January 20

It started snowing last night, and didn't let up until around 11:00 this morning. The result was about 8 inches of lovely, fluffy snow. When the sun finally came out this afternoon, Caleb and I went out to play in the winter wonderland.

Picture Caleb in his too-big snowsuit that causes him to waddle instead of walk, and me in my dad's late-'70s snowbibs, with prominent baby bump. We were a funny sight, I'm sure.

I am now going to bombard you with way too many snow photos, because I couldn't narrow it down.

The first thing Caleb did when I set him down in the snow was try to eat it.

I'm not sure if that face indicates he was pleased with his snow-eating efforts, or displeased.

Then he tried to crawl out of the snow.

It didn't work; the snow was too deep.

It turned out Caleb doesn't like super-deep snow. Perhaps it's something about the fact that he's 32.5 inches tall, and the snow was 8 inches deep... I'd be concerned, too, if I was in snow that covered 1/4 of my body! Instead, we stuck to the driveway. Chris shoveled it at 6 a.m., so it was only covered with an inch or so of snow. Caleb liked that much better.

We got out the shovel that Grandmother and Grandad gave Caleb for Christmas. Caleb was excited, but unsure what to do with it.

Luckily, the kindergartener across the street came out with his dad and started shoving with his little shovel. Caleb watched him intently for a while until he understood what a big boy does with a shovel.

Once he knew what to do, Caleb was a champ with the shovel! He was especially happy when he could switch between the big shovel and the little shovel he uses in my garden.

Doesn't he have the look of an Arctic explorer? What, they don't have puppy dog ears on their hats? Or little plastic shovels? Or bare hands because their mittens render their hands useless? Oh.

Well, don't tell Caleb that. He's off to explore uncharted territories - like the neighbor's yard.