted! Fix him!" I know spring is supposed to be about re-birth and new life, but every spring I can't help but think about the end of yet another wonderful season (who am I kidding, I pretty much love all four seasons, and the more distinct each one is the more I cherish each). Particularly when you see snowmen and snow forts melting down to nothing, I find the whole thing depressing. (Yes, it was the inspiration behind my snowman stories "That Old Silk Hat They Found" and "Ides of March" which appear in my book One Hand Screaming. You can read the opening scene from "Ides of March" online by clicking here.)

But with the wonderful snowfall that we got on Friday evening, Alexander and I were back out enjoying the snow on Saturday morning, shovels in hand and eyes of wonder aglow. Despite the fact that we only got about 4 inches of snow, Alexander wanted me to build steps in the snow piles and construct another snow fort.

Instead, I took him to the park where he delighted in running around the snow-covered structures, and enjoying the snow-covered slides. Whew, close save there.