FOOTSTEPS IN THE SNOW

“I love snow days!” I said as I looked out our front window. The ground was covered in snow with a few flakes still coming down.

“You haven’t had a snow day in years.” My son Alex said as he came into the room.

We both stood at the front window watching our neighbors across the street, with their four little ones, out playing in their front yard. Two of them were building a snowman with Mom while Dad was pulling one on a sled and the last one was steering his remote control car over several moguls he’d built.

“I miss those days.” I sighed as I took a sip of tea.

Alex couldn’t help but laugh. “You hated being out in the snow!”

I began shaking my head. “Oh, I’m not saying I miss having to be out in the snow.” I looked over at him. “I miss you at that age playing in the snow.” I sighed again. “You and your friends would spend hours in our back yard making all kinds of things.”

My husband Steven came into the room. “I’m going out in about an hour to clean off the sidewalk and get the cars cleared off. I just want to finish up a few things at my desk first.”

“No hurry. We’re not going anywhere.” Alex and I were still looking out the window when Steven stopped to watch as our next door neighbors and their three kids were crossing the street to join the others. “Oh, now it’s a party!” I said.

We watched as the two Dad’s tied together some sleds, attached them to a riding lawnmower, and made a small caravan of sleds for the kids be on while one of the Dads drove them around the house with the lawnmower.

I looked over at Steven. “Okay, now that’s clever.”

A snowball fight had broken out with both families. We could hear their laughter as they scooped up handfuls of snow. Some bare patches were now appearing on their front lawn. I looked at our lawn with it’s blanket of pristine snow. Not a footprint anywhere.

“I miss that, too.” I sighed.

“What?” Steven asked.

“Besides a well trodden front lawn I miss a kitchen filled with wet snow pants hanging from the backs of chairs while my kitchen table was filled with kids eating homemade cookies and sipping hot chocolate.”

Alex laughed again. “Those were fun times.”

I put my tea cup down on the coffee table. “Well, I can still make my snow day fun.” I said as I headed for the kitchen.

“What are you going to do?” Steven asked as he followed me.

“I’m going to bake some muffins.” I began pulling out the muffin tin and getting out a mixing bowl.

Alex had followed us. “Didn’t we all decide that we were cutting back on desserts right now?”

I looked over at him. “These aren’t going to be for us.” I said as I pulled a pumpkin muffin mix out of the cabinet. “I’m making these for the kids across the street.” I looked over at Steven. “When they’re done can you take them over for me?”

“Sure.” Steven looked over at Alex then back at me. “But could we at least have one before I do?”

I stopped and did a quick head count of everyone across the street. “Sure. But you two are going to have to split one. Otherwise I’m not going to have enough.”

Alex looked over at Steven before nodding his head. “I’m good with that.”