For the love of winter

Winter in DC this year has been a bit of a bummer.  More cold weather than we've had in recent years but until yesterday, no snow.  Plenty of rain.  Cold, wet, unhealthy, and unpleasant rain. Blah.  A winter without snow is a bit sad in my mind having grown up in the northeast.  I've always loved snow days, well into adulthood.  I am one of those federal workers who live by the OPM operating status updates from December through February.  And snowmen, cocoa, and sled riding make me happy.  Winter sports traditionally alluded me.  I started skiing at 25 and admit that it's only been in the last year or two that I've actually enjoyed it.  Skating is quite another story.  (Even if hell froze over I am not sure I'd put on a pair of skates these days.)  

So our extreme brush with winter during the past few weeks has been lovely.  The girls and I headed up to NJ to see my family over the Martin Luther King day weekend.  They have winter in NJ.  We got a few small snow showers, freezing temps, and sled riding.  Of course, I managed to fly off the sled and wrack my back but I suppose that's part of the territory.  Now, the 4 of us are in VT, mostly inside today as we watch the snow pile up at a rate of 2 inches an hour.  We arrived last Saturday for a week of skiing.  Ryan has been in his glory- out from 9 AM-4 PM most days.  Even Isabel is enthralled, asking to be enrolled in ski school.  This was a bit surprising considering her reaction to being on skis on Sunday (lots of yelling and accusations that we were being mean to her.)  Only Lottie doesn't seem to be entirely moved.  She spent most of her time on plastic skis yelling her head of (well at least through the pacifier) and collecting huge chunks of snot.  She "played" outside for all of 5 mins today before demanding to come in.  I am confident we'll make a winter lover out of her yet.  Two more days of skiing before we go home.  I hope we don't have to leave winter behind as well.