This past weekend, Wichita received its second winter blast in two consecutive weekends. We’ve got about 6-8” of fluffy snow covering our yard. It’s beautiful. All weekend, I just kept telling Shelton I wished I could be 10 again, just long enough to truly enjoy the snow in a way only a kid can. I kept telling him we needed to find some kids to play with so we could enjoy the weather. But it would probably be kind of creepy if we stopped by the neighbor’s and asked to borrow their kids for a while.

We got even luckier, though. I’ve been involved with a mentor program with the same little girl for a year and a half now. We’ll call her Ms. J. We happened to have plans to take her to a college basketball game yesterday afternoon and on the way in noticed a huge hill with plenty of kids enjoying the sledding action. While she enjoyed the game, she kept asking when we could go sledding. Not being at all prepared, Shelton left half way through the game to go procure some sledding materials. He met back up with us with laundry baskets and cardboard boxes. Ms. J then informed us that she had NEVER been sledding in her life. I could not believe it. So for close to an hour this girl flung her self down the hill and dragged herself back up with a grin that could only be described as pure magic. She giggled the entire time and kept wanting to go faster and farther. She even braved the snow ramp that had been build and launched herself airborn.

I just kept thinking that THIS is why we want to have kids. To watch them discover sledding. The way the icy cold blasts your face as you speed down a hill, that on any ordinary day is just a hill. Your pants and coat and gloves get drenched from the snow. And no matter how cold you get, no matter how tough it is to climb back up- it’s so worth it.

This little girl on more than one occasion has reminded me how fantastically fun the most simple things can be. Riding an escalator, going through a drive-thru car wash, having cupcakes at school on your birthday. Each time she beams the most beautiful, brightest smile I’ve ever seen.

I have read ”Dooce“ everyday for probably three years. She is a writer that I truly admire, and best of all makes her living staying at home with her beautiful little girl and telling the world about her life. Last week she posted a video of her 3-year old daughter laughing because she was so blown away by her own reflection in the video camera. This little girl laughs the heartiest laugh for an entire minute and by the end Shelton and I both caught ourselves howling right along with her. And again, I said THIS is why I want to be a mom.

It’s those small, perfect, innocent moments when you see them discover some other part of this big life. I want to be transformed by those as much as all of my friends say they have been.