Sledding!!!!!!!!

Remember the joy in sledding? Dressing up in so much clothes to keep warm, so that each Layer will hold the wetness away until the very end?

Sledding was one of the best times for me in the winter, that and building snow caves in the LARGE snow drifts almost as tall as our house from the wind in my hometown. I remember bundling up, with long socks, sweatshirts, thick pants, snow pants, winter coat, snow gloves, hats, and scarfs. With all the Layers we were guaranteed atleast a good 45 minutes before our inner most clothes were soaked. We would then proceed to walk down the street to the open fields pulling our sleds behind us. When we got to a good sledding hill we would crawl under the neighbors electric fence and just sled, crawing up the hill and sledding down until our legs hurt. I remember sitting on my sled, with my wet gloves grabbing the electric fence just to see how strong the shock was. We all did it. I guess it's something i got from my dad...who once told us he actually pee'd on the fence to see what would happen as a little boy...you can guess.

After sledding, with our wet clothes and snowsuits we would waddle slowly back to house. Where we would peel off the wet clothes, toss them on the heat vents throughout the house, in hopes they would be dry for later snow fun. We then proceeded to hunt down our beloved Daschound Buddy with our cold hands...he was always so warm! Hot chocolate was always served, the kind with the marshmellows.

This past weekend, we bought Layla and Aidan their first sled. It is amazing how memories of sledding as a child swarmed me as i watched the two go down the hill together for the first time in their lives. The petrified look on Layla when Kendall put her on the sled...in front and slowly pushed the sled to the edge of the hill...the look of "You are letting us go down THAT?!" The look on Aidan's face as he smiles huge, the excitement of being able to go down a hill, to go fast with the wind blowing in his face. Aidan is a thrill seeker, Layla is the cautious "be careful" kind of gal. Total opposites.

I can remember talking my dad into going down the "big" hill with us. This hill was the rare special occasions we got to go to "snob hill" in town. Where kids from blocks away in town would walk to sled down, a hill that if you got going to fast, the softball field fence at the bottom would definitely stop you quickly. I remember the times i heard my dad laugh the hardest was going down that hill on a sled with me on his lap. It is just one of those activities that brings out the kid in anybody! Hearing Kendall and Gary go down that hill on the sled with Aidan, their laughter, their faces were of small kids again, enjoying the care free nature of sledding with no worries of being cold, wet, or running into an Asian man taking pictures of the snow fun and almost knocking him over. No, it is just something that is pure fun, brings out the child from the adult shell we have put up since becoming parents.

There is nothing more "big kid" like than going on a sled alone for the first time. Being able to be trusted in handling the sled and staying on by yourself. Seeing Aidan jump to this within a few times going down the hill as if it was nothing at all, as if sledding with his sister wasn't enough, he wanted to do it alone, be a big kid, seek the thrill by himself. He mastered the sled as if he had done this a million times before. Physical activity is his thing, he pushes him self to do more, dare more, despite bumps, bruises, and scratches.
I hope they are able to be kids as long as society will allow, longer if i can help it. I want to see the joy in their childhood like i had, the joy of no worries, no cares, just being a kid like we all should be allowed to. Be able to laugh, smile constantly, enjoy the simple things, and keep their wild imaginations fresh in mind. I want to give them the opportunities to experience sledding, to experience any activity they want in order to broaden the joy and keep the spirit of childhood within them. Aidan recently asked for a skateboard after we told him to stop using his xylophone as a skateboard in the kitchen...Kendall and i turned to eachother and said..."Yes, for Easter when it is warmer." We want both of them to be able to try and practice things that they are interested in, even if we have to put them in a full body padded suit. So be it :)


So how is everybody else enjoying the winter weather? Or warm weather depending where you are at!