Winter

 It's cold out.   Below zero.   So cold, they cancelled school.  Usually, I scoff when they cancel, feeling they've gotten soft in recent years.   But today, between the cold and the snow, I agreed. and let me tell you how miserable it is dragging all three kids to Trinity in the cold and snow.  So there was some relief to avoid that.  My morning of general chaos getting them ready is amplified in this weather, trying to start the car without anyone following me outside, shoveling a path, getting the car clean and coming back in to have to change my pants and after that, getting them INTO the car without anyone slipping, getting wet or throwing snow.

Short drive and then out of the car, into the school, up the entrance stairs, sign in, down the stairs to the basement, all while carrying Ellie, trying to keep Abbey in line and keep Adam on task.  Then Adam has to take his boots off before going in whlie Abbey takes off into the classroom.   Miss Elizabeth has a bowl of lollipops inside her door, partly to distract Abbey.  Ellie just sit and watches.  She has never, ever once cried in Adam's classroom and I am so thankful for her patience.  Days that Abbey has school are worse as she is excited and anxious to get there.  I took this photo yesterday from my car window as I actually got a "coveted" spot across the street.  Still in snowbank.  After running around yesterday, my feet were painfully cold and wet.  I need boots.  The old sneakers I pulled out of the Salvation Army bag after my old boot shoes are not cutting it.

On the last day of school before vacation, Adam asked if we could make a snowman.  I told him another day we could try and make a baby one.  On Christmas Eve, he reminded me and so I stopped what I was doing and took them out.   Not good snowman snow, but we made a pile.  For some reason, a couple of days later, Adam started crying his eyes out after he was in bed wanting to make a "baby snowman".  At first, I thought he was just trying to stay up.  But he got so upset, I went and found my camera to show him we had on Christmas Eve.  He told he had forgotten, but he was still upset.  I think the snow as melting and he thought there wouldn't be anymore.  Ha.

So yesterday, despite the cold, when he asked if he could make one again, I let him.  It's just a pile of snow with leaves for a face, but it made him very happy.  I was quick to remind him that it probably wouldn't be there the next time he went out.  It's funny when he gets upset about something because he's not easily worked up.  Kids love winter.  They love watching it snow, traipsing through it and playing with it.  It means Christmas time, snowmen and the hot chocolate Adam now requests if he was just playing in the snow for two minutes :)  I don't hate winter.  I love having four seasons, but at this time in my life, where my job involves a lot of dragging around small kids, it's not the best time for a beast of a winter.  I try to focus on how much they love it....!  And it's ONLY January 3!!!