Know What Else I Miss?

Besides missing garage sales because of the colder weather, I especially miss the freedom of summer. The kind of days where you can run outside with bare feet or throw on a pair of flip flops to run to the store.
Now it is such a production to just get ready to go somewhere that I have been staying home a lot more often. It is hard work getting three small children ready to head to the grocery store or library when it is cold outside and one must get properly bundled up. Searching for six socks, three pairs of matching shoes (why is it that my children each own several pairs of shoes but when I need a pair all I can find are the odd couples?).

Jackets or coats (we are still in the in between stage where we need one or another on any given day). Sometimes mittens and hats (where was my second glove today when it was time to walk the dog?!). Just lots and lots of stuff that takes forever to put on. And takes forever to put away once we return home.

And who, just who!, designed this house with zero, zilch, nadda a closet in the whole downstairs?! No coat closet, no where to store all this stuff. We make do with our coat rack and some hooks behind the basement door. But it would be so much easier if someone had thought to put a closet in the downstairs. Somewhere, anywhere! I guess in 1880 they just didn't think of these things.

These pictures are bittersweet. They were taken just a couple weeks ago, while we were in Ohio and experiencing some not so common warm November weather. It's great seeing how much fun they were having, but sad knowing it will be months before they have that freedom again.Winter hasn't even arrived yet but our days are already being spent mainly indoors. It isn't even that cold out yet but I have to force my outdoor girl outdoors, and she comes in within minutes claiming to be freezing. Joe would stay out all day if I let him, not even letting his frozen blue hands stop him from having fun outside. But honestly, it's just not fun outside when it is cold. Oh sure, the first snow is wonderful, and having a snowball fight or building a snowman is fun a few times, but it is the warm summer sun that I am missing right now. And anyone in the Midwest can tell you just how long our winters last. I try to avoid thinking of that so as not to depress myself.

We do have our first snowfall yet to look forward to. And I have to admit that Christmas just wouldn't seem like Christmas without the snow. But I would be happy if winter only lasted one month, instead of six!