This morning Liam crept into our room at 7:15 full of excitement about today’s snow day. Atticus slept soundly in the nursery as Liam and I searched the Internet for the latest weather updates. Soon we were cozied up in our bed watching the local news and preparing for our day.
A little before 8:00, Atticus peeked his sweet head over the side of the crib as I was finishing my breakfast. I noticed the movement in the monitor and sent Liam into the nursery to spend a few minutes with his brother before I joined them to nurse. As I listened to the two of them giggling and playing happily together, I felt my heart melt with joy. I silently slipped into the nursery to sneak an unexpected photo. Brotherly love truly is beautiful!
Truth be told, on our “snow day” there was a lot of anticipation and waiting for snow. Liam repeatedly and anxiously looked out the window hoping for snowy conditions to come into full effect. He kept asking, “Mom, can we have another snow day?” I tried explaining that this kind of weather in South Texas was incredibly rare. I told him that he was very lucky that already in less than a month an a half he’d already had two days of wintry weather with snowlike conditions. For an overeager six-year old though, explaining and rationalizing how the precipitation and temperatures had to align in perfect harmony to create a winter wonderland was lost on him.
As sleet and snow flurries fell intermittently all morning, the boys and I settled into a morning full of indoor adventures. Building a teepee, experimenting with polymers, baking peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies, playing with Octonauts and Hot Wheels, and a little video gaming set the stage for an ideal morning together.
By mid afternoon when the wintry mix of precipitation led to an accumulation of more sleet than snow fall, Liam decided to venture out even if it meant playing in a slushy mess of ice. Bundled up in long johns, ski pants a few sizes too small, a warm winter coat, mittens, and a beanie, he ventured out to the backyard. Our trampoline covered in a sheet of white sleet and snow offered a perfect platform for him to slip, slide, jump, and play. After a day of being cooped up, it was an ideal way to expend some energy and take in the wintry elements.
More and more little Atticus aspires to be like his big brother. It is truly an endearing quality and so incredibly adorable to see. He wants to wrestle on the floor with Liam the way he sees Liam and his dad rough house. Today proved to be no exception. When Liam anxiously peered out the window in search of snow, Atticus followed suit.
And when Liam ventured out to play in the snow, Atticus expressed great sadness that he couldn’t partake in the wintry merriment too. He stood on the window ledge banging on the window and babbling with a tone of sadness about how he wished he could also be frolicking in the snow. His sadness crescendoed with a loud thudding noise as he banged his hands on the window pane. While my heart ached seeing him so distraught, I also couldn’t help but feel heartfelt joy about the love and adoration he had for his big brother.
As today’s snow day comes to a close, I’m reminded by how beautiful these little moments in our lives can be. It is rare that we have the opportunity to enjoy a day with no agenda whatsoever. So often the constraints of work and other daily to do’s take precedence. Today offered an unexpected opportunity to let things come to fruition organically and with little concern for time. Life has a way of circling back to the little things that remind us how truly blessed we are!
Birds of a Feather 