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!"
