Oh To Be A Kid Again!

December was always a huge, huge deal to me! My birthday is on the 20th and when you are a kid, to have your birthday AND Christmas in one week - well that was always the biggest week of the year! I am a Christmas freak - I want the dream Christmas they show in commercials - waking up on Christmas morning to find it had snowed, spending time with your family around the tree, waking up to a diamond necklace on your pillow (ok, that's kinda annoying, those jewelry commercials must really make life hell for men out there.) Every year I wish for a white Christmas and we rarely, rarely get it but this year it looks entirely possible! Even last week I was so excited for it to snow and then I got exactly what I asked for (which rarely happens.) So I set out Monday morning with Nicholas in the car and all of a sudden I turned into a big poopy adult. The car started slipping on the bypass highway and any joy I was taking in "the pretty snow!" went right away. Nicholas was chatting happily away about it in the backseat as I gripped the steering wheel, white-knuckled and told him "MOMMY CANNOT TALK TO YOU RIGHT NOW, I HAVE TO CONCENTRATE!" He was disappointed I think but there is nothing more important than getting my precious cargo to daycare safetly, so for that, I do not feel guilty. But when I picked him up later in the day he was lollygagging thru a field, taking his sweet time and enjoying the snow in every way possible. I'm trying to avoid stepping in it while he makes sure he jumps in every snow pile there is. He scoops it up in his hands to eat it and I yell at him about dirty snow and wet gloves. And then I look at his smiling red face and realize that he is behaving exactly the way a 6 year old boy should and I am suddenly reminded how exciting snow was to me, even as little as a week ago. Kids are supposed to jump in the snow and eat it and get wet and talk nonstop about wanting to make snowmen and snowangels. I need to chill out! Let him enjoy it, I always did when I was little! So while I am not changing my driving habits (yes, that is me you passed going 15 miles per hour and glaring at you as you fly by me) I am now taking as much joy in how beautiful it makes it, how extra Christmassy everything looks, and I too cannot wait to go outside with my child and have fun. I forgot for a brief moment but I remember now, snow truly is magical this time of year. Let It Snow!!!!