I have always enjoyed winter in New England. When I was a child, I enjoyed building snowmen in my parents’ back yard and going sledding on some really fun hills. As I got older, I learned to ski and then to snowboard. Sure, it can get cold here, but the snow is only around for a few months and there is plenty of fun to be had before it all melts away.
When my first son was born, I knew that that winter would be a difficult one. It was November, so that meant that my baby would be rather young during those cold and snowy months. There would be no snowmen just yet, just bundling and unbundling whenever we left the house to go anywhere. There would be no sledding, and no snowboarding, because I was at home with my baby boy.
The next winter, Dylan learned to walk and was able to play in the snow a little bit. I even got a tiny toddler sled and pulled him around and around our house. He really enjoyed it, but since he was still quite small I had to keep our outings brief. He was a toddler, but my visions of building snowmen, sledding, and snowboarding with him would have to wait.
When Dylan was two we did get to have a little winter fun, despite the fact that I was pregnant and could not get my snow pants and coat to fit very well because of my belly. We built our first snowman, a handsome fellow named Bob, and we decorated him with a hard hat and plastic tools. Dylan also spent a lot of time digging in the snow with his shovel, and helping me shovel our deck. Winter with a two year old was definitely more fun than winter with a one year old.
This winter, I am trying to enjoy a little snowy fun with Dylan, who is now three years old, and Blake, who is just ten months old. Since Blake is a baby, we sometimes have to keep our outdoor adventures shorter than Dylan would like because Blake gets cold. Even with plenty of layers, babies are babies and their little faces can get quite chilly. Some days we can go out for longer times than others, it all depends upon the temperature. For example, last week it got to nearly forty degrees. We were outside a lot. Today, temperatures were in the single digits, with a wind chill that brought it down to about minus ten or so. Needless to say, we stayed inside.
Winter with small children can be a bit hit or miss. I love many things about the toddler years, but I think that other ages and stages will be much more enjoyable as far as winter activities go. What do you think?