A Mitten Moment

First, the weather report for our non-local Faithful Readers: more snow! (We know. We couldn't believe it either.) When Julie went to collect the wee ones from the KinderCare, Joe stated that he did not want to put on his mittens, and Julie said "Suit yourself." (The mittens were in his coat pockets and Julie suspected that the root of all this "No-I-don't-want-to-put-on-my-mittens"-ness was to do with the newfound fun of tucking the mittens into said coat pockets.) We arrived home and made our way along the walk from the garage to the front of the house. Picture Joe out in front trundling along with a plastic bag containing the clothes Clara went to school in, and Julie tagging along behind holding Clara who was straining down, down, down to snag one of the three plastic bags holding each of her three empty bottles*, and who was successful so Julie was trying to wrench it away before she got a plastic bag in her mouth, without dropping Clara, falling down with her, or losing the contents of the tote in which all the day's trappings were. Now, you remember that snow had fallen. So there was fresh powder on the railing of the steps leading up to the porch. What Joe likes to do here, is run his hand along the snow pushing it off on his way up the steps. So we are literally three steps from the door when Our Hero announces that he must put on his mittens! But of course he does! Julie knows any suggestion to the contrary is futile so tells him to have at it. And thus it was that she was standing there holding Clara (still trying valiantly for that plastic bag!), the tote, and now the door, when Ted whistled from down the street as he walked home from the bus, and Julie shouted down the street, "We're putting on our mittens!" and Ted laughed, knowing instantly what she was up against. It was cold outside, but Julie felt warm inside.

*They bag everything at the KC. It's not very Earth-friendly, but it is harried parent-friendly as it means one never suffers a bottle that has leaked the last dribbles of its contents or some such all over the place.