Enchanted Snowfall

I'm amused and a little bit confused that just because Santa Claus lives at the snowy North Pole, snow is a universal representation of Christmas. Did it snow on the First Christmas? I doubt it. It never snows here. I guess I should say it rarely snows here. But people put snowmen on their front yards and kids cut out paper snowflakes at school anyway, even though the Arizona winter wonderland is pretty much the same as the rest of the year, just a little cooler, with cloudy, rainy, misty, foggy days sprinkled in every once in a while just for variety and to remind us that it actually is winter.

The fancy pants shopping center, La Encantada, does a little thing twice a night on Fridays and Saturdays in December called "Enchanted Snowfall." The central plaza at the mall is festively lit and decorated, there is a live musical performance, and for 15 minutes, the sky is filled with a foamy cold something that looks and feels like snow. I told Papi and Mamie that I've never been to this little event, so I have no idea whether it is worth the bother or not. The parking lot was packed (an ominous sign for anti-social, claustrophobic me) and the mall was packed. Nicco was bored. Then, promptly at 6:00, the snow began to fall. The sparkle in my little boy's eyes was absolutely worth it.

I had to choke back tears (again...) watching Nicco jump and clap and laugh and squeal as he caught the falling snow. With wide eyes and a smile to match, he said to me "It's Christmas!"