Snow Fort (Winter Magic)

There's been lots of snow this winter.  The snow banks in the yard are getting really big, bigger than me, bigger than my dad's car!  There are never enough shovels to go around.  I like to help to shovel too, but the shovel is really heavy and after I push it down the driveway once and it gets full of snow, then I can't even lift it so my brothers take it away from me again.  There's another really great thing about all of that snow and all that shoveling... snow forts!

Phillip and Paul and Tom built the most amazing snow fort in the yard.  They had some friends over and I saw them all working on it from the living room window so I asked my mom if I could go outside to play too.  "Of course," she said.  "Just be sure you dress up warm, it's 20 below today."

I already knew it was cold because I had just pulled myself up on the kitchen sink to peek through the window at the thermometer outside to check.  Yep, it was 20 below, but it was also nice and sunny outside and the snow was sparkling.  I could tell the snow would be crunchy and squeaky.  I ran into my room and put on my tights first, so that when the snow got into my boots my ankles wouldn't be too cold.  Then pants, sweater, another pair of socks.

Into the kitchen to dig through all the snowsuits in the closet to find my snowpants and coat.  Breadbags to put my sock feet into first (to help keep them dry) before I put on my skidoo boots.  Toque next, and scarf, and - "Mom, are there any dry mitts?"

"Oh yes, I'll get you a pair from the living room, I put a pair on the register from when you were out yesterday."

Yay!  Nice warm mitts, fresh from the heat blowing through the hot air register.

"Can you tuck them in for me?"

It's quite a production to get everything on to go outside when it's really cold, to make sure that the warm can't get out and the cold can't get in.  It's a delicate balance between being warm enough and not being able to move because of the layers and layers of clothes.

Finally I'm ready and out I go, ready to have fun in that beautiful snow fort.  I stand on the front step and blink while my eyes, peeking out from between my hat and scarf, get used to the sunlight reflecting off the snow.

"Hey can I come in and see the fort?" I call over to Phillip and Paul as I run over, my pant legs zip-zopping as I go.  Tom is nowhere to be seen, I guess that he's inside the fort, doing some inside work.  Phil looks at me, sort of shakes his head and goes back to work.  It's Paul that stops me in my tracks.  He's next older to me, and he's always bossing me around.

"No, you'll wreck it," he says with a scowl.

"I'll tell on you!" I say, my favourite retort.

"Hmph, don't you touch it, or you'll be sorry."

I go back over to the house, and peek in the door.

"Mom!" I call, she's not in the kitchen anymore, "MOM!"

"Close the door, you're letting all the cold in!"

Back inside I go, making sure I stay on the mat at the door with my wet boots.  I explain the last 5 minutes to my mom who appears to be searching for more mittens.  John and Francis are getting ready to come outside too, and I know what's coming next...

"Take John and Francis with you when you go back outside, okay?  And tell the other boys that you should all play in the fort."

I help find all the bits and pieces and wrap them up so they won't get cold.  Francis' cheeks are getting redder and redder as he works on getting his boots on, all other layers are already on and he's overheating.

"C'mon out, let's see what they're doing in the fort," I say, thinking that maybe they will be the tickets that get me in.

This time, when we go over to the fort the big boys are all inside, and someone is sitting in the door with their back facing out.  They are pretending they don't hear us.

I consider climbing up the outside wall of the fort, but I know that would get me into A Lot of Trouble, and I only just got outside so I don't want that to happen.  I take Francis and John on a little hike around the yard; the game is that they have to step in only my tracks so I take REALLY BIG steps and then really small steps.  Then I make a snow angel.  They're supposed to do a snow angel in my snow angel, but as soon as I hit the snow, they do too.  It's a snow angel festival!  John looses a boot when we all get back up, so I help him find it and get the snow out, and get it all back on and tucked in again.  Then we wander back over to the fort.  This time, the big boys are outside again.

Paul calls over, "Hey John and Francis, want to see the fort?"

I am so mad I can hardly see straight - this is boys against ME, and I can't win.  Francis and John don't need to be asked twice, they are racing over to the fort like two little seals on the ice, diving and disappearing into the fort.  I march straight back to the house and go into the kitchen, while John and Francis are welcomed into the beautiful ice cavern in our yard.

"Mommmm, they won't let me play!  The big boys let John and Francis in, but they won't let me in the fort, too!.... hey, what are you making?"

My mom smiles and passes me a beater full of cookie dough.  YUM!  Hey... I have an idea...

A minute later, I'm back outside the snow fort.  Just outside the door.  And I KNOW that they can hear me.  "Yum, yum, there's nothing like a nice warm chocolate chip cookie on a cold and bright sunny day!"

I was right, Paul pops his head out of the fort, "What are you doing?"

"Nothing, just having a cookie... mmmmm," I say, my fingers starting to get colder as the cookie gets smaller.

"Can we have one, too?" he asks.

"Only if you let me in the fort!"

Inside the fort is beautiful, just like I imagined.  The walls glow a soft light where they are just a bit thinner and the sunshine leaks through.  We are all lined up around the inside of the cavern, our boots meeting in the middle, a little cramped but that's okay.  Tom has put a candle in a spot on one of the walls, but it's not lit.

I tell them how great their fort is, and they agree.  We all enjoy mom's cookies, and there's not a crumb left over.