I really dislike the cold!

I really dislike cold weather...I don't like wind, coats are an inconvenience, I can't use my iphone with gloves one, my hair looks ridiculous in a warm hat, and I'm a terrible driver on snow and ice!

But, I do get so excited on the first snow, and the first BIG snow! I turn into a giddy child when I see snow falling. Seriously, I get butterflies in my stomach and I get this weird high pitched voice. When the weather person predicts a BIG snow, I stay up all night running from window to window and switching between the local channels and the weather channel, obsessively. Then, the next day when it's at it's peak warmness for the day, I bundle everyone up and drag them around in the sled, throw them all around the yard for the "perfect snow angel," throw snowballs, and gather up bowls of untouched snow for snow cream, then head inside for hot chocolate and warm baths. I do all of this, except the warm baths, with a camera in hand, so by the time bedtime rolls around I can barely move I'm so tired and I LOVE it!

Then day 2 of the BIG snow rolls around and I wake up grumpy...it's cold, the roads are plowed enough that school is back in session but our street probably hasn't been touched because it's not busy enough. I have to wake up at least 15 minutes earlier so I can bundle everyone up like we're in Alaska, walk through ____inches of snow to catch the bus, then trudge back-all before 8am! Then, I continue this routine 5 days a week, until spring!

A List of Why I Dislike Winter

*The sun rarely shines in Indy in the winter! This is such a bleak and dreary winter town December til March. What we lack in sunshine, we make up in artic winds though!

*Indiana is FLAT farm land, and without corn to block the gale force winds they bluster and blow dropping the already low temps to unspeakable levels.

*Everything is brown and grey with the only occasional evergreen dotting the landscape.

*My children's energy level doubles during winter and I'm sure their IQ's drop because of all the TV I allow them to watch.

*We eat all day and all night, because despite the fact that all we're doing is watching TV, crafts, or playing board games-we are all starving!

*Since we are hungry all the time we cook all the time, and I clean the kitchen several times a day.

*I'm not sure I understand why, in the coldest place I've ever lived, the stores and most public buildings keep their temps set at 65. Seriously, I'm coming in from the artic and they can't bear to have me thaw on their watch!

*Everything is dirty. The snow gets dirty and gross after a couple of days and then it sticks to our boots and I have to mop twice as often (okay, I should mop twice as often)

This winter I'm making an effort to see the positives of the bitter cold Indiana winters! Starting today. I finally cleaned my oven! Why? you wonder...because I can heat the entire first floor of our house while the oven runs on self clean mode. The fridge will probably have new life forms by spring, but I'll have the cleanest oven in town!

Positives of Winter
*I have to admit, I LOVE Uggs! Second only to J. Crew wedge flip flops as my favorite shoe.

*I also love how excited I get when it gets above 45 for the first time after a long winter. It's the giddy snow day all over again!

*I'll also save money this winter because I think I'm going to go back to brunette and stop dying my hair blond until summer.

*I enjoy the movie watching in winter with the kids because they will snuggle up and pile on top of me and I love that!

*I actually love to cook and winter really encourages oven use!

*It's good to slow down after those frantic days of soaking up the "last day of nice weather" with the kids and friends.

So, clearly the list isn't as long as my "why I dislike winter" list, but I'm working on it! It will be a good winter and I will make the best of it!