Snowmen and Spring

My sister was visiting with my 2.5 year old nephew from Charlotte over the weekend. I assured her that we wouldn't get snow. Well, that was inaccurate however unpredicted. We ended up with a winter storm warning most of Saturday and Sunday. Horrible weather. And the snow was extremely heavy. The kind you hope melts quickly because you would throw your back out shoveling the driveway.

It was winter's last hurrah (as if my writing it here will make mother nature take note and keep the snow away until October or November). My nephew, my sister told me, didn't like snow.

Then why is it that he wanted me to take him outside in the freezing rain/snow to run around my backyard? I was sad enough because I was excited seeing all the new sprouts shooting up in the yard the week before. I just moved into my house in August and was excited to see what would grow before I decide how to modify the layout of my yard. I hoped the snow wouldn't prevent them from continuing to grow and flourish.

He elected me to take him outside which is fine. I like cold and snow (just not in April after endless months of it). Of course, he had his little jacket and Cookie Monster hat but not much else. He had to borrow my mittens which made him look as if he had blue crab claws (I chuckled). And he braved the snow in his velcro closing Scooby Doo (rut row) sneakers.

We wandered around the backyard looking in windows and tossing snowballs at his mother and my boyfriend inside. I had to do the tossing. Turns out enormous blue crab claws are good for nothing but keeping hands warm, and....

Then we decided to build a snowman. It was the perfect snow for it. PERFECT. He helped me pat the snow into the bottom of the snowman. Then he helped pat the middle. He wasn't interested in patting the head. Instead he was looking for eyes. He wanted Frosty to have eyes (that's the name he gave the snowman after much careful thought and consideration).

A pine cone served as Frosty's mouth. Turns out my yard had enough mouth's for an army of Frosty's. Eyes were trickier. I grabbed what looked like stones but turned out to be tree bark (a logical mistake in the snow, trust me). His nose was the shell of a nut or acorn or something. Then we gave him stick arms and he was complete until pieces started falling off and my nephew pointed it out. "His eye fell off." OK, no problem. It's back. Things are good.

My nephew and sister left on Monday morning and arrived home safely on Monday night. Monday brought with it wonderful temperatures and most of the snow melted. Poor Frosty became floppy and finally toppled over. All that was left this morning was a small blob of snow, hardly a ball, even.

I was sad. I enjoyed spending time with my nephew making that snowman. I enjoyed watching my dogs bark at it as if Frosty was some sort of threat to the security of my home. I enjoyed remembering having to put his sneaker back on his foot after it came off in the snow he stepped in and putting the ill-fitting mittens back on when they came off, and covering his ear when Cookie Monster tried to escape his head. And I miss his laughter when we made the snowman to his specifications. I know it's something that can be repeated - snow comes to Buffalo every year. But it was one of those moments that wasn't expected or planned that will forever be in my memory - incredibly fondly - and that can't be repeated - not exactly.

That's ok. Yesterday my mother and I walked around my yard. We saw the blooms still there and other shoots coming up. I enjoyed walking around with her as she told me what each was going to be and what she could give to me from her own garden to enhance mine. I found chives in a back corner that we were careful to try because I have dogs and dogs like back corners. It tasted like heaven.

But I still saw that little ball that won't be around in a couple hours and I was a bit sad despite the happiness I felt at my spring blooms and hopeful about the colors that would soon appear.

After coming in from the cold, dry weather, your hands and face may seem a bit dry. Wild Mountain Organics has a wonderful line of hand and body lotions to soothe even the driest skin. And for your face, our Replenishing Face Cream and Skin Repair Cream will have you moisturized in no time!