One last winter weekend

Well, let's hope it's the last winter weekend. As sure as I type that, all my powers will swirl up inexplicably and conjure up some kind of raging Chicago storm that we'd otherwise only expect some time between late April and Mother's Day.  While I go on anyway about this last snow scene of the year, I won't pack up my boots just yet.

We woke up to snow that melted from the front sidewalk by lunch time. But the back pathway, from the gangway to the garage, was an awkward mix of slush and ice and deep, standing puddles. The yard was packed full of icy snow that made snowballs to hard to aim at each other but that Lil E begged me to throw at the house with him. We dotted the siding with snowballs and then shoveled what we could and scooped up what was left.

And then, because the snow hasn't been amenable to it yet (as evidenced by those very scientific "good packing snow" tests taught dutifully by savvy dads and wise older sisters), Lil E jumped at the opportunity to build our first snowman of the season on what's hopefully the last snow of the year.

How could I say no? So we sat down right there and built up a snowperson (we're gender equitishy around here, thank you very much), not caring much that it was wobbly or wouldn't last long and that the snow was seeping through our jeans and gloves.

When the snow creature dubbed by the boy as Lil E Snowman was topped off with brittle stick arms torn from the lilac bush, grape tomato eyes, a sugar snap pea nose, celery stalk smile and celery leaf hair, I felt pretty proud of what we made. While you might think the vegetable features are some kind of indication of healthy eating around here, don't be fooled. While we try try try to have as balanced meals as a picky preschooler can stomach, let's just say there's no way that there weren't any cheese-filled pretzels sitting around for the snowperson's eyes.

A few hours later, Lil E Snowman melted enough that the vegetables were no longer stuck into the icy head and instead, littered a little pool of slush at his base. 

We saw the deterioration at the same time even though Lil E was outside showing his daddy the result of our afternoon project and play and while I was inside, peering out the window at Lil E peeking in on the snowman.

"AWW!" he cried out, pointing to his pride and disassembled joy. And I laughed that we spent so much time delicately carving out a space for wrinkled grape tomatoes and finding the right bend for the celery smile.

The snowperson was still standing, though, stick arms open to the warming weather and widening puddles of water.  I watched Lil E retreat down the gangway with his daddy, splashing in puddles as he went, boots echoing as they hit the sidewalk. There we all were, bundled up outside and tucked inside, happy for one last afternoon in what's left of the snow so we can fully welcome spring.