Snowballs Falling on my Head

The weatherman predicted it. Everyone said it was coming. I didn't believe it. I was wrong.

Jack was like a little boy on Christmas Eve last Saturday night. He wanted to stay up late to watch the forecast (again), then he got up twice (two times) in the night to peek outside the window, and his eyes were finally greeted with what he had been waiting for when he got up at 5:30 Sunday morning.

I awoke shortly thereafter to a miniature earthquake on the bed beside me.

"It's a winter wonderland! It's a winter wonderland!!" Jack yelled as he bounced off the bed and ran out of the room.

I was too cool (and tired) so I rolled over and went back to sleep. Jack was gracious enough to wait until almost 6:30 before he tiptoed into SB's room just to "see if she was awake."

She wasn't.

Well, he fixed that problem. I decided I better get up to ensure she was properly bundled before going outside to see the snow. When I peeked outside, I was stunned.

It was a winter wonderland, indeed. It had snowed, and it had stuck! For the first time in NINE YEARS, we got to see some snow in our yard.



It was terribly exciting, so I hurried to bundle myself up as well, and we bolted outside to get a good snow angel in before it all melted.



SB was totally pumped when we opened the door, and she saw what was waiting for her.


You can watch her reaction here.

But after a few minutes, she wasn't sure what to think of it, especially as the wind kicked up and furiously drove the falling snow into our faces. I had to take her inside soon after we went out to warm her up and have some breakfast. I told Jack breakfast was ready.

Jack wouldn't hear of it. He was hard at work, building a snowman. He finally came inside for a minute, ran to our room, then quickly disappeared into the snow again. Several minutes later, he proudly announced that his snowman was complete.



We were all so proud. We live on a street with lots of kids, and we couldn't understand why none of our neighbors were outside pelting each other with snowballs and building snowmen. Then I realized it was barely seven a.m., and most people were probably still sleeping in on a Sunday morning. Not us.

Jack even managed to give SB a ride on a "sled." You can see that here.

Jack and I could barely wait until SB's naptime came around, so we could go back outside and declare war on each other. and the neighbors.

We finally got some company as two of our neighbors had discovered the snow and were out taking pictures of our snowman. Jack and I obviously had to defend our yard, and we rained down snowballs upon them.

It was a quick battle and a decisive victory. Us-1, Them-0

Since no worthy opponents could be found, we had no choice but to take our wrath out on each other. We cleaned the front yard of snow in about 30 minutes, and most of it ended up in my hair and face. Jack is bigger, stronger and faster than I, and he is quite ruthless when it comes to snowball fights. We finally called a truce so we could get ready for church, as a once in a decade blizzard is not reason enough to cancel our weekly meeting.

I was finally starting to thaw out in the shower when I had the brilliant idea to get Jack back for all the snow he had pelted me with outside. I would wait until he got in the shower, then come in with snowballs and attack.

I suppose it's true what they say about all great minds. We think alike.

It was not one minute later when I heard a knock at the door and Jack's voice innocently calling my name. The door was not locked, and I looked up just in time to see a COOLER FULL OF SNOW being dumped over the shower curtain and into my face.

Jack was giggling like a schoolboy as he scurried out the door and ran to safety. I was steamed. But also frozen. Payback was coming. I knew he would be expecting revenge, so I needed to alter my plans slightly.

I did an excellent job of playing it cool while I dressed, dried my hair and started my make up. Jack finally came back inside to shower, and I bolted into action. I ran outside and packed a dozen snowballs into the cooler, then posted up outside the bathroom door. My plan was to crack the door open, so I could hear when he turned off the water. I would wait until the precise moment when he pulled back the shower curtain to exit the tub, then I would explode into the room like an IED and pelt him unmercifully.

I tried the door. It was locked, which was not wholly unexpected. I produced a toothpick and went to work on the knob. But son of a gun if that dang lock would not be picked! I briefly considered turning on the hot water full blast in the kitchen so he would have to suffer a cold shower, but that seemed so unworthy.

I am still biding my time, waiting for the right moment to attack. It's been four days, but the remains of our snowman are still sitting in a pitiful pile in the front yard. Perhaps today, when he arrives home from work, he will be met with a fate most cold.