Snow!

On December first, Mia rushed to the window and peered out hopefully.  She gazed right.  She stared left.  She frowned.

Mama!  It's WINTER time, and it's supposed to snow at winter!  When will it snow?

I did my best to explain weather patterns and unpredictability and technicalities, such as they may be, but still -- winter started with a disappointing bang.  Mia's eyes registered understanding, and I railed against the weatherman.  Where was our snow?

December passed uneventfully.  A few days ago, it was in the 50's and brightly sunny.  I held little hope for January.

Until yesterday morning.  We woke up to the slightest dusting of white over our dead grass and unraked leaves, and honestly, I was already content with that amount of snow.  It was snow, even if it looked like a thick, patchy frost.  Soon, though, it got even better: thick, fat flakes fell heavily, and our mismanaged leaves were suddenly disguised by wet snow.  And okay -- it may never have exceeded more than half of an inch of precipitation, but it was snow.

Finally! 

We headed out for a few minutes of reckless clothes-wetting before going to school, which is a magical feat I attribute solely to my camera: the promise of good photo-ops is just about the only thing that would get me out the door early, of all things. 

The girls both had their warmest winter clothes on -- for the most part.  Pants, which, for them, is a step above their usual attire of skirt plus tights. 

Their shoes collected clumps of new snow with each step in the grass, and when I realized that this would make their feet wet for an entire morning of preschool, I loaded them into the car.  It was still a wonderland around us -- blowing snow made the world white and exotic.  I kept my camera ready for any safe-shot -- snow!

We never turned on any music; the silence outside required silence inside.  Except for our own squeals of excitement and glee: snow!  Mia begged me to drive faster, but I wanted to savor the slowness.  Gaze around me.  Appreciate the white.

I appreciated it right up until my tires started sliding downhill at the next stoplight. 

We've had so little inclement weather since we've had this vehicle, that I had no idea where the 4-wheel-drive switch was, or even how to make it work if I DID find it.  But that never crossed my mind as I saw the rear bumper of the car before me getting closer too fast.  I might have been going 15-mph, which gave me plenty of time to consider my options:  I could pump the brakes (but I didn't know if that advice was outdated...); I could let myself bump into the car in front of us (which would be a big, expensive headache -- though probably not terribly unsafe); I could pop the curb to my right, and drive onto the snowy grass of a residential yard (and hope to avoid the sturdy oak tree planted dead-center). 

I chose the grass. 

We popped the curb, and as soon as my tires hit rough grass, slowed to a stop.  We missed the oak tree.  Traffic moved on.  The big, fancy SUV behind me was sliding too, so I waited until it stopped, then pulled back into the road -- going less than 2-mph.

Again, Mia begged me to go faster.  Do you think I acquiesced?

Friends, I did not.  I crawled us the rest of the way to school, explaining in multiple ways why jumping the curb and driving through some poor soul's yard wasn't fun, but my daughters' giggles overruled me: Mom so doesn't know what fun is all about.

And, though I apparently don't know how to drive in a dusting of snow, I still love it. 

Tell me about the snow -- or lack thereof -- where you are!