Friday, February 15, 2008

I Come From the Land of the Ice and Snow

Although I have lived in a southern clime for nearly 9 years now, I was born and raised in Michigan. I went to university in Chicago. I lived for 3 years in Philadelphia. My winters were spent sledding and ice skating and building snowforts and snowmen. Snow days were a gift. I did, however, also have my fair share of shoveling, icy roads, and having to have my car pushed out of a ditch where it got stuck in the snow after toilet papering someone's home. By the people who's lawn I had just decorated. Ahem.

My husband was born in California, but raised in Michigan. To him snow is a four letter word. He was a paper boy. Snow made his job very hard. He thinks only of the negatives when he thinks of snow.


The May Queen, on the other hand, was born in California. She lives now in Louisiana. Her experience of snow has pretty much been limited to what she reads in books or sees on TV. Until these last two weeks, that is.



When we were in California, we drove along the "grapevine" (I-5 north of LA through the mountains) to visit some friends in the central valley, where we used to live (and where MQ was born). There was some snow in the higher parts, and The May Queen was beside herself with glee. We pulled over so she could touch snow for the first time. She touched it tentatively. It was hard snow, snow with a crusty layer on top. I grabbed a handful and handed it to her. She immediately threw it to the ground and yelled "it's freezing!" and would have nothing further to do with it. Her daddy would have been proud.


However, our unexpected trip to Michigan afforded her the chance to encounter more snow. And be properly dressed for it. Although she tried valiently to make a snowman, it was not packing snow. But she did get to do some of the other things she has dreamed about doing. The things she reads about in books and sees on TV....




She made a snow angel (so did I!)

She caught snowflakes on her tongue (in the second picture she had thrown the snow up in the air for that particular purpose. In the other it was actually snowing. And when I try to edit this it is laid out much more nicely)


She ate snow. And gave herself a snowbeard.





We made a pile of snow, and she ran and jumped into it.



She learned this defensive maneuver for when a wad of snow was being thrown at her.

And when we came inside she drank hot chocolate.

As we flew home, The May Queen looked wistfully out the window and sighed "I miss playing in the snow." My husband muttered curses under his breath in the seat next to me.

Monday Missions are Back! Monday's mission is to write a post in the style of another blogger. This is in honor of the other person, so be nice, but have fun! And could I ask you all a wee favor? You see, I'm trying to catch up with the well over 400 posts that were in my reader when I returned. I'm getting to you. Slowly. While trying to catch up with the rest of my life, as well (you know, start rehearsals for a new show, prepare the house for guests later today, pay some attention to my husband, child and cat...). So could you all just PLEASE STOP POSTING over the weekend so that there aren't any NEW posts to read? Come back on Monday with a great post for the Mission, and we'll go from there. OK? Great, thanks.

43 comments:

Unknown said...

I love the way you did those pictures , and what a subject! Beautiful.
and, as for me- no posting until sunday and that will be to catch up the party weekend.

Keeping It Real said...

SNOW is a four-letter word to me, too. I'm from North Louisiana, hubs is from Florida and we now all live in Texas. My two babies have never seen "real snow." We got some flurries in these parts last year, but not the good slushy stuff I love to hate. Big Boi saw the real deal when visiting my mom in Tennessee a few years ago.

the dragonfly said...

Snow = yuck!

But I'm glad the May Queen enjoyed it. I'm looking forward to introducing the Little Mister to snow when we visit family in Michigan next Christmas. :)

Lovely photos!! (I don't miss the snow, though!)

Anonymous said...

Ah- so glad MQ enjoyed her fleeting affair with Snow.

I've had about enough-- although I do like winter- it has been ridiculous in Iowa. Kind of overkill :)

Hydes

Jennifer said...

Those photos are just great. The look of glee on her face just says, "Childhood". Perfect.

Amy said...

Cute cute pictures!

Sister Honey Bunch/Judi maloney said...

I love snow. It's a good thing because I live in Northern Michigan. Cute pictures--my nieces from AL love when they get to come visit us in the winter.

Jen said...

Wonderful photos and I'm so glad the MayQueen is enjoying our weather, lol. The rest of us are getting sick of it!

BTW... I have NOT forgot about your MI mix... it's been hectic here. I'm bad, bad, bad.

Beck said...

Snow - if it's not your everyday life for HALF OF THE FREAKING YEAR - must be such a magical thing. Beautiful pictures!

Kyla said...

The magic of snow! I love it. I wish we got it at least ONCE a year here...but it is more like once every 5-10 years.

Anonymous said...

By the time I finish the business end of it (shoveling), I'm ready to go in, and the kids are ready to start playing. I can't wait until they're old enough to play outside while I watch from the window, stirring the hot cocoa.

If I could write in the style of another blogger, I'd do it every day. Seriously. I'll have to wait for the next one.

Julie Pippert said...

Look how much fun she's having! I love the photo of her catching snowflakes on her tongue!

thailandchani said...

The layout here with the pictures is just great! Very nice!

Run ANC said...

What a great experience for her. I love the picture of her catching snowflakes on her tongue.

I'm pretty sick of snow, myself.

Mary Beth said...

Beautiful pictures, but as far as I'm concerned, the only good thing about snow and cold is the hot chocolate:)

Magpie said...

Totally cute!

tracey.becker1@gmail.com said...

Awwww! So sweet. Glad she got to experience snow as a child. I canNOT imagine not having snow every winter!

flutter said...

she is so lovely

Anonymous said...

I love snow. I'm glad the May Queen got to exeperience the fun of playing in the snow. And what wonderful pictures you have to remember the moments.

Wayfarer Scientista said...

Yay for snow! And the May Queen is gorgeous.

Amy Y said...

How delicious!
I won't post over the w/end, promise. Or at least not tomorrow. :)
Sheesh ~ 400 posts???

Sarcasta-Mom said...

Great photos. Snow is a blast to visit :) Just be glad you don't have to shovel it. lol

Jen said...

Oh - how great that she got to see some snow!!

I wish you had taken a detour through Northern Arizona on your trip! We have plenty to spare!!

Aliki2006 said...

Now THAT'S milking all that snow for all it's worth. I'm jealous, and my kids would be jealous, too!

Anonymous said...

I'm with Beck, snow must be magical to the very young. It is nice to see it through their eyes.

Suz said...

Those are fantastic pictures!!

Mary Alice said...

Snow is wonderful...if you are a kid.

ewe are here said...

Great pics! It looks like the May Queen had a fantastic time playing in the snow, but, as a former California girl, I think I have to side with your husband on this one. brrrrrrr!

Alex Elliot said...

Wonderful pictures! As a kid I loved snow. Now I look forward to spring! My kids like it though. They also really like taking a spray bottle of water with food coloring and spraying the snow. Glad the May Queen enjoyed the best part of playing in the snow: the hot chocolate!

Aunt Becky said...

I love the pictures of the snow. I just love them.

Bon said...

she makes the most of an opportunity, that girl of yours.

i'm a northerner, through and through, but i will admit to growing a little weary of the snow by this point in the season, especially when i know it's going to last for another month or more. sigh. send the May Queen up for further wonder anytime through into April...

MamaGeek @ Works For Us said...

Welcome back! What fun pictures! That MQ is beyond cute. We just got another 12 inches of snow - can I send you a box full of it? :)

Chaotic Joy said...

I was obedient and did not post over the weekend...just for you. :)

And I LOVED the pictures of Mayqueen in the snow. Perfect.

JCK said...

You were out here at a beautiful time with the snow capped mountains. My perfect recipe for snow. Go to it. Enjoy it. Leave it.

Anonymous said...

I rarely post over the weekend for just this reason. And you can skip my Sunday post if you like!!

Unknown said...

wow, look at all that snow down there!!!

Don Mills Diva said...

Wonderful pictures - she looks so joyful it almost makes me not be so fed up with the relentless winter we're getting in Toronto.

Kristi B said...

When we lived in Tucson, our girls LOVED the snow! they only saw it twice a year or so, of course, when we traveled, but they loved loved it. Now that we live somewhere cold and snowy, it's like pulling teeth to get them out in it. Once there, they love it again, but they are definitely reluctant to leave their warm confines to enjoy the winter white!

Laski said...

As another native Michigander, I can only imagine what it is like to experience snow for the first time. I was born during a HUGE snowstorm fluke (are there really weather flukes in Michigan?) in April. So, I grew up in the snow.

What an AMAZING experience for her!

david mcmahon said...

G'day from Australia,

Can we swap weather conditions? It was 95 degrees here y'day!!

carrie said...

I'm so happy that the MayQueen got to play in the snow! Thos pictures are adorable, as is she!

Victoria said...

MQ is so cute! I can feel her enthusiasm for the snow. My little southern-born-and-raised kiddos feel the same when they visit the Grandparents in upstate NY.

I don't share their enthusiasm because I lived there and I hate snow. =)

RJTrue said...

LOVE THE PICS!!
Found you through cheap seats and so glad I did ...
I, too, grew up in MI and lived in Chicago but am now in a southern state. It's been a short time but if the temp drops at all, I'm a big baby! Funny how quickly I've forgotten how to survive in the cold!!!
Thanks for sharing the pics!