Clouds have been covering all of Phoenix the last few days, pouring rain down on us for what feels like the first time in forever. Even cooler, though, I’ve seen people mention seeing hail and even snow here! There have to be a lot of people in Arizona who’ve never seen it before, not with how hot it usually stays here.
Tristan’s young, so most of his life has been spent down here in the Valley of the Sun. We learn about snow here, but it’s rare to actually experience it, so I promised him we’d go on an adventure to Northern Arizona. It made him so excited! Tristan would call friends and family to tell them about how his mommy was going to take him adventuring, even talking about it with the few people we get to see in person. You know how kids love to ask “are we there yet?” on road trips? It was like that around the house: he was so excited.
I finally had the chance to trek up to Flagstaff with Tristan, which got him all revved up. It felt a little sad when we got up there first–the snow had only barely falling when we made it into town, so most of the snow was just the remains on the roads and along sidewalks. It wasn’t until after dinner, when we got to our hotel, that it started to stick.
But man, did it stick. When we woke up the next morning, Tristan’s first words were “Mommy, mommy! Look, it’s snow! It’s snow, mommy!” Opening the curtains actually hurt my eyes a little from the sun glinting off the fresh snowfall, but I knew it was going to be a fun day. There was a small park near the hotel, and I knew it would be perfect for Tristan to get his excited energy out.
Boy, was he excited. Our friend Kathy went on the expedition with us, and she and I had to keep reminding Tristan to be careful. He’s energetic even by normal kid standards, and I was a little worried. If you haven’t been out in snow, you might not know how it can hide ice and make running more precarious than usual. Add in the need to social distance and to stay away from nearby roads, and you might see why I was even more vigilant than usual.
I don’t think it mattered to Tristan, though. All he wanted to do was kick the snow, to pick it up and make snowballs or toss fistfuls of it into the air to make it fall again. Once he got some of that excitement out of his system, I got to join him in playtime! I’ve seen snow before, but while Tristan was exploring, I realized I’d never done a lot of what we think of in wintertime. Tristan’s first snowventure turned into firsts for both of us!
Our first snowperson.
Tristan’s first snowball fight, and my first with him.
Our first snow angels. (Movies make it seem so easy, but man, it was cold!)
Kathy even got in on the fun and helped Tristan craft a snowturtle, which was something I’d never thought to do. (That’s why you bring friends when you can. Adventures are always better when you have more ideas, after all.)
Tristan had so much fun that he didn’t want to leave, even when his nose was redder than Rudolph’s. You know how stubborn kids can be when they’re having fun, the way their energy seems limitless until they finally stop moving. After a while, though, the cold set in, and Tristan finally decided he wanted to go home to where it was warmer. I’m sure the promise of some hot cocoa helped!
Even if you don’t have kids, there’s something magical about playing in the snow. I’m glad that Tristan’s first time was such a success, and neither of us can wait until our next adventure. I hope everyone reading this also has something to look forward to, whether it’s snowfall, rainfall, a new book, or something else. Making memories is important now more than ever!
Stay safe, everyone!
Love,
Jo
