I can never move farther north than North Carolina, and I’m talking about the southern end of North Carolina. After being snowed in for a few days with about six inches of snow, I learned that it’s far too much work to get three kids dressed to play in a winter wonderland. By the time I changed Siler’s diaper and had Mila and Eli go potty (learned this the hard way), I began the task of putting on snowsuits, jackets, socks, shoes, hats and gloves. Once I’d finished, I’d worked up a sweat.

Mark and I tag teamed it, and it still took about 20 minutes of prep time. We’d go through all that work only to have the kids beg to come inside 20 minutes later because they were too cold. I need some mothers from colder climates to tell me the secret for keeping children content outside in the cold. Do snowsuits come equipped with a heating blanket inside? That’s what I need.

Once we came inside the house and pulled off all the winter gear and drank some hot chocolate, the kids were ready to start the whole cycle again. Notice I said the kids were ready to do it again.

Of course, we couldn’t say no. We don’t see snow that often in the South, and this was the first big snow my children have experienced. This was prime snowman making snow.

My husband, who’s still a kid at heart, refuses to be outdone by anyone in the neighborhood. Mark won’t build a wimpy three-foot snowman in the Becker yard. He builds a six-foot tall snowman and then four more like it!

We also dusted off the sled in the garage and enjoyed flying down our driveway and other hills in the neighborhood. I’ll confess this was as much fun for me as it was for the kids. I was actually disappointed whenever Mila or Eli wanted to go downhill alone. I put so much work into getting them dressed for snow fun that I think I earned the right to bum as many sled rides as I wanted.

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