Snowballs, diaper gel, and animal sounds (Oh my!)

Today it snowed, our first genuine, honest-to-goodness snow. And while Jack's been plopped in a sled and pulled around the front lawn at his cousin's house, he's never really had the pleasure of walking around outside in the snow...until today. I took him outside before it started getting deep because the poor kid has no snow boots and that little gap between the tops of his socks and the bottoms of his pants just kept letting the snow in anyway. He was having so much fun, though, that I don't even think he noticed.

Here are some pictures of Jack and Mommy playing in the snow this afternoon:





It was good packing snow, and he could not have been more fascinated by the little snowballs we could make with it. He carried his walnut-sized snowball around proudly and must have held it up and said "BALL!" about 20 times. When it was time to come inside, he cried, but once I took his mittens off and he felt how cold the snowball was, he promptly ate it.

Then, after dinner, we decided the snow was deep enough to break out the little sled we got Jack for Christmas and pull him around the neighborhood. I thought he might have struggled to get out of it, but I don't think he's ever had more fun than he did sitting, wrapped in a blanket to cover that sock-to-pantleg gap (gosh that kid has long legs!) in that little sled. Of course, he wanted another snowball as soon as we got outside, so I made him a big one and he carried it in his lap the entire time. You can see it in every picture.

Then it was time to come back in - but what to do with the snowball? Jack would not let it go. We got him unbundled and I asked if he might like to bring the snowball with him when he took a bath! (Mean Mommy!) Jack was thrilled! Up we went to the bathroom and he held it, dripping, the entire time I got him undressed and ran the bath water. Then, in he went, the ball in both hands. He held it in his lap and watched as the water came out of the spigot - one of his favorite things. All the while, I was seeing the snowball getting smaller and smaller. I had no idea whether Jack was going to notice it shrinking, but I was pretty sure he was going to freak out once he noticed it was gone. Well, by the time it had melted completely, it was time to shut off the water. "Where's your snowball, Jack?" I asked him. He looked down at his empty hands, puzzled. with one of the funniest looks I've ever seen on his face. It was right there a minute ago! As he quickly looked around the tub to find it, I figured I'd better distract him, so I whipped out the rubber duck and started quacking like a madwoman. Crisis averted. Why do I torment my child so? Oh well, first thing tomorrow morning, we'll go outside and make another snowball.

No segues here. Have you ever had the pleasure of putting a diaper through the wash? Not a dirty one, thank God, but still...it ain't pretty. Jack's hamper is right at the end of his changing table and one must have fallen in with the clothes. Actually, two must have fallen in - as I was loading the laundry into the washer, I found one and grabbed it out, thinking "WHEW! That would have been ugly!" Yeah. I didn't check for more, and sure enough one exploded in there. Really, it wasn't terrible in the washer, but it was the DRYER that was really bad. Gobs and gobs of that gel stuff all over the place. Note to self - check clothes for diapers before washing. Or actually, brainiac, just move the hamper!

I leave you with this little video of Jack running through his repertoire of animal sounds...or as many as I could get in before he grabbed the camera from me. He doesn't bark for a dog, but pants instead - so enthusiastically that I sometimes fear he might hyperventilate. But his face is hilarious when he's doing it - brows furrowed, so intense. Anyway, enjoy!