Like Groundhog Day. Or that song by Meatloaf.

I'm not sure if y'all are aware, but winter is never stopping. It is just going to keep going and going into the abyss of forever. Like Groundhog Day. Or that song by Meatloaf. 

Up here in the Great White North it dropped into the minus 20s in November and it has never. let. up. I'm not even sure I saw the sun for a solid 9 weeks. I now share the baby's vitamin D drops because save me. 

I'm finding it harder and harder to imagine motherhood in a non-winter setting. I think? the first couple months of Fraggle's life occurred during the summer, but who can remember the foggy first couple months of a baby's life?  From what I recall, there may have been a river picnic, some Strollercise, and some 40-degree days that gave her a nasty heat rash. 

But into the future? What do you mean I'm going to play outside with her? What do you mean she won't be burried in blankets for a six-second walk to the car? What do you mean there will be grass? What do you mean she won't need socks? These are concepts I cannot fathom. 

Today I had ENOUGH. Today I had to imagine a world that was not a deep, white, salty, iceball - a world in which a city worker was not shoveling out the neighbourhood fire hydrants. Today I needed outside. 

I bundled that baby up like a tiny, fuzzy arctic puffin, plunked her in her stroller, and walked her around my 'hood for a good 20 minutes. My face got sore from the cold but it was only about -15, so basically a heat wave. 

Believe it or not, that was my Birthday Month activity for today. I needed the fresh air. I needed the movement. I needed the change of scenery. Most of all, I needed hope. "Look, Fraggle! This will be GREEN one day!"