Siberian Chill

If you follow me on social media, or if you actually live here in the arctic, you've been horrified along with me at the temperatures occurring outside.  Over the last six months, I've heard that it's going to be a cold winter.  "They say it's going to be a cold winter."  Well, pshh.  We live in Fargo, of COURSE it's going to be a cold winter. 

The proverbial they were right.

Good Morning America's meteorologist Ginger Zee gives Fargo a big ol' shoutout on a daily basis, it seems, while phrases like "Siberian Chill," "Polar Vortex" and "Arctic Blast" pop up regularly on the seven-day forecasts.  And here we are, smack in the middle of it.   For this California-grown girl who HATES being cold, I haven't been dealing with it very well.  There's a fair amount of childish foot-stomping occurring if I have to leave the house, and a number of tears that have been shed due to the pain affiliated with being outside at all.  I. Hate. It.

Last Monday, the temperature decided to spike up to the mid-thirties, something we haven't seen in a couple months.  You wouldn't believe the amount of people out playing in the snow....building snowmen, sledding, winter merriment.  I looked at my children who haven't played in the snow at ALL this year and felt pangs of guilt.  I should be letting them experience the snow!  So I sucked it up, pieced together a mis-matched, too-small snowsuit for Carter complete with his sister's boots, and took them outside.  Oh gosh, the excitement!  Here it is, documented for all to see:  I brought my kids out in the snow :)

Now, many people have asked me how I like living in Fargo.  There is a short list of perks, one of those being that the cold temperatures force us to SLOW DOWN.  Enjoying family, cuddling, eating in, being creative with our playtimes...all good things.  I've appreciated this aspect of living in the Northland, considering I came from a busy, egocentric metropolis.  The discrepancy is huge.

But there is such a thing as "too much of a good thing."
THIS happened today:

This winter hasn't been the "let's stay in by the fire and be cozy" romanticized sort.  It's been a "MY BODY HURTS WHEN I GO OUTSIDE,""BEING OUTDOORS IS LITERALLY DANGEROUS" kind of winter.  THAT kind of winter is no fun.  THAT kind of winter takes fun weekend plans and blows them away in 30 mph freezing cold wind.  THAT kind of winter makes us feel trapped inside, doomed to another day of jumping on couch cushions and pounding play-dough (this monotony, of course, bothers me much more than my children).

We spent almost half of December plunged well below zero degrees, and the forecast is pretty grim for us heat-lovers.  It's only January 3.  There's a lot of winter left to endure.

Pray for your frozen friends :)



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