Adjusting

I'm not sure my family is adjusting to winter very well this year. Perhaps it's because we were so lucky with the weather this year: it didn't snow one time in March (I was so very happy about that, because March is my most hated month here in Minnesota), the summer was great, and the fall was unseasonably long and warm. We were taking walks and playing at the park almost every day from March until early November this year. And then winter hit, and we're just not coping. It's dark outside when I get home; my commute has gone from 15 minutes to 30-40... and last Friday in the midst of a snowstorm it took me an hour and 45 minutes to get home; we've all been sick multiple times; and daylight saving time really did us in.

 

Here was the scene in my house yesterday. We had 30 minutes to eat dinner and get to ECFE class. Sebastian was cranky, so when I walked in the door Matt was heating tomato soup with the little guy on his hip. We sat down, Sebastian insisting on being at the table instead of in his high chair. He took a spoonful of his soup, and poured it right on my pants. I told him "no," which set off a crying meltdown for 10 minutes. He finally ate some soup, we all changed, and then rushed to class, leaving the kitchen a tornado of dirty dishes, food containers and soup stains.

 

Every year we seem to go through this, this period of adjustment. Once the winter comes and days go by without sunshine, it feels like there aren't enough hours in the day to get anything done. And once the chores are done, the stories have been read, and the little one is off to dreamland, we feel like empty shells who just want to veg on the couch and crash into bed. I miss the spontaniety of summer... the post-dinner walks and sunsets at the playground. We're cooped up indoors and while our little home is cozy, life just seems to be frantic and off balance.

 

Something needs to change around here. I just haven't quite figured out what yet.