We're in the midst of another winter, and this one had a cold snap that felt like it was just never going to end. Although the worst of the cold is over, we've got a minimum of two months of gray, cold, snow filled time left before we get through it again.
I try to embrace every season. I really do. There's something very pretty about snuggling under a soft blanket with a cup of something warm while the snow falls outside. But this winter...I'm struggling to get myself through without a whole lot of whining.
So now's the time. I'll get all my venting out in one spot.
TOP WINTER WOES:
1. The mess.
All the outdoor surfaces are covered with a mix of slush, salt, sand and disgustingness. This means that our shoes are covered with this mess, which means that the floors of the car and the kitchen (where we enter and take our shoes off) are all consistently dirty.
2. The dark.
Short days and cloudy skies means that things just feel...dim. I actually bought myself some vitamin D, because I have definitely not been getting ANY from the sun. When the sun goes down, it seems that so goes my energy. When it's dark by later afternoon, my body decides it's time to turn in.
3. The cold.
I mean, this part goes without saying, right? It's freezing and we don't want to leave the house. We're not supposed to have the kids wear coats in the car, but it's LITERALLY zero degrees outside. I get the girls dressed for dance or tumbling, then add forty seven layers so they can make it in and out of the building. Then, when their classes are over, I need to wait while they cover their leotards with enough clothes to get them to the car.
4. The heating.
Our furnace is 23 years old and has yet to make it through a winter without at least one issue that necessitates the service department coming to the house while we shiver without heat. Not to mention that oil is expensive!
5. The sickness.
I'm normally not a media panicker, but the flu this year has me worried. I'm hesitant about going out to crowded areas, since the biggest issue with the flu is that you're contagious before you show symptoms. And then when the girls seem the least bit sick, I want to err on the side of caution and keep them home, even when it's nothing. And with all the germs floating around, I definitely don't want to go anywhere near a doctor's office!
6. The weather.
Is it going to snow? Ice? Flood from a sudden thaw with a day of rain? Should we plan on missing our event this weekend? Or is it nothing and we just rescheduled something for a dusting?
There's plenty of good in the season. There really is. The snow is pretty, and now that the girls can play outside by themselves, it's so much fun to watch them from the kitchen window. Snuggly blankets and jammies make sitting on the couch reading seem like the best possible choice, not a lazy one.
But I'm also looking forward to those first signs of spring!
