Work or Play?

There's a new way to shovel. Apparently it helps support the back so that injuries are less likely to happen, back injuries anyway.

It's called Swing Shovelling

or Shovel Swinging

or maybe the Shoveling Swing

... Swinging Shoveler?

It's simple really. All you have to do is set up your swing set over the area which needs to be shoveled. This requires a dirt shoveler, wrench, maybe a hammer, and, you know, just a little bit of time. Next swing and shovel until everything within reach is clear. Then just repeat these steps over and over.

Fine. Do it the old-fashioned way but Nathan's way looks like a lot more fun!

After Nathan had been outside for quite some time working on perfecting his invention and then conquering the snow hills, I asked him if he was cold and "Are you ready to come inside?" He's building up his cold endurance because in spite of his red cheeks and nose, he claimed that wasn't cold yet. (The endurance time has really expanded after he embraced the wisdom of using his warm, water-proof gloves instead of his easy to get on knitted gloves.)

His look was pleading with me to allow him to stay outside longer. How can you say "no" to this face?

Or this... this... or this. (Don't worry. I have a LOT of practice in this area.)

But this day... he stayed outside.

Then Noah joined him.

Noah doesn't have quite the amount of cold endurance built up so I had hot chocolate at the ready. He also tends to stumble on the snow drifts and just sits there until I run outside from my window perch to help him back up. It's a good thing for him that Nathan and I had shoveled pathways in the yard. He only needed rescued twice.

Even our dog, Cairo, got into the snow fun and pinned her chew toy face down in the snow until it squeaked to the count of ten.

The record holder for cold endurance is Josiah though. He'll stay in the snow for hours. Shoveling, building, transporting, building igloos, and whatever else his imagination comes up with.

There's nothing better to than to top off a round of snow play with some delicious hot chocolate. (It really helps with the coming-in blues too.)