My Kids Are Asleep

Expectations vs. Reality: Snow Day With a Toddler

‘Twas the day after Christmas

And all through the house

The children were stirring

Making much more noise than a mouse

 

There was white snow outside

And all through the ‘hood

Families were out playing, sledding, drinking

Making the day look oh so good

 

But inside our home, there was a post-Santa daze

The toddler had gone to bed too late

Then climbed out of his crib not once but twice

He was grumpy and tired and in quite a state

 

I stared out the window as the sun rose

Longing to be out in the freshly fallen snow

But instead I was inside, offering waffles and eggs

To the sounds of my up-too-early toddler screaming ‘NOOOOOO’

 

I asked if he wanted to play outside

With snow pants and gloves and a hat on his head

He slowly nodded yes and walked to the door

I jumped to get ready, half full of hope and half full of dread

 

He pulled on his pants and even his jacket

Then I realized: Shoot, no boots for the weather

I grabbed two garbage bags and tied them over his shoes

I’m not gonna buy new boots every year, especially not leather!

 

We stepped outside and started to walk

Do you want to get down? I asked my son

He clung to my hip like a kangaroo

No, no, no, he yelled, no fun!

 

I walked to the park,

My kid glued to my side

And stopped when we got there

Do you want to take the sled for a ride?

 

He looked at me in disgust

Shaking his head to say no

So I kept right on walking with him on my hip

Determined to enjoy a few minutes of the snow

 

Want to build a snowman?

I asked hopefully, longing on my face

We can get carrots and olives and sticks for his arms!

He pointed towards home and I said- want to race?

 

He cried out to say no

So I admitted defeat

And started the trek back to our house, getting sympathetic glances from

Other moms on the street

 

I guess when you’re two

It really doesn’t matter

That a snow day is special and pretty and a treat

You just want your teeth not to chatter

 

So inside we went

To the food and the heat

It was time to give up

I know when I’m beat

 

As a mom, I think a lot about expectations versus reality. This week has been a triple whammy of high-expectation events: Christmas, a rare snow day in Seattle on December 26 and Miles’ birthday on December 27.

I posted about Christmas a few days back and you can read about my mom shortcomings here. Suffice to say, I’m a bad Christmas mom and I don’t care who knows it! Ultimately, I think Miles had a pretty good time opening his stocking, making French toast and hanging with his grandparents despite my failure to create a magical Christmas wonderland — and Linnea is too young to have any clue — but it’s easy to psych yourself out this time of year when every time you open Instagram there’s a hot chocolate charcuterie board there to greet you.

Snow days have a similar vibe, especially in a place like Seattle where it only *truly* snows once every year or two : You better make this good, parents! This snow is melting and it’s melting FAST! Better get to sledding and snowman-building and snowball-fighting stat! Of course, anyone with very little kids knows it takes about twice as long to get ready to go out in the snow as you actually spend out there. Miles is thoroughly unimpressed with the snow and refused to step even one foot in it this year. I spent about a half hour outside with him. In reality, We spent most of the snow day inside playing with his toy bus and not napping because he has figured out how to climb out of his crib. I took the baby for a walk in her snowsuit in the front pack, but that too was cut short because her little face was clearly freezing.

The next day was Miles’ second birthday. Poor guy already has it hard enough with a birthday two days after Christmas. Last year we couldn’t do a party because it was pre-Covid vaccines, and this year the snow put a damper on our plans. I had tickets to the aquarium because FISHIES!, but the aquarium closed due to the snow. His grandparents and cousins couldn’t make it over because of bad road conditions and, as has been thoroughly noted above, Miles is NOT impressed with the snow. 

So … we took him to daycare, on his birthday, even though I have the day off work. Truly mom of the year over here, outsourcing my kid’s birthday. Maybe we’ll actually do something for his next birthday. Third time’s a charm!