Mixed Feelings

As I contemplated taking the air conditioner out of the window yesterday, I hesitated, hoping for the possibility of, maybe, one more warm summer day. In some ways, Fall seemed a desirable change. For the first time in months, we stayed at home with the kids. We sat on the couch most of the day watching movies, playing with trains, having craft time, and eating snacks. Fall wasn't so bad, staying inside can be fun! I began to look past the hopes for another summer day and began thinking about hot cocoa, snuggling in blankets, long pants with socks, sweaters, holidays, scented candles, apple cider, comfort food, Greenbluff, pumpkin carving, fall decorations, and an end to yard work and cleaning our home away from home that becomes our backyard. Ignoring the frequent "where are we going to go today" nag from the kids, we made the best attempt at a lazy Sunday.

Then the evening came........reality set in. After exhausting all of the fun indoor activities, we decided to head out into the fall weather. A drive, dinner, the pet store, it didn't really matter as long as we could escape the prison that eventually had become our home. At the end of this day, cold weather blues came rushing back. The boys could not contain their excitement at the possibility of getting out of the house, it reminded me of the first warm day in Spring when they can't make it out the door fast enough. Taking a bit longer to get ready, changing into socks, shoes and sweatshirts, we began to make our way out the door.............then it happened. Any shred of hope for cozy indoor weather vanished in a instant. Jake released the energy he had been bottling up all day. Unfortunately, he released this energy right into the bed frame.

Six stitches and one very grumpy, tear stained face later, we returned home.......defeated. I got into bed just in time to catch the news. Thoroughly disappointed after catching the weather forecast, my heart sunk. I had successfully avoided this undesirable information all day and was hit with another hard dose of reality at the end of my difficult attempt at this lazy Sunday. I suddenly remembered runny noses, closing the curtains at 5pm, shoveling snow, spending one half hour dressing the boys in snow suits for 20 minutes of playtime, running and yelling in the house, spending endless money on any acitivity that requires toddlers to exaughst their energy, cold hands and feet, snow tires, and heat bills.

Today, after taking the air conditioner out of the window and reminding the boys not to run in the house, I decided I'm going to remain positive. A little less idealistic about the new weather forecast, I am happy to have the screens back in the window, clean windowsills, a backyard that doesn't look like a playroom, free time in place of yard work, a list of rotating "things to do" posted on the refrigerator, the sweet smell of an oil furnace, and I think I'm really going to enjoy a hot latte this morning in place of the usual iced mocha.