First snowman

Having grown up in the "banana belt" of Idaho, where as soon as it snows it's slush, I don't remember ever having the experience of building an actual, honest-to-goodness, snowman. I'm sure there were times when we attempted to form a pile of snow into some sort of snowman-ly shape, but there was never the actual carrot nose, button (or coal or rock) eyes, stick arms, and clothing articles. And now, living in the Eastern Sierra, where we were told we'd have plenty of snow, we've actually been disappointed by the lack of it so far this season. So yesterday, when I peeked out the window and saw a good six to eight inches of powder, my first thought was, "SNOWMAN!" For a true experience, we pulled out the boots and snowpants (and yes, I just barely fit into mine). Jack helped me out by bringing clumps of snow in a shovel. He also designated a flat pile of snow as a "train," and spent a good amount of time "riding" it. And, of course, afterwards we rewarded our hard work with the obligatory mug of hot chocolate. It was a perfect winter experience, one that every kid--and mom--should have.