Snow Days
It’s Tuesday. We’re vacationing in Tahoe at the cabin. Lucas and Asher have the week off school, so we’ve sequestered ourselves in this little house surrounded by white. I asked Lucas whether he thought the landscape looked more like someone had glopped whipped cream everywhere or sprinkled the world with powdered sugar. At first he answered disdainfully, "Mom, it looks like snow fell from the sky and landed on the ground," in his superior, I’m-a-scientist voice. The one that tries so hard to dissect and analyze the world. The one that doesn’t believe in magic or miracles. After a moment, though, he offered his opinion: whipped cream. On the way up the hill, we had already agreed the stones in the river curving along the highway appeared to be wearing fluffy white hats.
Asher has a cold again, which seems unfair because he just got over one a week ago. Since we are comfortable and somewhat confined, it doesn’t impact our plans. I’m sorry he’s not feeling well, though. He (and Ian) had a tough night on Monday night, with phlegmy coughing, stuffy nose, and an abrupt rolling off the bed. Poor baby. He managed to barf on me again yesterday. I never was in the Girl Scouts, but I now feel strongly that I have earned my Vomit Endurance Badge.
Ian has been cooking up a series of fancy feasts for us. He says, "What else is there to do?" We’re going to let him feed us soup, cassoulet, steak, and more. Last night it was pork tenderloin rolls and fondue. This reminds me of trips we made here many years ago, before the kids, during which we spent our days cooking and baking pies from Apple Hills apples–among other things two people can do when there aren’t a bunch of kids around.
Anyway, we made a trip to
So, yeah, we’re comfy now. (The first 12 hours here were freezing cold until we got the house warmed up.) We have a bunch of library books for the kiddos–new board books for Asher, who is insatiable for them, and some easy-reader books for Lucas. Ian’s reading about Muslim wackos and Western zealots in a book by Tariq Ali called, The Clash of the Fundamentalisms. I’ve picked up my first taste of Margaret Atwood: The Robber Bride. I’m enjoying her writing. Her descriptions are rich and amazing, and remind me of
I have some work with me here. And I brought some craft stuff along too–some knitting and a project I’m making for the school auction fundraiser. It’s due in two weeks, so I had better start working on it.
Yesterday we sledded down a small hill next to the cabin. It took a lot of forcing to get Asher into his new snowsuit. He didn’t like his snow boots, especially. He cried a lot, flopped on the ground with noodley legs and yelled, "Big!" I guess heavy, bulky boots take some getting used to. He had to watch Lucas and Ian going down the hill on our fastest red saucer for a long time before he was calm enough and ready to try it. Then, clutched in Ian’s lap, he shouted "Whee!" as they slid down the hill. After several rides, he was ready to try walking. And, just as though the wind had shifted, he was then fine. He tromped manfully all over the snowy road, even running, with his nylon-padded legs going vweep, vweep, vweep in a steady rhythm.
February 18, 2009 at 2:31 am
I’m so happy that you are having some relaxing fun at your cabin, even despite the phlegmmy issues. I hope this time together stays happy and relaxed and I’m glad that Lucas softened his science/logic brain with the snow questions with you. I think It’s much too early for him to lose the magic and wonder. 🙂
Have fun in the snow and keep toasty warm.