This week we’re talking about first day of snow/winter traditions. Let me start out with this, I LOVE SNOW! I am the sort of person that does not get along with summer but winter comes around and I am so happy. I’ve been told before that I am “backwards”. When I asked what the person meant he replied, “I see you outside more in the winter than I do in the summer.” It is true, I love winter. I always have.
As a child I remember that first snow fall and I would want desperately to go to the farm so I could take the toboggan out. We would spend hours climbing up the hill in the pasture and sledding back down it. The only rule I ever remember was that we were NOT to sled near the creek. We never did, except for once and I learned my lesson! On days when we could not go to the farm to sled we built snow forts in our yard then the neighborhood kids would come over and we would have a large snowball fight. We had the biggest yard in the neighborhood.
Now I have three children who all love winter as much as I do. Though my middle child would rather look at the snow from inside the warmth of a house he does still go out and enjoy it with us. We live in an apartment so there is no running outside to play in the yard as the snow comes down. We have to go two blocks down to the park or across town to my parents’ house (which is more often the case).
So when that first snowfall comes my kids get all excited. The day starts out with a Snowman breakfast. This breakfast is three mini powdered doughnuts arranged to look like a snowman with pretzels for the arms, chocolate chips for the eyes and buttons, and a kiss for the top hat. Then there are pancakes shaped to look like snowmen with a sprinkle of powdered sugar and a bacon scarf, again chocolate chips make the eyes, mouth, and buttons. To drink I make white hot chocolate. I have yet to find a recipe that we really love for that but I will eventually.
After our snowman breakfast we head to my parents (if it is not a school day) where we shovel the walk for them and then build the first snowman of the year. This past year we built several. Wyatt did one nearly all by himself. I helped him lift the pieces together but he was so happy that he had rolled them (with a little help). While Quinlan and Jessica built mini snowmen to arrange around the large one. Since our first snow this winter was before Thanksgiving the snowmen did not last long, in fact the large one had fallen over by the end of the day as the snow melted.
The night of the first snow we snuggle up with a cup of hot chocolate to watch a movie. The hot chocolate varies from year to year. Quinlan likes instant, Wyatt likes homemade, Jessica used to go for homemade until my mom gave us a cocoa machine this past November (you use milk and the candy bar of your choice). Right now the biggest hit with them is hot strawcolate (hot chocolate with strawberry), which I made once because I was out of regular milk and now they always want it.
These events hardly ever happen on the first calendar day of winter. This past winter it was before Thanksgiving. Many years it is about the first of December or so. As you can see a lot of our first day of snow traditions has to do with snowmen. We’ve always wanted to go to one of those snowmen competitions but I honestly don’t know of any place near here that has them.
Do you go out and play in the snow or stay in and enjoy the warmth of your home?
Angela Schroeder
Patricia Kiyono
Elaine Cantrell
Jeff Salter
Joselyn
Tonette Joyce
Four Foxes, One Hound 
used to love playing in the snow. Growing up — except for two years as a toddler in Chicago — I lived in the south and only recall maybe two or three snowfalls the whole time. Then, in 10th grade, we lived in S.E. Iowa… and they had a winter full of snow. We sledded and tried to skate.
Got so cold playing in the snow that my fingers felt like bananas.
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I can’t imagine not having snow all the time in the winter. My kids each have several pairs of gloves. I have them change them in the middle of playing to keep their fingers warm, we also have handwarmers that I can put in their pockets.
I bet that winter in Iowa was fun, how did you do with the skating?
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I was terrible with the skates. I thought, since I knew how to roller skate, that ice-skating would be relatively easy. Nope. Never got the hang of it.
Part of the problem with the cold in Iowa was that we really didn’t have proper cold-weather gear. Having lived mostly in Louisiana, our gloves were more decorative than functional.
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Oh, Angie, what fun! And so appropriate today because it is our first real, decently accumulated snowfall and the first snow day for the grandkids,(none of whom, unfortunately, are with me today.)
Even as a skinny little kid I liked the snow, (and snow days!), but never stayed out long in it…too cold.
I get really cold now, but I love to see snowmen and snow sculptures, all of which are rare here in North Central KY, where I have been for the last 22 years.
I am interested in your cocoa machine; I have never heard of one like it.
I hope you continue to have a ball…a snow ball!
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It is a Mr. Coffee Cafe Cocoa. I don’t think they make them anymore. My parents purchased it a few years back when they also bought the Mr. Coffee tea service set and that was discontinued. I am not sure of they also stopped making the cocoa machine but I do know when I looked for one in stores I could not find it so my kids were incredibly happy when my parents gave us theirs.
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Your family sure knows how to make the best of things. Sounds like we’re in for a bunch more of this white stuff, so imagine the fun will continue!
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We were disappointed that the last storm shifted a little south. We only got an inch last weekend when we were supposed to get 3-5.
I told the kids there is plenty of winter left. They’ll get a few more big snow falls.
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