The Snow is Beautiful. Just Don't Be an Idiot.

It is snowing in our part of the world again. White flakes big and small swirl around as heavy winds beat against the screens helping to form icy drips that coat them. All around me, I hear the same thing. A chorus of, "I hate this! I'm sick of snow!" It goes on and on in a never-ending cacophony of voices that I really do not understand.


I hate winter. I hate the cold, the icy rains, sleet, slush and grayness of it all. The black, bleak branches of trees reaching up to an impervious grey sky make me shiver and bemoan winter's very existence. What I do not hate is snow. Snow to me is still a magical gift. It is Mother Nature's way of telling us to stop, look around and take a breather. The snow is a perfect way to get outdoors and see the world in a very different way. Everything is clean, blanketed in white and hushed by its weight. We bundle ourselves up like tics and adventure outdoors only to come back inside invigorated as we stamp our boots free from the snow and discuss the possibilities of hot chocolate. Neighbors come outdoors to clear walkways, shovel out of their abodes, and in turn talk to one another in ways that they normally do not. When it snows and H and I hear the other adults spew out their non-stop litany of complaints we simply look at one another puzzled and shrug our shoulders saying, "It's just snow. It is fun. Just don't be an idiot." Snow gives me a chance to play. We sled, take night walks with the kids and make igloos, tunnels, snow angels and more. There is nothing better than taking an inner tube out on a street at night and sliding down it wicked fast with not a car in sight. Overall, we tend to gaze out the windows more and see things in ways we did not before the snow. It is beautiful.

While it is truly awful to lose power or be without supplies in a situation like this, also a break from our daily lives has us rushing around, never stopping, never playing or truly looking around. Grumble all you want about the snow that we are being pummeled with these days but know that it is fleeting. It doesn't happen all the time and you are safe and warm. Have fun with it. Stop being such a...grown-up.

 

Snowy Day

It is ironic that TD came home from school on Friday with the book and DVD, The Snowy Day.  A gift from her teachers we have already worn this book/DVD combo out.  We did, indeed, have a "Loaf Seven" weekend. 

Mid-storm. We used my neighbors Hummer to go get pizza.  Hangovers need pizza. Blizzard be damned.

The Comedian literally gets stuck in the snow.

TD:  "Eeehh, it's 8:30! I want to go inside? Why is my Pep shoveling the deck?! I have the weirdest family."

I am 12.  My need to build a tunnel/igloo is too strong. H and I were the only adults playing outside without our kids.  TD went inside for "hot chocoh" after only an hour.

Mother Announces that Snowy Errands with Toddler Do Not Rock

Since I have a case of W.B. I decided to forgo the whole writing thing for a day and instead focus on the beautiful snow falling outside. I wanted to bake and finish a long overdue library book. But before I could do any baking or relaxing I had to head to the store and get some supplies.

First up was a trip to Kmart. After a long arduous search for the gold tinsel that we must have for our tree, I was told Kmart was the place for all things Christmas. The drive across town was quick but, then I missed the entrance to the store and narrowly missed getting on 95. Already a parking lot because hey! It’s DC and we have had two snowflakes fall in the last four hours. Heavens to Mercatroid! Snow! We must all drive like idiots because two flakes have fallen! Still it was to Kmart we must go. H needs his gold tinsel on the tree. I swear he hurls it on the tree with the same effect that a cat does when it coughs up a hairball, but he loves it and I love him, so I had to find some gold, not silver, tinsel.

Ah, Kmart, a place I never go. It's a sad little run down store. The sales people though were abundant and willing to help me find my gold tinsel. Once they stopped being smarty-pants about things at least. I think that fact that I was walking around mouth open, eyes glazed at all the decorations (you can have an entirely purple Martha Stewart Christmas thank you very much! Or pink!) might have helped me out. I had to steer the smirking sales guy away from garland hanging behind my head. Then the gold beads in strands. NO! Tinsel! The strands of shiny metallic, well I don’t know, plastic? Some non-enviro-friendly product I’m sure. Do you have it? I NEED it! Indeed they did and I bought the whole supply. Just in case you know an apocalypse occurs and we need to repopulate the world with gold tinsel and such.

I then aimlessly wandered around the store for a bit picking up forgotten items for the house until I realized something. T.D. was missing a shoe. Or rather a very expensive Umi boot that I’m reviewing. These shoes are fantastic! They are also expensive. This was now a dire situation. We had been all over the entire store! Now we had to backtrack and look under racks? I began to sweat and tried to curb the cursing as T.D. said over and over , “Oh no! Shoe!!!” Yeah, kid, Oh no. Shoe. I enlisted the help of a salesperson but couldn’t find the shoe. I began to give up hope as I retraced our steps and went down aisle after aisle again. Back through the holiday decorations, back through Martha Stewart land, and back through the toys. Finally, after giving up all hope completely I spied a little lime green circle (the trademark to the Umi sole) under a rack of men’s flannel shoes. Exactly the spot we were in when we noticed the shoe was gone. How did I miss it?! Relieved we checked out quickly and left the store. T.D. was beginning to twitch and growl in the cart.

Outside, the snow was coming down harder now. I struggled to wrangle her into her car seat without doing a parking lot flip out. I was so close to losing it all together after the fourth attempt to get her wiggly yet boneless body back into the car seat. Mommy says, this is NOT a game pumpkin, I said through gritted teeth. No fear though, no child was harmed in this process. Despite my wanting at one point to just go white trash nuts on her in the snowy parking lot. Snow muffles screams right?

Ever a glutton for punishment I plied her with snacks and pressed onward! We fought some more at the bank drive up window and then again as I wrestled her into the stroller to head to another store. Why did I think this was a good idea? Done with the errands we headed home. I sighed a sigh of relief and with renewed optimism we pulled into our driveway. I let T.D. out of the car seat and tried to get her to climb out of the car. She became like fruitcake in December. Positively unmovable. The snow was mesmerizing her. I tried to play along but after ten minutes of standing in the snow, with snow blowing into the car and a bit of a frozen behind, I had had enough. I dragged her out of the car and onto the sidewalk. She just stood there. I placed her at the front door and tried to nudge her inside. Nothing doing. I shut the front door on her then and said, “Fine. Don’t come inside. Just watch the snow from the steps. Fine. The rest of us will be warm inside.” Twenty seconds later I opened the door and she was still standing there mesmerized. I scooped her up and brought her inside.

11 a.m. and I felt done. I called it a day. When is nap-time again?

UPDATE- As I type this the reams of gold tinsel sit on the table mocking me. They are not on the tree? No. They. Are. Not. Am I bitter because I braved the elements (or as H put it, subjected our child to abuse by taking her out in such treacherous weather/a.k.a two flakes on the ground while our neighbors sit safely in their bomb shelters eating 10 year old canned corn)and a rather cantankerous toddler to get this gold tinsel? Maybe just a little.

Old Man Winter- Your bags are packed and ready to go

It is precisely during this week each winter that I decide, Enough is enough! I'm through with you Old Man Winter! Scram! You gots to git! Last year I was a bit preoccupied being in the throes of labor and all and was able to delay the winter doldrums by a week. I remember being home, oh about one day, and looking out the window in T.D.'s brand new room and seeing the snow, the cold gray sky and starkly black branches against the wintry landscape and feeling despair. Seasonal Affective Disorder loomed large on my horizon. The winter blues had officially set in.

In 30 degree weather I started walking. This year I come back from my sun-filled trip to snow, then slush, then ice. Then more snow. Then some more ice. Ha Ha Old Man Winter. Ha Ha. Real cute. I'm sick of cold feet and hands and piling on the blankets. Drinking cocoa and gazing out the window at the white landscape holds no charms for me. I'm sick of cocoa and hot tea. I want to sip and iced drink and not feel that my innards are freezing over. No amount of gym time or getting out of the house does the trick. I just can't shake this irritated itchy skin feeling. I do not enjoy spending two hours outside in freezing temps shoveling out my car and walkway. Nor do I enjoy trying to chip away at the 1x1 foot slice of icy mess my neighbor (Yes, the poop ones who recently got another lovely package on their front step courtesy of H.) felt compelled to leave. That's right, they couldn't find the strength apparently to shovel one more shovels-worth of snow. Now each time I walk to my mailbox I almost kill myself on that patch. I curse them daily. I stare at their house and simoultaneously try to melt that patch of ice/snow with my heated gaze. I loathe their extreme laziness in all things. Loathe it.

It does not help my wintry mood. I swear if I have to heat up the tea kettle and dash outside to dislodge my tires one more time this season I just may decide to never leave my house again. I'll just wait out Mr. OMW. That's the thing about the winter blues. It wraps it's icy grip on you and won't shake free until the first set of crocuses appear. It leaves you with a boredom induced patience to ride it out though or it you go crazy. Either or. One of those two will happen soon.