Winter Comes to the South

The second week in February, it snowed about 6 inches on Sunday night and Monday morning, plus perhaps another 2 inches overnight on Monday, canceling school Monday and Tuesday. Even with a delayed opening of school on Wednesday, driving conditions were still icy in the neighborhoods (especially on residential hills where the snowplows or salting trucks had not ventured). Here in the South, we aren't used to snow sticking on the ground past 10 AM the morning after it has fallen!


Watching the snow
Gabi had no interest in going outside on Monday to play in the snow. It looked too cold! She only got dressed after I promised her that I would not make her go outside. Bella wanted to put shoes on and run outside in her pajamas; however, she refused to get dressed, so we ended up just playing inside. The kids did carry small chairs over to the window and stare out at the snow a la The Cat in the Hat.


The girls' window view
On Tuesday, I coaxed the children outside. Monday afternoon had brought freezing rain/snow mix before the overnight dusting, so the previous day's snow had frozen into an almost-solid crunchy layer. Unlike our Little Rock friends who played in the fresh snow on Monday, we were unable to build a snowman taller than the kids. That didn't stop the kids from having fun, though!


Gabi drawing in the snow


Gabi's snow drawing


Gabi's snowball toss


Bella making tracks


Bella happily declared this chunk of icy snow to be diamond-shaped


Gabi sinking into the snow
Sunday night's snow was still covering the ground on Wednesday evening! (Although, as you can see in the next picture, the sidewalks were more covered in slippery ice.)


Bella showing me the snow
A full week later, we still have patches of snow in shady spots and along the sides of the street where the snowplows piled it up. The roads and skies are clear, though, and we've had nice sunny (albeit still freezing) days.


Gabi and Bella's play picnic
Michael just returned from touring Vanderbilt, and it snowed the entire time he was in Nashville. We're glad he made it home safely driving through snow in the dark!