White Christmas

So Annika has had her first white Christmas -- after a balmy and gorgeous 70-degree December 23, in which we went to a nearby park and regretted not wearing shorts, a big bad storm blew in and started dumping rain, which turned to snow and started sticking in a big way as the temperature dropped to the low 20s on the 24th. There were a couple of runs to the grocery store and for last-minute gifts and household items early in the day (all driving after about noon was done by the one person in the household with inclement-weather driving experience -- R.), and Uncle J. arrived midafternoon with a tale of near-disaster on the highway close to town. We had family dinner & presents, but the traditional party afterward was a skinny one: only three (maniac) guests managed to brave the storm and get out to our place, a record low. The roads were UGLY, with cars stranded in ditches all over the place, no form of snow/ice remediation (e.g. plows, salt or sand, etc.), and a howling wind that made it so cold we didn't have to refrigerate the cold beverages.

Christmas morning, once R. and I got the turkey in the oven, we had Annika's presents (mostly from Mamalah and her Aunt & Uncle -- ours will have to wait till we get back to Tommytown). She was thrilled with pretty much everything, including the Aqua Doodle, the metal pots & pans set, the threadable blocks, the Play-Doh roller set, and the books, and loved opening the pink Uggs and the tutu (but refuses so far to wear either). The biggest hit of all is the Plasma Car, the floor model of which she rode around all over the toy store where she found it (pulling up in front of complete strangers to announce excitedly, "I riding this!"). She loved it so much that Mamalah bought one right there, and it has been worth the price already. (It holds up to 220 pounds -- we've all had a go on it -- so it'll be good for her for years.)

The snow -- well. She doesn't like it much so far. We have tried twice. R. took her outside when it first started to stick, and she really didn't like the falling snow getting on her face. She consented to pick at a tiny snowball he made, but soon wanted to get back inside and wash her hands. Then the three of us bundled up and went out in the yard yesterday -- brilliant sun, no wind, but cold. She watched me make a snow angel, then allowed us to help her make one, but that was it -- "Want to go inside, wash hands!" Maybe next time -- this could take some getting used to.

All in all, it has been a fun trip so far, except for the not-napping (or abbreviated-napping) thing she's gotten herself into, ugh. Too much excitement for one tiny girl! She's gone shopping, ridden the plasma car, helped decorate the tree, visited with great-granddad K., swung on swings and gone down slides, eaten lots of new and tasty food, and had a bunch of time to hang out with Mamalah and Aunt L. -- and we're not done yet!