Chapter 6: Adalyn's Snow Day Birthday

We share a cozy birthday story where Adeline wakes up to snow, eats a memorable breakfast, and heads outside with Mom to build her very first snowman. Along the way, Miss Hound offers a surprise assist, a few pieces of coal become a face, and the day ends back by the fire with sweet treats and big birthday feelings. 
• birthday breakfast in bed with bacon, eggs, jam, cakes, and fresh apple cider 
• Adeline believing the snow is a birthday gift 
• bundling up in too-big boots and a warm coat 
• learning to roll snowballs by thinking of biscuits 
• building the snowman in three stacked sections 
• Miss Hound delivering sticks for arms while Mr Kat naps 
• making a face with coal and topping it with a straw hat 
• naming the snowman Benjamin Snowman and heading inside to warm up

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Transcript

Birthday Snow Surprise Breakfast

SPEAKER_00 0:38

They ate breakfast in her bed. There was bacon, eggs, and toast with delicious strawberry jam. There were little white cakes with chocolate glaze, and her dad had made fresh apple cider. It was the best breakfast she remembered ever having. She had also forgotten it had started snowing the day before, so she assumed her parents had somehow made the snow for her. You got me snow for my birthday, she yelled when she looked out the window. Her parents did not bother to correct her. Instead, they just smiled and laughed at her excitement.

Bundling Up For Snow Play

SPEAKER_00 1:13

Now, Adeline watched as her mother slipped on an old pair of leather boots and a thick hide coat. When she was done, her mother looked at her and said, Your turn, baby girl. Yes, my turn, my turn. Adeline almost chanted, hardly containing her excitement. She desperately wanted to put her boots on, which were slightly too big for her. She almost never got to wear them. Her mother helped her slide her feet in and laced them up. Then she helped slide her arms into her coat. The coat was lined with very warm wool. All right, what do you say we go build a snowman? Your brother and father, I think, are building a snow castle. We can all play in there later, said her mother. Adeline's wide smile grew two sizes. Her big brown eyes smiled with her mouth squinting into soft almond shapes. Snowman, snowman, snowman. She half sung, half chanted. Her mother laughed. Okay, come on now. We can't stay out too long, though. We'll get too cold. One good snowman ought to be real good fun. Her mother opened the door. Miss Hound and Mr Kat were curled up together on a pile of old burlap sacks. Miss Hound looked up and said, Hello there. Mr Kat opened one eye, then closed it and went back to sleep. Hello, Miss Hound, said Adeline. Miss Hound answered, I hope you don't mind, but I think I'm gonna stay curled up warm right here. Adeline smiled. We're gonna build a snowman. Oh, that sounds perfect. Perfect activity for a birthday too, said Miss Hound. Come on, Adeline, her mother said. Adeline walked down the porch, down the front steps and into the snow. Even though it was cloudy, it was very, very bright, and Adeline had a squint. But she thought the snow was beautiful. She had never seen anything like it before in her entire life. The wind was swirling the piles of snow here and there. The fruit trees had their branches laden with snow. Benjamin and her dad were busy shaking the snow off the branches. Hey baby, come on, her mother called to her. Adeline tried her best to walk in her mother's footsteps, but the snow was deep. She did love the way it sounded. Every time she stepped. Crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch. What do you think, Adeline? Do you want to build a snowman right here? She examined the ground around her. Yes, she said cheerfully.

Learning To Roll Snowballs

SPEAKER_00 3:44

Okay, you start by making a snowball. A snowball? How do you do that, Mommy? she asked. Adeline, you know how to make a snowball, because you know how to roll a biscuit. Adeline understood, and took some snow in her gloved hand, and rolled it around until it formed a ball. Like this, she asked. Exactly, her mother said. Now we're gonna take that ball, put it in the snow, roll it around and around and around until the ball gets bigger, bigger and bigger. How big, Mommy? she asked. Probably bigger than you, baby girl. Bigger than me, Adeline exclaimed. Absolutely. Now let's get started. They took the small snowball that Adeline had made, put it in some fresh snow, and Adeline started rolling it around. The snow on the ground stuck to the snow of the snowball as she rolled it around and around until she could not roll it any more on her own. Mommy, can you help? Of course. Come here, I'll help you. Together, Adeline and her mom rolled the snowball until it grew bigger and bigger. It was twice as round as Adeline and almost as tall. She squilled with laughter at the sight. That's a big snowball, Mommy, she yelled. Her mother smiled and laughed with her. Yes it is. And guess what? Now we get to make two more snowballs, but slightly smaller. How do we do that? Adeline asked. Well, we just did one, so this time we just do it smaller. Adeline once again reached down into the snow and packed it together in a ball. Then she picked a spot nearby with fresh snow and started rolling the ball around and around until it got bigger and bigger, but not quite as big as before. Like this, Mommy, she said. Yes, that's perfect, honey. Now we have to pick it up and put it on top of the other snowball. Mama, the snowball's too big to pick up, Adeline said. Don't worry, I'll help. Her mom walked over and picked up the snowball. Come on, Adeline, put your hands here, help me. Together they walked over to the big snowball and placed the medium snowball on top of it. It made a very pleasant sound when the smaller snowball ended. One more, mommy, one more, Adeline said. That's right, and this one the smallest of all, her mother said. She made a snowball once again and held it up. This small? she asked. Her mom laughed. No, no. Just a little bit bigger, darling. Adeline once again rolled the snowball around in fresh snow until it was about twice the size of the original snowball in her hand. Bigger, mommy, she asked. Just a little bit more, darling. She rolled it just a little bit more. That's perfect. Now, can you pick that one up on your own? Her mother asked. I can, mommy. I can, she said, excitedly, after trying a few times. Now, can you reach the top of the other one? Her mother asked. Um, I can try. Come on, I'll help you get it up on the top. She walked over to the other two large snowballs, lifted the last one, and just managed to push it on top.

Stacking The Snowman Body

SPEAKER_00 6:53

Mommy, we're done. We did it! We did it! It's a snowman. She looked at it and frowned. But it doesn't look like a man, Mommy. It's not finished yet, honey. Now we need two sticks that look like arms. Where are we gonna find two sticks? I can't even see the ground. There's just too much snow, Mommy.

Sticks, Coal, And A Face

SPEAKER_00 7:15

I guess we'll just have to dig for some sticks then, baby. I bet we can find some around the fruit trees. Or maybe Miss Hound has a few hidden away somewhere. Adeline looked back at the porch and yelled, Miss Hound. Miss Hound's head popped up. Yes, she barked. Adlin asked, Do you have any sticks? Sticks, Miss Hound said. Of course I have sticks. Why do you need sticks? For the snowman, Adeline answered. Miss Hound lazily got up. Okay, she said. One moment, please. She hopped down the front porch steps and trotted behind the house. Thirty seconds later she trotted back with two big sticks in her mouth. She sat them down and said, Are these good enough for you? Her mother said, What do you think, Adeline? Are those good enough? Thank you, Miss Hound. These are perfect. I think, she said, not quite sure. Her mother said, Well, there's only one way to find out. Adeline took the sticks from Miss Hound and said thank you one more time. Miss Hound trotted back to her place, shook off the snow, and curled back up next to mister Cat on the burlap sacks. Here, Adeline, you take this stick, and I'll take this one. We're going to push them into the middle section, right where you think the arm should be. Adeline held up her stick, lined it up, and pushed. She pushed hard, grunting a little as she forced it through the compacted snow of the snowman. Like this, mommy? she asked. That's perfect, baby. They looked at it together. It did sort of look like arms, Adeline thought. What do you think? Does it look like a person now? Her mother asked. Almost, mommy. But there's no face. Hmm, her mom said. You're right. I think we need eyes, a nose, a mouth, maybe even a hat. What do you think, baby girl? Mommy, we were gonna find a face, she said, concerned. Don't worry, her mother said. I happen to have something in my pocket that might work great. In your pocket? Adeline asked. You have a face in your pocket? No, silly girl, let me show you. She pulled out a handful of black coal. Coal, Adeline said. Are you cooking something, mommy? No, no. Let me show you, darling. She took a piece of coal and pressed it into the very top snowball. She looked at Adeline and said, What do you think? Could that be an eye? Adeline looked at it. Hmm. Yes. I think that looks like an eye, mommy. What about another one? Her mom asked. She took out another piece of coal and placed it right next to the first. What about that, dear? Yes, now there's two eyes. Can we do a nose? she asked. Her mom took out a piece of coal, and then put it where the nose should be. And then she took out a few more pieces of coal, and she made a smiley face. Adeline jumped up and down and laughed. It's a snowman, it's a snowman. He's got two eyes, a nose, a mouth, and hands. That's right, baby girl, her mother said, laughing. Why don't you run inside and grab a hat? We'll put the hat on his head to keep his ears warm. Ears? Adeline asked. Yes, honey. Just go and get the hat, her mother said. Adeline trudged through the snow the best she could, struggling not to fall with every step. She ran up the front steps, pushed the door open, and looked down, and sure enough there was a hat right there. It was an old straw hat. She picked it up and ran back down the steps through the snow to her mommy. Her mommy picked her up and said, Here, put the hat right here. Adeline reached out and placed the hat on the top of the snowman's head. Her mother stepped back with her in her arms and said, What do you think,

Naming Benjamin Snowman And Warming Up

SPEAKER_00 10:55

dear? This is your first snowman. I love it, Adeline said. Can we name him? Sure. What do you want to name him? Her mom asked. Adeline thought for a second. What did she want to name a snowman? She saw her father and Benjamin near the fruit trees. And then she had a great idea. I want the name to snowman Benjamin. Her mother laughed. Benjamin, you already have a Benjamin for a brother. Do you need a Benjamin for snowman too? Adeline said confidently, yes. All right, baby girl, your snowman. This is Benjamin Snowman. I love Benjamin Snowman, Adeline giggled. Alright, baby girl. Are you cold? Adeline said, Yeah. Okay, let's go back inside and get warm, her mother said. We have more birthday treats for you, too. They went back inside, kicked all the snow off their shoes, took off their jackets, and sat by the fire, where her mother had laid out some cookies and a little milk. Adeline decided she really liked birthdays and could not wait for her next birthday. That had to be just a few days away, she thought. The End. Thanks for listening.