It snowed last night. Just a light dusting, enough to make the ground white and turn our quiet street into a Christmas-card scene. The kind of fresh, early-December snow that makes you think, maybe, just maybe, you could learn to be a winter person after all.

After dinner, we all bundled up to take a walk around our street to look at Christmas lights. Being out at night, when he's usually home getting ready for bed, seems to be a major adventure for Eli, and he makes a big deal about the rare occasion when he's outside after dark. He loved seeing the lights on our neighbours' houses, pointing out a snowman here or a reindeer there, and kept saying, "I'm walking in the snow! I'm kicking the snow!" Something Pete and I have done tens of thousands of times, but for Eli, it was such a huge deal.

It really was a magical little outing. Trudging along looking at the holiday lights, holding the wee man's hand, and listening to him chirp with so much wonder and excitement was pretty special. Seeing things through Eli's eyes - the holidays or the first snowfall - is one of my favourite things about being a mom. Noticing things I would overlook otherwise. Thank you, Eli, for reminding me to get excited about the little things and to appreciate the beauty around us every day.