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Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Snow Clue

I haven't lived in a cold winter area for nearly a decade. So, being back in an area where it is too cold to put your car tag renewal decal on the car, because cold temps cause them to break, is quite a change for us.

The Big One was born in south Texas, where the summers stay over 100 degrees. The Little One was born in beautiful, sunny San Diego. They don't know cold weather. We usually get about a week of cool to cold temps when we come back to Tennessee for a visit each year. They don't usually get the full effect of winter, though. That is starting to change, and change rapidly.

It snowed today. Real snow. As in big white fluffy stuff falling from a very cold sky. The flakes were huge, beautiful, fluffy things. It wasn't quite sticking, but it was really coming down.

In all that big white fluff, I had to go get The Big One from School.

I wasn't thrilled about this. Me no likey the snow. Her teacher is usually one of the last to dismiss, and I decided that I was going to sit in the car, until the classroom door actually opened this time. I wasn't going to stand there and freeze while she waited for all 20 or so 6 year olds to get it together. No, I could pass that time in the warmth and shelter of my car, then book it across the street when absolutely necessary. So, I did. As the door opened, I got out, locked my car, then actually ran across the street and up the school yard. I don't run much as a general rule, but I find myself doing it more and more in short burst of late. The cold seems to be quickening the occurrence as well. I sprinted up to the door just as The Big One came out.

"Why are running, Mom?" As I've said, not something I do.

"Because it is cold, and it is snowing." Both sounded like very logical reasons to be running to me. Of course, often times when in a conversation with my gorgeous blond daughter, logic is not exactly the driving force of the conversation.

"Is it really snowing?"

Now, the flakes that came down at that point, and the rest of the day were incredible. They were really huge. They were big enough to see each point on the flake, and were probably the most beautiful ones I can remember seeing in person. However, the temperature was not cold enough for the snow to lay on the ground and create any accumulation. So, you had big fluffy white stuff swirling around, that disappeared when it hit he ground.

"Of course it is. Do you see all the fluffy white stuff?"

"What white stuff?"
I admit it. Snowflakes are generally small, but these things were massive for flakes. In addition, it was really coming down.

I held out my hand and waited until a massive flake passed across it.
"Did you see that white thing?"

"Yes."

"That is snow."

"That's what snow is? Really? Wow!"

I had to confirm for her several times that all that stuff really was snow.

I'm quite sure all the other parents around us must thing we are crazy. From their perspective, it would be unreasonable for a child of her age to not understand the concept of snow. However, even though she is quite blond and that often is the reason for our odd conversations, I get it. When you see pictures of snow, you see accumulation on the ground. You don't see just fluffy white stuff floating around the sky. In fact, having lived the last 4 plus years of her life in Southern California, it could have well been ash floating around from fires during fire season, something the kids of this area may not understand. I get it. In fact, I would dare say there is a lot she has been able to experience by living in a coastal community that many kids here would never believe.

I love that The Big One finally got her snow. I love that she was so excited about it, even if a little naive about how it gets here. While other parents may have laughed at us, and I laughed too honestly, nothing can be cooler than watching your children discover new and different things and loving them, at any age.

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