"Now that's an icy meatball!"

Today my 4 year-old and I were driving down the road and she called out from her car seat, “Look Mama!  A great big snowman!!”  Luckily, I saw the 6 ft., inflatable, faux “Frosty” just seconds before because Kansas for some reason isn’t into snow this year like the rest of the country!  I otherwise might have thought she was bored and making up stories.

Glancing in the rear-view mirror, I respond, “Can you believe it?  He is so huge and there isn’t even any snow on the ground!”

Then the headline of the day was voiced… “Mama, that snowman has a great big meatball in his hand with white frosting on it.”  She then proceeds to laugh with a true belly laugh – not because she thought she had made a joke, but because who would have a snowman holding an iced meatball in their front yard!?  What fools!

Now I know that this munchkin of mine is not fond of cold weather, coats, hats, boots (or any other foot coverings), and heaven forbid a mitten could stay on her bright red fingers, but how did she truly miss out on the teachable moment of snowballs in the last four years of her life?

We’ve read stories about snow, snowmen, and snowball fights (repeatedly); but this kiddo missed the message.  The imagination is a wonderful thing to waste… I didn’t correct her.  Just laughed and said, “Icing on meatballs?  Ew, gross!”  She agreed on the ridiculousness of the winter yard art and we went on our merry way.

So to all of you Northerners and East-coasters out there…be wary this wintery, snow filled season.  You think you have it bad having to shovel truckloads of snow…it could be worse.  When you’re not looking, you could get an “white butter cream meatball” right in the noggin’!