9 Things I’d Rather Do Than Walk My Kid To School In The Winter

I haven’t read any statistics about this particular winter yet, but there seem to be a lot of people coming down with pneumonia, this year. Like, a lot. I know of four, aside from myself, who have had it recently, and we’re all between 35-55, which is kind of not at all the right demographic for any type of pneumonia, from what I’ve seen.

Anyway, I’m sure I’ll feel better by mid-June. In the meantime, it’s winter, and walking outside in the winter when your lungs are inflamed and every breath feels like a long deboning knife sliding under your ribcage is not high on my priority list. Also, a little parenting equation for you: strollers + more than 1cm of snow = hell.

Except that pesky kid of mine needs to get to and from school, five days a week.

I’m lucky. When I came down with this monster infection and things were at their worst, the Husband either took her in the mornings himself, or drove us both, on his way to work. That’s huge. Unfortunately, I’m now well enough to take her on my own again. It’s only two blocks. 1700 steps. Too close to complain about.

But I can’t help it.

So I’ve spent this morning thinking up all of the things I’d rather be doing, instead of walking the Fournado to school, while negotiating the unshovelled sidewalks with Baby C in the stroller. These are all completely attainable, right?

Drink my coffee in peace

All cozied up in my fuzzy blanket, looking out the bay window of my cozy warm home. The key word here is cozy, a word I very distinctly do NOT feel when I walk my kid to and from school. Did I mention that my coffee is actually still hot, in this fantasy of mine?

Sorry. We’re just going to stop there for a minute. Sigh.

Okay, moving on.

Get a head start on dinner

Oh my god, what I wouldn’t do to have an extra 30 minutes here and there to do basics like food prep for an actual dinner. Maybe then my kids wouldn’t be subsisting solely on chicken nuggets, carrots and bagels. Oh, who am I kidding? They’d be eating that shit regardless, but at least I would be eating real food.

Take a shower

Seriously, what I wouldn’t do to have a long, hot, relaxing shower with NO ONE SCREAMING IN THE BACKGROUND. Is that too much to ask? Shhhh. Don’t answer that.

Clean the house

What’s that? 20 minutes of distraction-free cleaning that doesn’t take place at 9pm? Yes please! Also, I think if this is what gets me excited, I am in trouble.

Have a nap

Because it’s more than likely that I was woken up at 5:38am by my wee little asshole of a toddler. I love him, but GOOD GOD.

Bake cupcakes for myself my family

These would have a raspberry jam filling and milk chocolate buttercream icing. Not that I’m dreaming of these right this very moment…

Finish writing my novel

I am only half-kidding about this. I would kill to have 20 minutes every day that I could devote to finishing the novel I began back in November.

Work out

I have to tell you, 1700 steps twice a day does not cut it, when it comes to maintaining my girlish figure. A 20 minute HIIT workout would fit in perfectly here.

Get a foot rub

I will happily take one of these over trudging slowly through the snow, trying to get my child to walk farther than the length of a single house before needing to stop and examine something. This isn’t too much to ask, is it?

I know this is a silly thing to complain about, and in all honesty, I don’t mind the walk in the spring or the fall. I also know have at least 5-8 more years of this, so I need to buck up. But thanks for indulging me and reading today. 😉

~g