Finally, a post from Dad

We’ve had another winter storm blow in, with a few inches of dense sleet & ice covering everything in a white wonderland. It looks the same as our landscape a month ago, but this time you can walk on top of the white blanket instead of plowing thru it.

I had already given Mom a short rest by taking care of the chickens this morning (plenty of food, no eggs except the hidden ones under the black star, replaced the frozen water with fresh), and had a little trauma getting Brother back in the house, and I was cold, so when Sister said, very shortly after I had peeled off my winter layers, “Dad, you want to come see something on the hill outside?” I wasn’t particularly inclined.

“What is it?”

“I’m not gonna telllll youuuu.. you have to come outside and see!”

(argh. i’m cold… i haven’t even had breakfast… she’s only five once… you’ll only get a few ice storms together…)

“Okay.” Bundle back up, head out.

The “hill” is a little two foot patch that gets you from the driveway to the house lawn in front, and is less than a 45 degree angle. But when you’re five and your dog is licking you in the face as you slip around, it’s all the space you need for a grand adventure. So we did that a couple of times. Now what.

 ”Come on, follow me!” Sis says. So we tromp up the hundred yard driveway, and that’s when I get the idea. “Grab my hands and lean back,” says I, and we’re off, all the way back to the house, with Sis sliding like she’s on skates. We’re fast, we cut left and right, we flew around in a circle, and watched the dog slip and scramble as she tried to keep up. There was a lot ogf giggling.

What follows is more sliding, an “ice ball” fight, a trip back to the frozen pond (even at an inch thick, I naturally fall thru pretty quick), and more sliding. Later Brother joins in on the fun, and we throw in a trip out to the barn.

I know sometimes as a parent, you have to keep yourself sane and say “no” to some playtime invitations. I’m glad that today at least, I said “yes”.