My Netflix Queue is full of ‘Little House on the Prairie’ and I have surrendered to a glass of Reisling.  Is it 3:30 p.m. on a Sunday?  I have forgotten because this is clearly…The Holiday Break That Never…Ever…Ends.  Don’t get me wrong….I love my kids.  It’s o.k. parents….we can still love our children but crave a certain amount of daily routine that the school year provides….it’s o.k.  One popular mom blogger made a comment about the impending snow day and there was a comment from a mom whose child had passed in the summer who had a lonely winter break.  This is terrible. Obviously, we feel like crap when we realize that the things that irritate us would be a blessing to others at any moment.  The idea that we can lose our children or that they will grow up keeps us in check and provides those out of the blue “I am so blessed” moments of clarity.  But yet…in the midst of being 37… with a 13, 9, 6, and 4 year old…this is The Holiday Break That Never…Ever Ends..and I can’t feel my mind.  Let me just re-create an email conversation for you to help illustrate this.

My boss:  “You don’t have to go to Rock Island for that visit.  You don’t have anybody else closeby…it’s up to you.”

Me:  “No…that’s o.k.  I already told her I’d be there.  I’ll make it work.”

Rock Island is 2 hours and 20 minutes away from my house.  I basically broke even between pay and gas to get there.   These are the type of decisions that one makes after clearly being inside the house too long with young children.  I

There are plenty of things that I don’t miss about being out in the winter wonderland with the hustle and bustle of the school year.  I have just forgotten how irritating the school year is.  The 7:00 wake ups, the drop offs, the pick ups, the homework, the school functions we hardly make anymore.  I did get my kids in the car today for an outing and then I remembered what sucks.  Here is my list:

What Sucks About the Winter

1.  Not being able to just fly out of the house.  You need to heat up the car, scrape, bundle up the kids, blah blah.  Last winter I clearly remember throwing hot coffee at my frozen windshield in a sheer Frankie Heck ‘The Middle’ fashion.

2.  Being Cold.  I would rather be able to feel my fingers and toes…it’s best.

3.  The Roads.   I would rather be able to see the roads…it’s best.

That’s really it in a nutshell..about winter I mean.  There are nice things about the winter.  

 

Snowy Siblings.  They are bundled up, they are walking closely side by side to keep warm…crunching through the snow.

Christmas Morning.  Sure, the days preceding are spent wrapping gifts and ensuring our bank accounts are drained.  But the look on their faces on Christmas morning makes it all worthwhile. Plus they will have toys that they will get bored of to play with over break with their friends.

Hanging Inside with Holiday Specials.  It’s cold.  There are tons of holiday movies on.  Surrender to the couch, pop some popcorn, make some hot chocolate and savor it. 

 Date Nights with the Kids.  Holiday break is the perfect time to squeeze in a date night or two with the kids.  They might even be a part of the entertainment.

 Snow.  The ultimate sensory experience.  Bundle up, grab some shovels, throw it in the bathtub, whatever.  Snow is fun to play in and it’s free.  Sure as an adult being cooped up for days, you might feel like doing face down snow angels indefinitely, but go ahead…throw a snowball…build a half-ass snowman.  Be a part of it.  Think:  “Hot Chocolate Awaits!”

 Playing With Things That Don’t Normally Get Played With.  This is your chance to bust out the crafts, blocks, board games, and get CRAZY!

 New Year’s In.   It’s that night where I watch Times Square from my couch and imagine all of my family there…taking turns bitching about the crowd and how cold we all are.  My New Year Eves with all the kids home under one roof are like our winter break groceries…slowly dwindling.  

So there it is. Even though I snapped at my child after stabbing me in the face trying to put kid-size sunglasses on my face last night, I can identify it as a holiday break overdose symptom.   After throwing up mixed match socks in a ‘Who Cares’ manner…I can identify that it is cabin fever and I merely need to step outside of my  house for a while before I can kiss and make up with mundane household chores.  Tomorrow…we will have another day off because of 40 degree below windchill.  I know that it will be all too soon before I wish it was all back.  I will go back to work, they will go back to school, the steadiness of life will pick up a bit.  But…until then…let the winter games CONTINUE!