This may be a little bit of revisionist history, but last year’s winter was a bust; particularly in comparison to the winters I remember as a kid.  Last year was full of rain, warm weather, a wasted season’s pass to Hockley Valley, a pair of show shoes being left to collect even more dust in the basement alongside the cross country skis, toboggan hills covered in more mud than snow, and I don’t recall a single snowman, snow fort or snowball fight taking place in our backyard.  Compare that to when I was the age my girls are now and I recall mountains of snow alongside our driveway, begging to be hollowed out with an elaborate tunnel system.  I remember zooming down hills on my GT until that final sliver of the setting sun disappeared.  I remember snow days that felt legitimately earned and that, come December, you could count on your friends to be outside after school, bundled up and ready to pummel each other with a fresh-packed arsenal of snowballs.  Well, as I write this entry while enjoying a fresh snowfall outside my window, it warms me to say that this year certainly feels more in line with those fond childhood recollections.  Welcome, Winter.

While it was certainly disappointing that the snow we did mange to accumulate ahead of Christmas all but washed away with the rain on Boxing Day, the past two weeks have brought back a blanket of white in our town.  A perfect mix of fluffy powder, underneath it the necessary foundations of packing snow to construct whatever our hearts and imagination’s desire.  Our first order of business, of course, was to lay the groundwork for a snow fort, so we can quickly check that one off the list.  In addition to the traditional base structure and tunnel system, however, this year we also added “The Perimeter”  – a roughly 10-foot by 10-foot square ‘pit’ surrounded by a wall of snow on all sides.  When following the instructions of my eldest based on the blue prints in her mind, I wasn’t entirely sure what the intention behind this section of our yard would be for; a pretend garden?  an imaginary swimming pool? what could she possibly want these walls for?  When I lay down the final bond of snow to complete the wall, and then carved out a door, she swiftly let me know exactly what this would be – The Perimeter, as she called it, would be the “let’s tackle Dad in the snow showdown arena”, and we’ve spent many evenings and countless hours out there since its construction, wrestling and laughing, and forcing another memory as I think of my brother and I taking advantage of the soft, wintery ground of fresh snow to throw each other around between laughter and cheer when I was roughly Nora’s age.

Of course, I am not 9 years old any more, and I while I love nothing more than actively playing and rolling around on the ground, between rounds as I catch my breath and allow my knees a chance to stop aching, we will just lay in the snow looking up and the night sky to catch stars.  In these brief moments we share our thoughts about the universe, school, work. the future, whatever.  They are brief but beautiful, and make our little outdoor playground even more meaningful than it already was.  Can those same moments occur in the summer while lying on the grass in the warm evening air?  Absolutely, but I would challenge any one of who to not get caught in the magic that occurs when a pale winter sky moves between the stages of the lightest of snowfalls to a display of glistening stars.

When not in our snowy backyard oasis we will find ourselves adventuring downtown, walking through forests, sliding down hills, or in the midst of an epic snowball showdown.  Once again our yard lends itself as a perfect battleground, with shelters and structures for cover, and as our whole family gets into these, I have to a moment to say that Alison is quite the sniper with a snowball; a skill I had no idea she possessed, as she’s taken the win in every round we’ve played far.  Who knew such hidden talents existed?!

And winter wouldn’t be winter without the opportunity to toboggan, skate or ski.  Now I’ll admit that while I enjoy most aspects of outdoor winter activity, and particularly skiing, I don’t need to do it at -30 degrees.  I want to have fun and still feel my extremities, so when we go skiing really does depend on the perfect conditions; conditions met this past weekend, so we hit the slopes for a day full of downhill adventure and hot chocolate.  And, you know when sometimes things just ‘click’?  You get the perfect parking spot, you don’t have to wait in line, no one breaks down in a fuss, or complains that something doesn’t fit, or that it’s too cold, or that they’re tired and want to go before you even start?  Well, this was that kind of day.  We (and I should truthfully state that the kids) rocked it.  We were out there far longer than I thought they’d last and we all had smiles on our faces when we made our way home.  I just felt like a perfect day.

Yes, winter seems to have its grip on me, at least for now, and for all of the reasons mentioned above, this feels like a really good place to be at moment.  The kids are at a great age for play.  Our family is exploring and experiencing together, and we don’t need much more than what nature is providing us to enjoy it.  Ask me again in a month if I’m tired of shovelling and I’m sure I’ll give a different opinion, but as this year’s intention is to focus on outlook, this view is one that I think I’ll hang onto for a while.