Funny, what can turn your day around.

Penny woke up at 4. And then five minutes before six. She pitched a fit when I suggested that I change her diaper, she whined and cried when I told her it was a school day. She had a tantrum when I put her in pants and a shirt rather than in a dress (I'd offered her two dresses, and she'd rejected both).

She slammed the door to let me know how mad she was about the pants and shirt, and I snapped at her. That shut her up for a brief moment, and in that moment, she heard birds chirping outside my window.

"Hear it?" she said, putting her finger to her ear. "Bird? See bird?"

"I don't know if you can see the bird from the window," I said, "but I'll open the blinds a bit so you can look."

We didn't see any birds when I opened the blinds, but Penny's face lit with delight and awe.

It had snowed.

The perfect snow, even: Just barely enough to coat the trees and the ground, but it hadn't stuck to the streets at all.

"If you're good while Mommy gets dressed," I told Penny, "you can go outside and play in the snow before school."

And lo! she was good. She asked several times about going outside, but she didn't whine it, she just asked. She did try to object to wearing shoes and socks, but not to the point of a tantrum. She took her medicine quickly and without spilling any. She didn't complain about putting on her coat or gloves.

And so we played in the snow for a bit before we left.

And then, lo and behold! She didn't complain when I told her it was time to get in the car. She was happy and cute all the way to school. When we got there, she ran to embrace TJ, and asked me to sit down for a minute with her and TJ on my lap. She didn't protest when I told her it was time for me to go; she just gave me a big hug and a kiss and asked me to give TJ a hug, too.

Funny, the things that'll turn a day around.

--Liz