Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Way Back When-esday: South Goes North

We've officially hit a cold snap here. This morning it supposedly felt like -2, although I did not have drop-off duty for school, so I really wouldn't know for sure. I just wrapped the kids up, opened the door a crack, and pushed them in the direction of their father's car.

Then I came back inside and turned up the heat.


I know all of you living in New England or Canada or other equally frigid places are probably wishing for -2. I heard on the news that International Falls, MN is at -35, but it really feels like -52.

When it's that cold, how the heck can you tell that it feels like -52? Isn't that like two degrees away from Absolute Zero?

All I know is that -52 is where I would call it quits and become a hermit. I don't think there is anything that would be able to draw me from my house. Not even lack of coffee.

My point is that baby, it's cold outside. Jack Frost is nipping at your nose and anything else you were foolish enough to leave exposed.

When the temps plummet like this, I always think fondly back to our Navy days and our duty stations in the South. We might throw on a light fleece in February and call it good. Those were good times.

Francie and Fiver, both born in the South in the dead heat of summer, were especially confused by the voluminous outerwear required for winter visits with their grandparents in the Great White North. Let's just say they didn't like being so bound up.



Date: January 2003
Francie, 3 1/2
Fiver, 5 months

While Fiver looks downright unhappy about his hat, Francie's expression cracks me up. It looks like there should be a bubble above her head saying, Are you kidding me with this hat, scarf, coat combo, Mom? Seriously.

They have mostly gotten over their aversion to outerwear, although Fiver still is not a big fan of mittens or gloves. The little ones, both born up North, seem to accept that winter brings layering as a fact of life.

But I still miss those southern winters when I am strapping Michelin Man babies into the car.

Join in the flashback fun with Cheryl over at Twinfatuation.

7 comments:

  1. Oh that picture is priceless! BOTH expressions are so, so reflective of the bundling...just love it!

    Thanks so much for playing along with Way Back When-esday, Aimee!

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  2. The older two have the perfect "is this really necessary, oh crazy mommy" look on their faces. Love it!

    Of course it really is necessary. And, yes, there are subtle ways to tell the difference between cold, colder and really freaking cold. At -30 my car will eventually start at the end of the work day. I don't think it will at -50.

    At -10 your nose hairs instantly turn into ice with the first breath. At -30 it's the contact lenses. Luckily I've never had to experience temperatures below -30... yet.

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  3. Their expressions are so funny! LOL
    HOLY cow! Minus 52!!!! I will stop complaining about 30 degrees!

    Happy Whens-day!

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  4. Too funny! She does look annoyed! I guess I should stop whining about the 20 degrees we are experiencing today!

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  5. Love the picture!! They both look so unhappy, poor things.
    If I could sprout wings, I'd fly south at the moment. It's so stinking cold here I almost called the youngest off of school today because I didn't want to leave the house. But I sucked it up and went and slid on the ice all the home. Glad I don't have to go out any more today.

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  6. That picture was priceless.

    It is in the fifties today here in sunny Florida, and everyone is walking around bundled up in hats and scarves and gloves and puffy coats and rubbing their hands together and blowing hot air into them and talking about how cold it is. I'm sure we seem like a bunch of babies to people dealing with real cold.

    I used to work in a condo office and dealt a lot with 'snowbirds', people who escape the winters of Michigan by renting a condo here for a few months. And man, they were so derisive of what we locals perceived as cold weather. One man would wear shorts and a tank top and do pushups in the parking lot on even the coldest day, saying "It's not cold, it's brisk and refreshing!". His wife was always chagrined by this but would explain it away by saying that years of Michigan winters had warped his mind. :-)

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  7. You also remember how part of the fun was laughing at people up north, right?

    Tonight it's so cold here that I'm drinking hot cocoa and contemplating long sleeve night shirt to go with the flannel sleep pants ;)

    Kaden will tolerate hats and bundling clothes/blankets... but no mittens. Er, that might be a problem when we visit the artic relatives...

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