Non Native Minnesotan Makes Bad Decision

So Aid was all better today, and dying to get out of our house. He began begging me to see all of his little friends and went through the list of them over and over again. Then he brought me his coat and hat and asked to go outside. I decided since it was warmer that we would go for it! I got Aid and a screaming Grant ready to go on a walk to the playground!



I don't know what I was thinking. Well, here is what I was thinking. I was feeling guilty for not getting Aid out of the house much since little Grant moved in and he gave me big puppy dog eyes begging to go play with his friends outside. Well, since I couldn't deliver the friends I thought the ice would be melted enough to go on a walk. But then I decided that a walk wouldn't be all that much fun, he needed to get a little energy out. So that's where the playground theory came in. Why I didn't think the playground would be covered in snow and ice I have no idea. Sleep deprivation perhaps.

The walk there was horrendous. While the warm temperature did melt the ice it really just created a thin ice layer that was often undetectable. Until I slipped, no less then 5 times, landing on my knees (bruised) and rolling my ankle. Let's remember I only have a single stroller so Grant was snuggled in the Baby Bjorn and I had to pretty much kill myself each time I slipped in an attempt not to squash the baby. He amazingly slept through the whole debacle.

We finally got there and I was sort of proud of myself and feeling like a good mom who would sacrifice anything to get her kid some outside time. Even in the dead of winter.
This is the scene we came upon.

What!!!! There is snow all over the freaking playground? What kind of snow state is this? This is the state where there is NEVER a snow day they are so prepared. There are snow plow emergencies (that have resulted in quite a few tickets since we didn't know about them!) People drive in it. It lasts for 5 months! Wouldn't you think they would plow out the playground so that in the 5th month when there is still snow but it's warmer the little children of Minnesota could get outside? Apparently not. I sat there silently cursing the whole state and tried to convince Aid that there was too much snow to play. He wasn't having it. He gave me the puppy dog eyes again and asked to get out to go play. Ok, little man, ok...

So we trudged out to the playground in snow up past our ankles. Aid slipped several times but was determined to make his way there.


He went up and down each play structure piece (there are two) once. Then climbed back into the stroller and asked to go home. Ummmm....I was emotionally conflicted with wanting nothing more then to be back at home, put on my sweats and watch movies with Aid in front of the warm gas stove and wanting to stay longer then 5 minutes to make the whole damn thing worth it. But the puppy dog eyes came out and home we went.

You think this is where the story ends but it does not. Thinking I would avoid any of the piles of snow around the curbs from the plows I had passed on the way there, I crossed the street just after exiting the park that was nice and smooth. Bad choice number 100. A couple of blocks down some irresponsible home owner (!) did not shovel his pathway which was actually quite large. We were stuck. I had to go through a pile of snow no matter which direction I went. So I thought that since I have the 3 wheeler all terrain stroller I would just plow right through it. Wrong. I got stuck. Then I got stroller road rage and started cursing under my breath. Aid is in the front going, "What wrong mama?"

We finally made it through and made it home. Aid had a blast and was happy as a clam. Grant slept through every last second of it.

I was drenched. Head to toe. Cold. Wet. Pissed.

I learned some valuable lessons from the experience.
1. Don't try to go to the playground in the winter time no matter how big Aid's eyes get.
2. Don't turn off the gas stove when you are going to go play in the snow with no snow pants or boots.
3. Get snow pants and some boots
4. Get a double stroller pronto!