Do you want to know two things I could live without? Howie Mandel and Februaries in Upstate New York. I can say that I am extremely glad to have February behind us. Making it through February in New York is like surviving a catastrophe. You pass people at the grocery store with that withered expression and head nod that says “Hey, we’re still standing.” You know it’s not quite over but those of us who still have our souls in March will probably find our way to Spring. It’s too soon to rejoice, not quite time for hope, but the worst is behind us. A sigh of relief is in order. Just close your eyes and begin to imagine things like sunshine, grass, warmth and happiness. Now open your eyes – it’s still Winter and you should probably go salt the driveway.
I had a plan to take my children outside every day no matter how cold it was. The idea was that we could get all bundled up and then only stay out for 5-15 minutes if it was too cold. This worked well all through the Fall, through December and the first week of January. We have only been outside to play a few days in the past 6 weeks, and we are feeling it. Even my two year old, Corbin, looks out the big bay window in the kitchen and pleads “outside?”.
Of course it’s cold and flu, and stomach bug, and pink eye, and strep, and Ebola season so I cringe at the thought of going to indoor play centers. I’m not a germ-a-phobe but with two boys who have no tolerance for illness, I HATE winter colds. So we lock the doors, turn up the heat and pray for Spring. Then I check my Facebook and whenever southerners say anything about it being cold in New York, I fervently defend the below zero temperatures and claim to enjoy Winter sports, chapped lips, dry cracked hands, and boast about my ability to drive on ice in three feet of snow cause I’m New York tough! This is my life now.
Oh, but my four year old, Landon, loves Winter. He likes the snow, sledding, and snowmen but what he likes more than anything is that he finally gets to do “nuffin” all day. Every morning as I dole out ideas of how we could somehow turn this frostbitten day into an adventure, Landon is sure to tell me, “I have an idea. How ’bout we do nuffin today?” He likes to jump on furniture, play with his legos, watch tv, color, work in his pre-school books, sword fight with his little brother, hang upside down from chairs and ask “is this cool, Mom?”. He is never bored. I walk around the house with a crushed spirit, a cold cup of coffee, a list of things I can’t care to do while Corbin rips the house apart looking for Spring, and I wonder how can one little boy play in the same three rooms for two months and not be bored. “I have an idea, Mom. Let’s do nuffin today and tomorrow and all the days. That would be fun.” Landon was made for upstate Winters. Enjoy it little man, just keep making pillow forts, hiding my cell phone and ipod, climbing cupboards, and dancing to your music…because once Spring comes we ain’t doin’ nuffin anymore!
