Charlyn’s Web

Yesterday was a typical winter day here with thick clouds overhead and cold temperatures. On days when we are having the inversion (cold air trapped under a high pressure) the temperature will vary by only a few degrees- 25 is the low and 30 is the high. We had been in the house for days now, due to all of the illness so I thought that it would … wait for it… be “good” for us to go out to get the mail. The children had questions about how “good” it would be for them. Hans complained and was a slow as could be getting his stuff on. Talia complained too and wasn’tvery cooperative. Kirsten, on the other hand, quietly went about the business of getting her cold weather gear on. After the long fight, noise and hassle, I was glad to get them outside and on our way. Sigh. I have such delusions about how these things should go all the while the kids have their ideas about how things should NOT go. I was cheer-leading the troops- Come on, get moving quickly so your blood will pump and you’ll warm up! They move slower and come to a stop. Is it instinctual to just stand still in the cold? Huddling up, I guess. I decided they could just do their thing and I would walk quickly to the mailbox, a 1/4 mile away. Talia stopped in the driveway and after I was a fair distance from her; she started to wail. I yelled back at her that I would come get her on the way back. Of course, I should have realized it was a loosing battle to have her actually HEAR me, what with all that noise so close to her(coming from her own mouth). I heard an opening and shouted again and then she calmed down. She had started walking by then and Kirsten, who actually had been walking quite quickly waited for her at the end of the driveway. What a sweet sister. Hans was a few feet behind me and I made it to the mailbox. On the way back, Talia had started crying again. I often wonder what our neighbors think and am glad that they are not very many in number and work outside the home. I gave both girls hugs and told Kirsten what a good big sister she was to have waited for her sister and then walked with her. I walked everyone home and they were very grateful to get back into the house.

I may think twice on an overcast, 30 degree day about a “good for us” walk.