Winter Wonderland

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The trip to the cabin went something like this: Stella, this is snow. Snow, this is Stella. I am sure you will both be fast friends.

I have always remarked that I think Stella was born with an impaired fear instinct. As in, she seems to fear nothing but the vacuum cleaner, the hand-vac and the hairdryer. Snarling dog? Doesn’t phase her. Careening down a hill on a toboggan? Bring it. She even went so far as to get mad when the afternoon snow got too slushy to provide adequate speed. I fear she is going to head into her adult life with a dirty house, bad hair style and as a career contestant on Fear Factor.

Building a snowman was a fleeting pass-time until she could once again go out front and scale the snow-mountain that had been created at the end of the snow-plow route. She scoffed at the steps that were loviningly carved into it by her doting Gramps, and opted to scale the opposite side like an arctic mountain goat.

And don’t even get me started on the pleasure she took in getting free reign to throw snow at anyone who would come within 10 feet of her.

As an added benefit, Stella’s need to leave no snowflake unturned provided Porter with ample opportunity to indulge in his favorite pass-time: watching his sister.

As for photos, yes there were many, but here are some of my favorites…

porter

snowman

stella

steve and porter

stella and steve

stella

Decisions, Decisions…

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The VERY important question posed to me this morning:

“I am going to put the basket on top of the car, and load all of the suitcases on it. Would it be classier to wrap each one, individually, in a contractor bag or cover the entire thing with a blue tarp?”

For some reason, my Standards Manual for the Good Taste Challenged, doesn’t actually cover this scenario.

The case of Walston v. Walston

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Witness Exhibit A:

stella

I’d like you to draw your eye, specifically, to one sage green overall dress (“the dress”) that has been in said subject’s closet for close to 6 months now; unworn, unseen, unloved.

Now, may I present Exhibit B:

stella

I invite you to pay special attention to the location of the pockets of “the dress” (approaching the middle of the back), indicating the notable size incongruity between “the dress” and the person on whose body it currently resides.

May I present to the jury that on roughly 6,457 occasions over the past 6 months, it has been suggested that the subject wear “the dress”, to which, the response has consistently and resoundingly been “NOOOOOOOO!” May it also be stated that this may be the only child on the planet who, with some regularity, has to be bribed with coins to wear various pieces of her own clothing.

May I present to the jury that on this, the 20th day in the 12th month of the year 2006, said subject INSISTED that she wear “the dress” regardless of the fact that it was indicated that it’s size was no longer adequate, and the side fastening devices could not be adequately secured. And, let it further be stated that, much to parental dismay, “the dress” was worn to school.

I ask the jury to overlook the subject’s doe eyes and bubbly personality, and find her guilty of being three.