Kids' Corner

Snow Singhs and Snow Kaur

by PARDEEP SINGH NAGRA

While those of us who experience the freezing cold winter months in Canada ache to get out during either the holidays or any other time during the winter to some warm tropical place, it isn't all that bad to actually stay home and enjoy what nature has to offer. After all, ironically there are people who live in the tropical warm weather and ache to come to Canada for the holidays to enjoy our snow.

One of our favorite pastimes during the winter months is making a snowman.

Believe it or not, it requires a recipe: just the right type of snowfall, the right temperature to make the snow ideal for packing and rolling up, the right technique, the right focus ... and a dollop of patience.

Well, lucky for us, we recently got a little snowfall followed the next day by some rain and a little warmer weather, just perfect for our neat snowman family project.

My kids, while not needing any excuse for playing outside, and even less for gambolling in the snow, were all eager to put their snow skills to the test, especially after a day earlier throwing snowballs at dad ... which only required a good aim!

Nanaki Kaur dove into the snow right away and started making a snow angel, I had to quickly remind her the task was to create a snowman and not a snow angel.

Sahib Singh on the other hand still wanted to test his aim and started to make snow balls to throw at dad again, and he too needed to be reminded of the task in hand - which was not to be making snowballs!

Distractions, distractions!

Focus, focus!

The smartypants that Sahib is, he reminded me that a snowman is merely a bunch of snow balls stacked up, one atop the other!

Finally I got the troops in marching and working order.

Both Sahib and Nanaki began with a small snow ball and started to roll it along the snow, accumulating more and more snow until it was too heavy for even their dad to pick up. So dad just kept rolling it a little more until it was in place - for the next one to go on top. 

We started with the Dad Snowman, of course. Then the Sahib Snowman, and finally, the Nanaki Snowman.

Once we had all the various size snow balls all in order and stacked appropriately, I thought we were done and ready to accessorize the snowmen" until Nanaki and Sahib reminded me that the Sahib Snowman wasn't complete yet because it needed one more snow ball for the joorrah!

Baba ji, said Sahib to his grandpa, we need carrots for the nose, please!

Bibi ji, said Sahib to his grandma, we need buttons for the eyes, please!

I will get the gloves and scarves, said Nanaki.

I will hunt for the sticks for the arms, I volunteered.

Now there were five of us on this snowman project and after all was said and done and the puggh was on, as well as the rumaal, Sahib and dad's snowman became 'Snow Singh-s', and Nanaki's snowman became 'Snow Kaur".

So much for Frosty the Snowman!

Well, they say all good things must come to an end, and because of more rain and a little milder weather the next day, the life our look-a-likes lasted but a day.

But what a day it was!

January 2, 2012

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