Walking In Eating A Winter Wonderland

When Carter was almost 1, we bundled him up to experience the fun of the snow!  After the 20 minute preparation (Long-sleeve shirt? Check. Winter coat? Check. Adorable hat that you will someday hate me for having you wear? Check.) I toted Carter outside.  Hopeful to get the charming snow photos I had already composed in my head, my camera came along with me. (You know the photos... eating the snow, attempting to crawl in the snow, and maybe even taking a few steps -- all the while laughing and smiling.)  

After a mere 6 minutes of being outside, we found ourselves heading back inside.  Of those 6 minutes, Carter had spent 5 of those minutes crying.  (Hadn't even touched the snow.)  My charming snow photos?  Here is one of them... charming in its own right, I guess.

Fast forward to this past winter... February to be exact.  (Well, February 5th to be even more exact.)  Carter was 22 months old and gave me a little more of what my camera and I were waiting for!

"Hmmm, just how much snow will fit in this nifty little bucket Mom gave me?  And boy does my tongue want to taste this stuff!"

"Okay, I can't stand it anymore.  I will just take the teeniest, tiniest little taste..."

"Alright, this stuff is good. I'm gonna have myself a great big chunk of snow now!   I hope Mom didn't let Zoe out here earlier to go potty."

After a tummy full of snow, off he went.  Rylee was at school, so it was fun watching him "roam" our Winter Wonderland by himself... mastering the art of walking in snow with "cloggy" (did I just make up that word?) snowboots.  He did have quite a few spills... no tears, but simply hesitation after each fall, as if he were thinking to himself, "Okay, don't cry.  Just try to pick yourself up out of this cold, wet snow without getting... well, cold and wet."

 

It wasn't long before he found "the path of least resistance" -- the areas of our yard with just enough snow to make footprints, but not too much to cause problems in lifting those "cloggy" boots. (If that's not a word it should be.)

So, thank you Carter.  This past winter, you gave me what I wanted.  Eating snow.  Walking in the snow.  I didn't get much for laughing and smiling, but I could tell by your intent looks that you were, indeed, enjoying yourself.  And that, my sweetie, is what makes a charming photo.

(And, for those of you with an eye for photography, yes... South Dakota has blue snow.  Isn't it a pain in my... beautiful??!  I'm open to tips on making our ever-so-abundant South Dakota snow WHITE!)