It snowed here. Rare and wonderful. The snow is so wet here that you really can taste a snowflake on your tongue. The kids pulled out every piece of winter clothing and hobbled together passable outfits. Girl-2-kid-4 had to wear newspaper bags under a pair of my size eight sneakers. Girl-1-kid-3 wore her oldest brother's (or father's) big hunting boots. It used to freak me out when the snow fell knowing that kids might get their feet too wet. They have survived every winter storm since 1994. Now I just let them rummage around and wear what they find.

Our second son was happy to go out in the woods with his BB gun. In the summer he won't go out there because of ticks. He and his brother wondered around pretending to be in real wilderness. I bet b2k2 wished his coon skin cap still fit him. I used to love roaming the fields and orchards around my house. I feel rewarded every time my kids take a "hike" outside.

Actually, the way the boys have been getting along, I am surprised they both returned home from their deep winter adventure. I am sure boy-2-kid-2 has a secret booby trap out among the bamboo hidden in the leaves...a deep hole with spikes pointing up to impale an obnoxious 17-year-old. He probably wishes a tick would eat its way to his older brother's brain.