Snow Day!
"I want to go sledding!" the little girl squealed.
The snow lay thick on the town and her mother had already gotten the call that campus was closed. The two had enjoyed their opportunity to sleep in, make a couple of leisurely meals, and putz around the house and the internet, catching up on some of those million little tasks.
The snow lay thick in the yard.
"I'm sorry hon," her mother said. "You're still healing from your toe surgery. Climbing up that big hill will hurt, and I'm afraid of what could happen if you get out of control sliding down the hill. I don't think we'll be able to go sledding this year."
The little girl sighed. She knew her mother was right. Her toe still hurt after a little bit of walking, even though she had taken good care of it. The stitches weren't even out yet.
Late in the afternoon, her mother finally decided it was time to go shovel the walkway. At least six inches had fallen over the last couple days, including some sleet that would make some of the snow heavy. She didn't want to deal with it after it had melted and frozen again. She started on the stairs, enjoying the crisp air and the quiet the snow provided. There were fewer cars on the road, and those that were out were moving slowly. Some industrious neighbors were out walking to or from the grocery store, or walking their dogs, glad for the opportunity to get outside after staying inside all day. By the time she got to the sidewalk she started thinking about how this snow was perfect for sledding. Thick and soft with a crunchy layer in the middle for a little extra firmness. she kept shoveling. As she was deciding which direction to shovel first, she stopped and looked at the hill in their front yard. It was short but steep, a pain to mow, and she had been trying to figure out how to landscape it so she wouldn't need to mow. She thought about her little girl's excitement to play in the snow and how she had told her they could build a snowman and make snow angels after she was done shoveling the walk. She thought of how there hadn't been a good sledding snowfall in a long time. She thought of how much she wanted to go sledding too. She missed the speed and the thrill and the cold wind on her cheeks. She missed how hot chocolate tasted better after playing outside. She looked at the hill again.
"That's it!"
She quickly shoveled one side of the sidewalk over to the neighbor's yard. She then shoveled a little of the other side. She was getting excited now. She called her little girl outside and grabbed the tarp that was sitting on the porch, folded in quarters.
SLED!
"We're going sledding!"
"Really?! Where? I thought you said we couldn't this year. My toe...?"
"Right here. It's perfect. Short, controlled hill, stairs to get back to the top, enough flat surface to stop before getting to the street."
The little girl looked at her mother. She looked at the hill. Her eyes lit up and she jumped up and down on her good foot.
"Come on!" her mother said.
They walked over to the part of the hill where the sidewalk wasn't shoveled yet, sat down on the tarp, and pushed off.
"It works! Wheee!"
A perfect little sled hill.
"Can we call Dillon and Kel? They live close enough they don't even have to drive."
"I tried, but they weren't home. What about - ?"
"No way. No stupid stinky boys today." The little girl made a face.
Her mother smiled. "Just us then. Good."
The little girl smiled back, they took hands and walked up the stairs. Each time they slid down the hill, the flat part at the bottom went a little farther, but never quite to the street. A little mound built up at the end of the slide, ensuring a safe dismount. They slid and climbed and slid and climbed until they were just a little too cold. Then her mother grabbed the shovel again and got to work around the car while the little girl brushed off some of the snow on top and reinforced the bottom of the slide. She ran around the corner to tell the neighbors about their slide and offered the tarp-sled. The little boy and his dad came out to see the slide, then went back in to put on their winter clothes. They came out and slid and climbed and slid and climbed while the little girl and her mother kept working on the car. After the boy and his dad went back inside the girl and her mother slid and climbed a few more times. They made a snow angel.
They made a snow angel.
Finally, they went inside, took a hot shower, and put on their fuzzy pajamas, ready to snuggle down for the night. The little girl carefully put a new spongebob bandaid on her toe with fresh antibiotic ointment and settled on the couch with an ice pack. Her mom made cocoa and coffee and they read stories for the rest of the evening, wishing they could do this all again tomorrow, but knowing they would probably have to go to work and school. At least the slide would be there in the evening if it stayed cold!
Fresh new Bandaid with antibiotic ointment. Just like the Doctor ordered.
The little girl.....and her mother.
The snow lay thick on the town and her mother had already gotten the call that campus was closed. The two had enjoyed their opportunity to sleep in, make a couple of leisurely meals, and putz around the house and the internet, catching up on some of those million little tasks.
The snow lay thick in the yard.
"I'm sorry hon," her mother said. "You're still healing from your toe surgery. Climbing up that big hill will hurt, and I'm afraid of what could happen if you get out of control sliding down the hill. I don't think we'll be able to go sledding this year."
The little girl sighed. She knew her mother was right. Her toe still hurt after a little bit of walking, even though she had taken good care of it. The stitches weren't even out yet.
Late in the afternoon, her mother finally decided it was time to go shovel the walkway. At least six inches had fallen over the last couple days, including some sleet that would make some of the snow heavy. She didn't want to deal with it after it had melted and frozen again. She started on the stairs, enjoying the crisp air and the quiet the snow provided. There were fewer cars on the road, and those that were out were moving slowly. Some industrious neighbors were out walking to or from the grocery store, or walking their dogs, glad for the opportunity to get outside after staying inside all day. By the time she got to the sidewalk she started thinking about how this snow was perfect for sledding. Thick and soft with a crunchy layer in the middle for a little extra firmness. she kept shoveling. As she was deciding which direction to shovel first, she stopped and looked at the hill in their front yard. It was short but steep, a pain to mow, and she had been trying to figure out how to landscape it so she wouldn't need to mow. She thought about her little girl's excitement to play in the snow and how she had told her they could build a snowman and make snow angels after she was done shoveling the walk. She thought of how there hadn't been a good sledding snowfall in a long time. She thought of how much she wanted to go sledding too. She missed the speed and the thrill and the cold wind on her cheeks. She missed how hot chocolate tasted better after playing outside. She looked at the hill again.
"That's it!"
She quickly shoveled one side of the sidewalk over to the neighbor's yard. She then shoveled a little of the other side. She was getting excited now. She called her little girl outside and grabbed the tarp that was sitting on the porch, folded in quarters.
SLED!
"We're going sledding!"
"Really?! Where? I thought you said we couldn't this year. My toe...?"
"Right here. It's perfect. Short, controlled hill, stairs to get back to the top, enough flat surface to stop before getting to the street."
The little girl looked at her mother. She looked at the hill. Her eyes lit up and she jumped up and down on her good foot.
"Come on!" her mother said.
They walked over to the part of the hill where the sidewalk wasn't shoveled yet, sat down on the tarp, and pushed off.
"It works! Wheee!"
A perfect little sled hill.
"Can we call Dillon and Kel? They live close enough they don't even have to drive."
"I tried, but they weren't home. What about - ?"
"No way. No stupid stinky boys today." The little girl made a face.
Her mother smiled. "Just us then. Good."
The little girl smiled back, they took hands and walked up the stairs. Each time they slid down the hill, the flat part at the bottom went a little farther, but never quite to the street. A little mound built up at the end of the slide, ensuring a safe dismount. They slid and climbed and slid and climbed until they were just a little too cold. Then her mother grabbed the shovel again and got to work around the car while the little girl brushed off some of the snow on top and reinforced the bottom of the slide. She ran around the corner to tell the neighbors about their slide and offered the tarp-sled. The little boy and his dad came out to see the slide, then went back in to put on their winter clothes. They came out and slid and climbed and slid and climbed while the little girl and her mother kept working on the car. After the boy and his dad went back inside the girl and her mother slid and climbed a few more times. They made a snow angel.
They made a snow angel.
Finally, they went inside, took a hot shower, and put on their fuzzy pajamas, ready to snuggle down for the night. The little girl carefully put a new spongebob bandaid on her toe with fresh antibiotic ointment and settled on the couch with an ice pack. Her mom made cocoa and coffee and they read stories for the rest of the evening, wishing they could do this all again tomorrow, but knowing they would probably have to go to work and school. At least the slide would be there in the evening if it stayed cold!
Fresh new Bandaid with antibiotic ointment. Just like the Doctor ordered.
The little girl.....and her mother.