The First “Nose”

Today was the first real snow.

It came in a bluster of northwest wind overnight, somewhat unexpected.

The first hint I had of it was the faint white glow from my bedroom window, when the baby woke me up before sunrise.

My seven year old saw it with her own eyes, and raced into the room to tell me. “A snowstorm!” She woke her five year old brother, and they began making plans involving sleds and snowballs.

While brewing the coffee downstairs, I flipped on the radio to discover that the bridge to the mainland was closed and the ferry wasn’t running. Every once in a while I remember we really do live on an island, and the best laid roads of mice and men are still subject to the whims of the North Atlantic.

But it was a cozy feeling nonetheless as the fire warmed the draughty old house, and I was left alone with my porridge while the big kids rolled snowballs across our giant front lawn, leaving crooked green trails behind. When they had three big enough to stack, the back door flew open and I could hear them rummaging for an extra hat and scarf. “Mom, do we have any carrots left from the garden?”

It never fails. The first snow always makes me smile.

This year I almost didn’t feel ready for it. There were too many things left undone from the summer and fall. Beach toys and tools to put away, and mitts still to find. To-do lists left undone. An unsettling sense of being behind in everything, and because of that a tingle of inadequacy. Like I wouldn’t deserve the joy I always felt, because I hadn’t done enough to prepare for it.

We rummage around for a stub of a carrot, and bundle up the baby. For all she remembers, this is her very first snow, all over again.

“Snow,” we tell her, pointing at the strange white stuff.

“Snow,” we tell her, as it makes crunching noises under her boots.

“Snow,” we tell her, introducing her to the lumpy snowman wearing a pink and purple toque. It is taller than she is.

“Snow!” we all cry.

Her face beams. “Nose!” she shouts. “Nose!”

We can’t help but laugh, and she thinks she’s made a marvellous joke. Who can blame a baby for a little consonant reversal? It’s all so new to her.

And snow has a way of renewing the child heart in me. This is its peculiar grace. I can’t control it, only find a mismatched pair of mittens, brace against the wind, and share in the delight with my kids.

Both wind and snow would clear up as the day went on. A brilliant sun would shine, melting all save for the little snowman that stood defiantly in the middle of the lawn, with a pebble smile under its nose.

 

~lg

S.D.G.

Lindsey Gallant
A northern girl living the island life. Learning "glad and natural living in the recognized presence of God." Writer, book nerd, nature lover. Homeschool mom and Charlotte Mason enthusiast. Prefers pen and paper.

29 Comments

  1. I cannot wait for our little guy to experience his first snow 🙂 He’s 8 months and I know he’s going to love it! Love your story!

    1. It’s so fun to watch them experience everything for the first time! My daughter was about that age last year when we got snow, but of course, she doesn’t remember it. They’re so full of wonder!

  2. Oh, my! Can’t believe you had enough snow to build a snowman! We are yet to get any here in NY, to be honest, I am glad and the longer it take the better. NY is pretty falling down but once it’s on the grown oh yuck ha!

  3. There is nothing better than snow to bring the family together and have everyone enjoying their inner child. I always wish for snow on Christmas but as odd and warm as the weather has been, I highly doubt it this year.

  4. I miss the days of snow, when I lived in the midwest. Now we live in the dessert and rarely get enough snow to do anything other than make a mess out of the sand! It was fun to see it through someone else’s eyes!!

  5. That snowman is so cute! We are supposed to get our first flurries this weekend and it will be my daughter’s real first because she was too young to remember it last year as well. 🙂

  6. What a nice story! I love the baby yelling Nose! Too cute. I live in SC and I have my air on today! I am ready for some real winter.

  7. This is fsntastic! I wish we had snow to make a snowman with! Enjoy this special time of year with your Little’s!

  8. So cute! We live in SE Texas so the first time all 3 of my kids saw snow was 2 years ago on a vacation to Colorado! They LOVED it & have been begging us to move north ever since!

  9. Such a wonderful time in a child’s life! I know I sure need to slow down and enjoy “snow” through my child’s eyes more often instead of the dreaded extra work that it brings to us adults. Thank you for this reminder!

  10. Aw, we had snow where we live in Southeast Texas on Friday for the 1st time in several years lol. Not including flurries once or twice before. I was just as excited as my girls!

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