Snow Days

We've had a lot of snow lately.

Which, you know, January, not completely unexpected.

But the amounts are way above average and it's been so cold that there's been very little melting in between storms. It's much more like Wisconsin winters or the lake-effect South Bend winters of my childhood when the snow would start falling in November and would be there until March. (End of March.) With some ice mounds not receding until April. (Late April.)

The storms have been devilish too. Coming in the morning or lasting all day so that school is cancelled. There have been a lot of snow days already. Thankfully, we have a hill in our yard so we have convenient sledding. These kids have sledded more this month than all of last winter.

There has been much more television as well. The kids are crazy for the new show "Dino Dan" on Nick. It's a Canadian show so we have been learning a lot about Canadian dinosaurs. Did you know that in Canada they call sledding "tobogganing?" Even if you don't have a toboggan? Crazy. (Canadian friends, feel free to correct me if this assumption I have made on the basis of one TV show about a poor delusional kid and his enabling friends is wrong.)

Why do kids eat snow constantly?

It makes me a little crazy because, good God, it has to be loaded with pollutants. But there is no stopping them.

At least they are both well hydrated.

Comments

[Derek dos Anjos]

oh jesus why cant i stop my kids from eating this shitty city snow. it drives me crazy. at least your snow looks clean. this clinton hill snow has dog piss, gasoline and god knows what else. it drives me crazy. help. what is wrong with my kids?????

[Alana]

I got nothing, man. They are all straight up savages. Even if I tied their hands behind their backs they would just kneel there with their faces in the snow, munching away. Maybe there is some incredible flavor that you can't taste once you get past 15 or something? And I feel for you with the city snow. The raunchier the snow the more likely Willa is to take a giant scoop of it and put it in her mouth. I think she sees it and goes "Oooo! Rocky Road!"

[Heather B.]

All of this snow is so depressing. It also means never making spontaneous trips downstate because what if it snows and I'm trapped there forever?!? Ugh. See you in May.

[E.]

At this point, I let Roo eat snow if it's relatively clean-looking snow straight from outside. Because if I don't, I'll catch her sneaking it from off the bottom of her brother's boots once we get inside, which makes me shriek in desperation and disgust.