Even though we had a teaser of spring, it is still winter. The fresh few inches of still falling snow just keep proving it. But hey, it's the Keweenaw. What do we expect?
Braeden and I expect to make the best of it. Today is the first day I had to bundle him in his one-piece snow suit since he's been back from Wisconsin. Otherwise he had the freedom of his lined nylon pants and jacket. Room to run, run, run!
And run he did.
On Friday he ran and pushed his wagon almost the whole way from the Lake Fanny Hooe boat launch back into town. At one point we stopped to listen to a wood pecker in a tree, and I realized he was panting. Really panting like he was working hard.
For a child who had open-heart surgery three years ago, the panting, rosy cheeks and energy to sustain his pace was a miracle to me. He is doing awesome!
He has also been running along the road to get to the creek in my love's neck of the woods. We'll run to the creek, then find a nice spot to watch the sunset. Sweet Bryce will stomp off chunks of snow to throw and sploosh into one of the few spots of open water on Lake Superior's shore (from the running creek). I make dramatic splooshing sounds, and Braeden throws his arms around like a splashing wild man.
"More."
"More," he signs after each snowy boulder splashes and busts apart in the shallow water. Bryce stomps off another edge of the banks.
I admire him as he exerts all that energy to stomp boulders of snow for Braeden's entertainment -- the bigger the better in Brady P's eyes. Then he climbs up the snow mound and lifts a dripping snow chunk over his head.
"Are you ready, Braeden?" he asks.
Braeden smacks his head for a yes while his mouth opens in extreme excitement at the size of the next chunk. I am amazed myself.
"Kasploosha kapew kapew bawoowoowoosh!" I shout as the splashing commences.
Braeden flails in delight. And signs more.
Mama and Brady P. watching a sploosher
Bryce even took our picture during a sploosher. Pretty nice view for splashing in the creek!
On Saturday, the Copper Dog came to our town. The block was nuts. It was like Fourth of July in Winter. My body went slightly into panic mode as I saw all the people moving about.
But Braeden didn't seem to notice. He just held my hand, looked straight down at the icy slush his feet were stomping through and marched straight ahead. He only looked up to point when he heard a dog barking.
After a walk through the crowd (and his nap) we came back to try the dogsled ride. One of the mushers ran his six-dog team that afternoon in the midst of three days of racing 150 miles to let 50 kids take a ride, two at a time. Bless his heart.
Braeden didn't want to go.
I asked him two dozen times. "Do you want to ride with the puppies?"
He shook his head no each time. So we waited in a nearby bank, so he could at least watch the dogs and be next to them.
Rosy cheeks waiting for the doggies
The dog team is in the upper right corner under the cedar trees. But this was the only picture where Braeden was smiling, so I used it!
Sooner than I thought, it was his turn to ride with his friend Maddie from school. He kicked and screamed.
"He can go with you next round, Mom," the helper told me. I was relieved -- for B and Maddie.
At our turn, I plopped down and set him on my lap, half expecting him to cry and flail. But the dogs started running right away, and he had no time to figure out how he felt about the situation. He was instantly excited to be moving and see the puppies running ahead of us.
He pointed and squealed in delight the whole way. We had a great ride around the park. Whew! And another new experience under his belt.
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