Maybe passion is too strong a word.
I've never really been a lover of winter. I'm not one of those people who longingly waits for the cold to hit and the white stuff to start falling from the sky. I've always preferred the long lazy days of summer. Yet when I was younger, I didn't hate winter. I spent weekends skiing with family and friends and I attempted to learn to snowboard. I lived for hot chocolate by the fire after a long day on the slopes, but I still anxiously awaited the snow to melt away making room for picnics and late night swims. Eventually I actually began to dislike winter and in my University years I pretty much stayed indoors from November until late April.
This Mom Decided To Fake It Till She Liked It
Then I had kids.
When they were babies, I had to force myself out in the snow but it was really just from car to baby playgroup and back. The kids tucked tightly into their infant carriers and me running from car to house with my coat flapping in the wind. There was the occasional walk around the yard pulling my little ones in their tiny little sled but those never lasted too long.
My kids are getting older and my son, Mr. T. is an outdoor kid to the bones. He needs to be outside, a lot, it's how he centres himself. Last winter I made the conscious decision that I was going to join him in some outdoor play. I invested in a good pair of snowpants, a warm winter coat and a serious pair of snow boots. I took on a "if you can't beat 'em join 'em" attitude. We had a blast! We giggled the entire way down the toboggan hill. We glided across the outdoor ice rink without even noticing the cold.
Alright, I barely noticed the cold.
Ok; so the cold didn't kill me. Point is we had fun.
Did You Know You Can Be Allergic To The Cold?
And so it began...a kind of semi-love for winter.
Most of us are dreading the arrival of the white stuff but there is this little part of me that's kind of looking forward to it. I'm super excited to introduce Mr. T. to skiing this winter, or if he gets his way I may have to brush up on my snowboarding skills. I can just see the two of us bonding on the chair lift.
Ask me again in February and I may give you another answer, but for now I am a teensy bit excited for old man winter's arrival. I raise my hand and volunteer myself as my son's outdoor play buddy. I will use this as an opportunity to spend some quality time with my buddy, just the two of us.
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