My sled is blue

Santa brought Adell a sled this year for Christmas.
We know because she called us up yesterday and told her grandpa he needed to take her sledding because she had a new blue sled.
It didn't matter that it was snowing heavily, big, wet flakes that made driving difficult and sledding miserable.
She was convinced that her grandpa would come through for her.
And he did.
He took one look outside and gulped before he said, "Sure! Let's do it."
So over she came and off they went.

Climbing upward

(We have this great sledding hill a few blocks away that doubles as an Easter Egg hunt hill in the spring.)
I followed them over with my camera and imagined I would find them both careening down the hill having a great time.

Fun in the flakes

It was partly so.
Adell was careening and Marc was alternately watching from the top of the hill and bounding down to collect her sled for the tow back up.
After a few rides, he wasn't even allowed to do that.
This plucky 5-year-old announced she could manage just fine on her own, thank you very much.
She'd plunk down on her sled, take the reins and sail off down the hill on her own.

The scrappy sledder

Then she'd gather herself up, and climb back up the hill on all fours dragging her sled behind her.
We kept offering to help as we stood on the hill, two grown folks watching this little kid labor.
But no, she's an independent cuss.
She insisted on doing it all by herself.
It was an interesting 45 minutes as we all got soaked through, standing knee-deep in snow.
At the end she decided Grandma could go with her for a ride and then she'd be ready for hot chocolate.
I guess that's a sign that I've been forgiven for last winter when I took her sledding and turned us both upside down.
Grandpa was tossed aside. No rides. No nothing. No respect.
But she knows who to call next time when she wants to go sledding.