I go back to work, tomorrow, as a new semester begins. It’s time. I love my academic schedule, but I am always ready to go back to work. I’m not the kind of person who does very well with too much time on my hands. I’m never as productive as I plan to be, I spend way too much time in my own head, and, eventually, I end up in a bit of a funk.
When I realized that Finn’s daycare would be closed in honor of MLK Day, today, I was a little bummed. These are the kinds of horrible things that mommies don’t like to say aloud, but the truth is, I kind of needed one last day to myself, and I’ve spent A LOT of time with this kiddo over the past month. Don’t get me wrong: I love him. I do! But, well, I don’t have to explain what I mean to any other parents out there. You get it.
But then, it snowed. And, although it’s been a historically cold winter in Chicago, we actually haven’t had much measurable snow. It was also 25 degrees, which is about 25 degrees warmer than it has been for the past few weeks. So, I bribed Finn with a sucker, which bought me the 20 minutes it took to pile on every piece of snow gear he owns (all of which is leftover from last year and is just a taaaaaaad too small). He was packed in so tightly that he kept whining, “I can’t reach!” each time he tried, unsuccessfully, to bend over and grab a handful of snow.
And for the first time in weeks, we got outside and explored the neighborhood. Who knew that a couple hours outside with my boy, eating questionably discolored snow, pulling a sled all around the neighborhood, and using the icy slide as a make-shift luge was exactly what I needed?
It was, as it turns out. It definitely was.
I love the way he marches through the neighborhood like he owns the place.
Our favorite car in the ‘hood.
Someone has a thing for eating snow. City snow.
Oh, I love this child of ours.