Cold Wars

Since the cold weather hit, I have a new battle on my hands. Miss Serena has decided that wearing winter accessories, such as boots, hats, mittens, and zipped up coats is not cool. So uncool, in fact, that she often "forgets" these items each school day.

Mornings around here can be pretty hectic, with Sophie requiring extra help to get outside, then back in, and sometimes leaving me messes to deal with first thing. Breakfast needs to happen, lunches need made, athletic bags are packed, and the hair...oh, the hair.

It can be very easy to get frazzled, jump in the van, and wait until we're 5 minutes down the road to notice what everyone has on. "Hey, Serena, where is your hat, your mittens, and your boots?" I get the same answer each time, which has finally driven me insane. "I don't know. Maybe in my locker. Maybe in my bag." I then reply, "No! They belong on your body!! How many times do I have to go over this before you get it? It is cold. (then I announce the actual temperature for good measure)You need to wear these things! What kind of mother lets her kid go to school the way you do? A bad one, that's who, and that bad mom is me when you forget!!!" Sigh. Eyeroll. And that's just MY response.

Yesterday was my breaking point. I had been up nearly all night, as my dear pooch, Sophie was having tummy troubles, and was very restless. After lifting her 50 pound body in and out of the house 4 times in 15 minutes just for her to eat snow, I was wide awake. And not happy about it. Come morning, I was exhausted and rough around the edges, shall we say. I took the kids to school in a bit of a fog, thinking I would lie down as soon as I got home. Instead, I arrived back at home, walked into the kitchen and there sat Serena's lunch on the bar. There by the door were her boots,mittens, and hat. I was too tired to really react, so I told Sophie, who was waiting to go out again, "I just can't do this today, buddy."

I did it anyway. I drove back into town 7 miles, had Miss Corky call Miss Reenie down to the office, then stood and chatted while I waited. Along came my dear friend Sara, and I joked as I held up the forgotten items. Apparently her son is very uncool, as he still wears snow pants. Lucky her! She agreed to be my "spy" and make sure Serena put her warm things on for recess. We moms have to stick together. Serena made her way to the office, and I explained to her that I didn't appreciate having to drive all the way back into town, and if I found out that she wasn't wearing her warm things, her fashion boots were going to disappear. That got her attention. She's very into those boots. Those boots are my currency! Sure enough, when I picked her up from school later, she was all bundled up.

That was yesterday. Today was another story. Today she got out of the car in her unbuttoned pea coat and untied clunky birthday shoes. It's gym day, I thought, as she trudged through the snowy playground. Her gym shoes are in the garage, a granola bar wrapper still tucked inside. Her hat, boots, and mittens are in a secret location, as I couldn't even find them. Maybe they're in her backpack. Maybe they're in her locker. Maybe I'm tired of this!! I saw her cute little classmate hop out of her mom's truck this morning, sporting a fuzzy pink hat, mittens, and snow boots. She looked back at her mom and with a big smile, threw her a wave that would warm any mom's heart. For one second, I thought, "Now, why can't that be MY kid today?" But no, my owly kid jumped out of the car to walk with her pink-hatted friend with her pea coat flapping and shoe laces dragging in the snow. The same shoes she would have to wear for gym. Sigh. She's my kid. Cold but cool. I waved a mittened hand to her back and drove away.

When I got home, I took the fashion boots, put them on and walked them right into my closet where they will stay for a week. I may even take the i-pod as my exclamation point.

Recently, my older brother Jeff asked me, "Who is Serena more like--you or her dad?" I smiled and answered, "Oh, definitely her dad. His mom tells me he was a handful and a bundle of energy. He's forgetful and a bit of a stinker too." Jeff gave me a funny, sarcastic look and smiled, not saying a word. Well, at least I wore my hat to school.