Winter Funland

Brayden is officially a super sledder and snowman builder! My dad bundled him up, popped him on a saucer and showed Brayden how much fun all that white stuff outside can be.

The first snowflakes of the season had hardly hit the ground when my dad started asking me when he could take Brayden outside to play. Brayden is at an age now where so many things are opening up for him. His increasing awareness, communication skills and sense of adventure is setting fire to his ability to understand, participate in and enjoy so many new experiences. And being the amazing Papa he is, my dad is on the front line of that evolution. If there’s little boy fun to be had, my dad is there and ready.

While at my parents’ house the weekend before New Year’s, my dad arranged for two special rites of passage for any child—sledding for the first time and building a snowman. Brayden absolutely loves playing outside so this was a truly exciting opportunity for him to experience the outdoors in a way he hadn’t ever before.

The first run on Brayden’s little, red saucer took a few pushes from Papa (as seen in the video below), but as soon as the trail was made, little b was slip sliding down the slope in their backyard like a pro. And after each zoom of the sled, Brayden helped himself to a snow snack.

This short video shows two runs on little red saucer, the highlights of creating Brayden’s very own Frosty and the warm glow of hot cocoa after playing in the cold.

The whole afternoon was a blast for b, and he was so excited to tell me, “Brayden made Frosty!”

This is just the start of what I hope will be a lifelong appreciation for winter fun. Although I grew up in New England and now live at the base of Tahoe, I never got into skiing or snow boarding. That’s going to change as soon as Brayden is ready to strap on skis. He and I will take ski lessons and swish down the bunny slope together. And, yes, there will be a post about that when the time comes (I’m thinking next winter when he’s 3+).

In the meantime, now that I have a super sledder on my hands, I’m scoping out all the little hills and fun spots near our house so I’m ready for the next big snowfall. In addition to the little, red saucer, my dad also bought a blue sled built for two—perfectly sized for Brayden and Mommy.