Snow Fun?

Today we tried to get out and have a little fun in the snow. It started out simple enough, it took about 90 minutes to get all of the snow gear on everyone.  I made the mistake of putting Baby James in first, to which he immediately got cranky, or too hot, while he waited for Joel Andrew and I to get ready.  Either that, or he doesn't really like the snow, because come to think of it he just pretty much cried the entire outing, except for one happy moment.

 We got out there, and I had them calm, but then James fell out of the sled.  Clearly Mommy was a little too excited about the photo op, and not paying attention to the fact that the sled from 1979 was not equipped to hold a toddler and baby.  Poor Baby James, but he mustered through it, after a while.  Joel Andrew was none to happy either to be moved out of the sled.  See above and below for the next wonderful five minutes.  Ah yes, it is times like these that make being a stay at home mom all worth it...

After screaming ended, we began to have a bit of fun.  The dogs were romping, Joel Andrew and I were trying to make snowmen, Baby James was chillin' in the sled, warm and dry - but a little bruised.  Highlight of our trip out, really.  This makes the twenty minutes of getting ready all worth it!

We were throwing snow at Angus, which was all fun until Joel Andrew realized he could also throw snow at his brother.  James loved it until the shot below, when Joel Andrew threw snow at James' back, which then was caught in between his hat and his snowsuit, proceeding to trickle all the way down his onesie and onto the skin of his back.  Falling on the driveway from a sled my boy can take, but cold snow on naked skin... Not having that at all!  So, we went inside.

That took 6 minutes.  20 minutes to get ready for 6 minutes, which included an injury, a few tantrums, and only a moment of fun.  Then there was another 10 minutes of stripping down, of calming big Baby James, and then 10 minutes more of hot chocolate time fun.  That part was actually a joy.  I hope the outside thing gets easier because I might just skip it otherwise and just make hot chocolate...  We would all be 8,000 pounds though.

Moral of the story, I am trying to keep them occupied when it is all three of us at home, and not watch TV all the time.  But perhaps I should not also catch the "kodak moments."  It is a lot of work just doing an activity.  I wonder if I should leave the outdoor play to school...

This guy totally forgot about the driveway and the snow down his back and he is all set.  Even though it does look like an iron fell on his head...