Snow day!

Friday was a Snow Day for Leighton at school!  Yes, in Houston!

Okay, it wasn't REAL snow.  It was more like crushed ice.  And it was only a small patch on the school field.

When I saw the Snow Day listed on the school calendar and read the description that they had hired a snow maker to fill the playground with snow, I was envisioning something quite different than what ended up being there.  And so did the moms on the parent council that I talked with.  Apparently what was delivered was not what was promised.

BUT, the kids didn't care.  They loved it!  And for lots of the kids, it was the closest thing to a snow angel and snowball fight they've ever experienced.  And for my kid (and sentimental mommy me!), it was a chance to relive his winter memories.  And that was all that mattered.

Leighton was so excited for the Snow Day and kept talking about having a snowball fight and building a snowman.  He even wrote Roy this note one morning:

 The 'snow' wasn't the right consistency for a snowman, but snowballs worked good enough!

Yes, those are snow pants he is wearing!  Yes, it was 72 degrees outside!  But, the letter we got sent home said to bring a change of clothes and a jacket and gloves.  We figured it would be easier to just keep Leighton relatively dry rather than to have him need to change his clothes (and we were expecting cooler temperatures in the 60s not 70s - oops!).  And he was SO excited to use his snow gear (which also explains his choice of hat!) from last year that still (kind of) fit.  And he sat and rolled and stayed dry til some other kid put snow down his back and pants!  He loved every minute of it. 

The little sister was less that impressed, however.  All the kids running and shrieking and sending ice flying into her shoes was not making her happy at first.  Eventually, she did come around to the idea of touching the snow and started playing with balls of ice she'd find on the periphery.

Leighton's teacher surprised his class (well, everyone except Leighton was surprised - he overheard her talking about it the day before and had already told me about it!) with hot chocolate and marshmallows after we went back inside.  She included Riley in the fun, too!

The closest Riley got to tasting any of it was to lick one mini marshmallow.

And then she promptly put it in her cup.  This is her 'Baby no like this' face, by the way!

She was beyond pleased just piling them into her cup like the other kids.

Leighton had no problem shoving them into his mouth by the handful, however!

And big fist fulls went into his cup, too!

And then he drank it up.

Every last drop!

Well, except for the drops that ended up smudged on his forehead.  And nose.  And cheeks.  And chin.

Snow Day was definitely a success for Leighton.  And even though it wasn't a day full of 'real' snow like we are used to, it was a fabulous opportunity for him to participate in a cold winter activity while living in Houston.