First Snowfall of the Season

Having lived in Massachusetts for 28 years, snow is something you learn to loathe. It starts anytime from October, doesn't end until April, and it's sucks in all capacities. The snow up north isn't the fluffy kind you see in post cards, where kids go out to play in it for hours. Instead it's heavy, and quickly turns into a large layer of ice that you can cut yourself on if you try to crack through to make a snowman.

One of the reasons I LOVE North Carolina is because we don't get much snow, and the snow we do get you can play in. And last night we had our first snowfall of the season.

Here in North Carolina, if there is even a chance of ice or snow, everything shuts down. I thought this odd until I realized that unlike the north, down here we don't have sander or salt trucks, ready to make the roads safe. If it snows or ices up, you're on your own. A few years before we moved here there was a nasty ice storm that came up suddenly and kids were stuck at school over night. People left their cars stranded on the highway. And this would be what we up north would consider a regular ice storm. But down here it's a completely different story. Because of this the schools are very cautious about the forecasts and err on the side of safety.

I had no idea we were even going to get any snow until I got the email last night saying school would be delayed for 2 hours. By 9PM the snow started drifting down. And since it's so rare here, I actually enjoyed watching it fall.

This morning I woke up to a good dusting, maybe 1/2 an inch on the ground. The temperature was already 33 degrees so I figured before it melted completely, I'd take the boys out to enjoy what is now, a special treat.

Xavier grew up in Massachusetts for the first four years of his life and he loves snow. During October J went on a business trip back in Massachusetts and took Xavier with him to visit his grandma. They got caught in the blizzard that weekend, with 2 1/2 feet of snow. I ordered J to toss Xavier outside and not let him back in until he was blue so that he couldn't complain about no snow down here.

But the two younger boys aren't as used to the cold white stuff, Soren especially, and when I opened the back door to view the meager fluff on the ground you would have thought they had died and gone to heaven.

My number one rule was that they couldn't throw snowballs at each other. Right on top of that my next rule was no snowballs at mom or we'd go right back in. They must have really wanted to play because they listened. Instead, they through snowballs at my van. Poor van =(

Xavier spent the first ten minutes making the "perfect" snowball.

Xavier, while he loves snow, hates being cold, and lasted a total of 15 minutes before he ran back inside. Ashe and Soren spent an hour, scooping up as much snow as they could, pelting my van, the sign, the trees, and finally the sewer grid. They gave a good fight when I finally called them back inside but I placated them with the promise of homemade cocoa (one of the few things I can cook in the kitchen that comes out right.)

Shoes are in the dryer, cocoa has been chugged, and I have to take Xavier into school soon. But what a great way to start the day. Bonus, the snow is melting which means the roads will be safe! Having lived here in North Carolina for over four years now, I have to admit that the snow here is much more fun and I don't loathe it as much as I used to. But then again, I still hate snow up north. No offense to my lovely northern friends. Kiss kiss!