Go back in time for a moment, not too far – 2006 will do.

Do you remember a book called “The Secret?” It was a best-selling “self-help” book written by Rhonda Byrne. Based on the law of attraction and that “positive thinking can create life-changing results such as increased wealth, health, and happiness.”

No disrespect to those that believe – but I’ve carried positive thoughts all winter that we wouldn’t get snow but it happened! The snow came.  Wet, moist, heavy and mushy, it came in like a lion, stayed like an unwanted friend, and lingered like old fish grease.

Snow is one of the most perplexing things to me and I love to watch it fall. There is such beauty in how something so light dances from the sky, lands on the ground, and stacks itself on top of each other and gains inches in height – simply amazing!

Yet for me, all that beauty goes right out the window when the boys are ready to go outside.

The snow energizes Leo (like he needs a jolt or two), and as it falls he starts pacing back and forth in front of the windows. Harley, I believe participates just to “egg” him on.

I delight in watching them play, I really do, but it is such a chore afterwards. They’re tired, I’m freezing and the snow is just caked onto their hair – ALL OVER THEIR BODIES.

Let me tell you – snow stuck to doodle hair isn’t the easiest to remove. I’ve tried everything:

• Warm towels right out of the dryer

• Heaters in the garage to create a cheap version of a sauna

• Combing it out like tangled hair

(this next one is pure desperation)

• Squeezing the snowballs with my fingers so the snow breaks up and dissolves faster (isn’t that sad?).

This morning I decided to let them play for as long as they wanted, on one condition. They were going to have to wear their snow suits…

Initially Harley resisted, kept shaking his leg out as I wrestled with the other three. When he realized he would not win this battle, he conceded…

Leo immediately found “Wilson”…

And he played with his ball for a long time…

And I mean for a seemingly endless period of time…

When he heard the little children come out to play…

He just strutted on down the street to join in…

Leo was so preoccupied with “Wilson”…

He never saw Harley run down the street to see if Cooper could come out to play…

Watch LEO IN THE SNOW to see what happens when he realizes Harley has left the yard!

Thanks for reading and make someone smile – forward them this story –