Snowy Sunday Bliss
This second Sunday in Advent really was a treat! We woke up to snow falling heavily, like a whitish veil was drawn before the world. The girls put on socks and woolen waistcoats over their pyjamas and went playing in their room for some time whilst Carmelo and me snuggled up and enjoyed the Sunday morning laziness. That's something I am always looking forward to throughout the week. When we finally got up and had breakfast (at 11 o'clock!) dense swirls of snow were wafting to and fro and I had John Williams' Call of the Champions (written for the Winter Olympics 2002) playing- it fitted perfectly. After breakfast we all got dressed and got the sleigh ready because we wanted to go and buy a Christmas tree! The girls got on the sleigh and we even gave them an umbrella because otherwise they would have been snowed in in no time. Lugging them along through the deep snow was pretty good exercise but it got easier once the rust had been gone from the vats. (I guess I should consider sanding and waxing them a little.)
We got a really nice Christmas tree which the girls and me chose. Carmelo wanted another one but he was outnumbered. We strapped the tree onto the sleigh and the girls wanted to take it home. You didn't have to be a genius to know they wouldn't be dragging it all they way home and indeed they gave up pretty soon, Gwendolin didn't even want to walk all the way. To be fair - snow was almost up to her knees in places and I can imagine it was straining. So she ended up sitting on top of the tree, holding onto the rubber straps whilst Elanor was running along, going this way and that, always eager to find untouched stretch of snow to be the first to leave her footprints. (We all did that, didn't we? Funny how certain things magically appeal to children all by themselves, without anyone telling or showing them.)
When we got home we were all pretty cold and hungry again so Carmelo proceeded to prepare dinner before he had to leave for work. And meanwhile the girls and me retreated to the sofa, snuggling up under a blanket and warming our hands on steaming mugs of hot chocolate, watching a fairytale film. And still snow kept falling silently.
We got a really nice Christmas tree which the girls and me chose. Carmelo wanted another one but he was outnumbered. We strapped the tree onto the sleigh and the girls wanted to take it home. You didn't have to be a genius to know they wouldn't be dragging it all they way home and indeed they gave up pretty soon, Gwendolin didn't even want to walk all the way. To be fair - snow was almost up to her knees in places and I can imagine it was straining. So she ended up sitting on top of the tree, holding onto the rubber straps whilst Elanor was running along, going this way and that, always eager to find untouched stretch of snow to be the first to leave her footprints. (We all did that, didn't we? Funny how certain things magically appeal to children all by themselves, without anyone telling or showing them.)
When we got home we were all pretty cold and hungry again so Carmelo proceeded to prepare dinner before he had to leave for work. And meanwhile the girls and me retreated to the sofa, snuggling up under a blanket and warming our hands on steaming mugs of hot chocolate, watching a fairytale film. And still snow kept falling silently.