So...It's Crazy Cold

It is crazy cold here.
It has been for the past couple weeks.
The temps have been in the single digits, our roof line is covered with icicles, our windows are frozen shut on the inside, and the other day my damp hair actually froze solid while walking from my front door to the car.  It is that cold. 

With the temps well below freezing it has not been uncommon recently for me to go days without leaving the house.  If it's not a preschool carpool day, I mostly likely can be found somewhere in my house snuggled up with my little kiddos.  We have been staying in jammies and slippers longer than usual, watching more movies than usual, and lounging around under warm blankets more than usual.  And I'm totally OK with it.  It is all good. 

As the seasons and years come and go, one thing that I am getting a little better at is keeping perspective during the changes and seasons of life.  One day, one week, or even one month does not define our life or our habits.  Laying around the house all day watching lots of TV is definitely not my ideal (well...sometimes it is...) and it would be easy to get frustrated and down on myself for allowing so many days of it.  In fact, I normally do get frustrated after a couple days of that.  But I have been through enough winters here with kids (and other ups and downs of life) to know that life has not always been like this and it will not continue to always be like this.  Where we are and what we are doing right now is OK.  We are OK.

Soon enough Spring will come and the sun will shine strong and warm again.  We will be excited to hit the parks again, go on walks on the river trail, and ride bikes up and down the sidewalks.  After a winter being couped up indoors my kids will not be traumatized, their brains will not turn to mush, our family life will not be ruined, and our normal routine will come back again someday.  I know because it's happened before and we survived.  And I know this will not be the last winter of too much TV watching.

To be honest, the kids are just fine with the lack of schedule.  They love the freedom to watch their favorite movies, play on the ipod too long, and have unstructured playtime.  They are still getting their homework, reading, practicing, and chores done (most days).  They are still getting social interactions and plenty of stimulus at school and church and at home. 

Really the only damage that comes from lazy days like we've been having are from the times that I stress out about not getting more done.  I'm starting to think that Mom's happiness has more affect on children than the actual activities they are engaged in at home.  I'm no expert - just a theory.  And so I try to remember that my mood matters big time - no matter what we're doing.

I actually really love the feeling of a well-working routine machine of a household.  We put a lot of effort over here into finding a good balance of work, play, and responsibilities.  I guess my point, though, is that it has felt really good to not feel really bad about letting things go.  It has felt really good to not stress about straying from our normal routine.  It has felt really good to just let things be.  Especially knowing it is only for a time and a season.  And I think it has been good for all of us - kids included - to be able to just let it go, roll with the punches, and look forward to each day no matter what it brings.



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