Blizzard-ish
Mar 7, 2008 Parenting, The Story of My Life
This morning I took the kids out to the library to hook up with Tracy (for the first time and she was lovely and Madison wasn’t too grouchy but maybe just a little bit). When we set out walking there it was a beautiful winter wonderland and Madison fairly skipped her way to the library catching snowflakes on her tongue. But on the way back everything was much more difficult. It was snowing harder, the sidewalks were slipperier and the wind had picked up.
Poor Madison was tired and hungry and the snow was blowing into her face, icing up her eyelashes. It’s 3.4 miles from our house to the library (I just google-mapped it) and (Edited to add: I thought about this and decided google is wrong. I went back and checked and it is — it has the library about 2 miles away from where it is. Next time I won’t copy and paste without reading, eh?) It’s uphill coming back so there’s that, too. Plus, she’s small and that’s a long walk in the driving snow when you’re big let alone if you’re just a little girl who’s ready for her lunch.
We trudged on because, as I pointed out to her, we weren’t going to get home by standing still. Still I was cursing myself for not calling Brett from the library and having him come get us. We stopped to rest in the park for a minute, sheltered in the little kiosk at the front, and I brushed the snowflakes out of her eyes. That’s past the halfway point but still feels like a long way from home.
“C’mon,” I said as I led her back out on the sidewalk. “We are strong, courageous women! We can do this!”
She was wailing up the street, holding onto the back of my coat so I’d act as a wind-breaker.
“I don’t want to be women!” she cried. “I want to be a children!”
“Ok, I’m a strong, courageous woman and you’re my strong, courageous child and we are on our way home! We’re braving the winds!”
“You freak me out when you say womens, Mommy! I miss my Daddy! I miss my brother!”
It was really sad. I kept wishing some passing car would be a neighbor so I could have hitched a ride. But we made it! And once Madison had some lunch in her belly and was tucked up with a blanket to watch a little Thomas the Tank Engine, all was good. (I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s asleep up there right now because it was hard work getting home!)
March 7th, 2008 at 1:22 pm
“You freak me out when you say womens, Mommy!” Ha.
Now you have a comment. No more “alas.”
It’s definitely a blizzard out there! Man, I am glad I am safe at home. But Hubs is stuck in Denver!
March 7th, 2008 at 2:07 pm
Did you feel like Ma Ingalls out there in the blizzard? I can’t believe you didn’t call Brett either!
March 7th, 2008 at 3:10 pm
Good for the both of you for braving on through that storm! (I know that I’ve experienced a number of similar situations — the adventures of public transit users. (Though drivers have their own unique kind of adventures, I’m sure)).
Alissa beat me to what I came here to remark in a comment on — there is something very amusing about Madison using that phrase “you freak me out!”. By golly, she’s so articulate.
PS
Maybe I oughta comment more often 
Completely off-topic and of no consequence whatsoever, but I dig the way the comment box lights up in pleasant cyan when I type this comment. Makes me feel like your webpage is showering me with attention, somehow, saying “you commenter! welcome!”
March 7th, 2008 at 4:29 pm
Holy crap! When you mentioned a long walk, I somehow registered it like it must be in three-year-old terms… a long ways down the street or something. 3.4 miles is quite a haul! I’m so sorry, I wish I’d realized and loaded you both into my disgusting car.
We had a great time, though. Declan crashed hard this afternoon. You and both of your children are lovely and interesting and fun. Once I’ve re-unpacked my house this weekend, I’ll try and come up with some playdate options.
March 7th, 2008 at 6:11 pm
You should have just stopped at our house. I could have taken you home or you could have waited here for Brett. I had no idea there was an actual blizzard warning about this storm. I feel like I missed the bread and milk buying boat.
March 7th, 2008 at 9:21 pm
Tracy, no worries! I could have called Brett from the library but I thought, “Oh a stroll in the snow! How pleasant!” And then when we got too far away from the library to turn back I realized it was all a horrible mistake.
The crazy thing is that Madison ended up asking Brett to take her sledding after she warmed up. Noah, sensible boy, said he’d had enough snow but she went out for another couple of hours!!! (And then fell asleep at 7pm, natch!)
March 7th, 2008 at 10:59 pm
Ooooh I was chilled thinking of that long walk. I remember taking many of those walks when I lived in Ctown. Those were the days when I didn’t own a car and would walk from Broadmeadows to Whetstone and back. Or get down on Campus without an umbrella and get caught in a rain.
Eeeks, I hope everyone is warm and cozy tonight.
March 8th, 2008 at 4:26 am
I thought I was the only one that did stuff like this. I would have been far grumpier; whining and begging my way home of course. You are two strong, courageous women!
March 8th, 2008 at 7:06 am
You should’ve had a rope tied from your house to the library, just in case. You’re so adventurous.
March 9th, 2008 at 1:36 am
she’s so funny! too early for feminism i suppose.