One of the best parts of my parents living where they do is we can walk to get to good ethnic restaurants. One of the worst parts of my parents living where they do is that we have to walk to get to good ethnic restaurants…in five inches of unshoveled snow, a brisk wind, and teeth chattering cold.
I’m not entirely sure when it happened, but my oldest son has become a weather wimp. A down and dirty wuss when it comes to snow. Dude, you live in Colorado. Forty-nine of the fifty states believe it snows there all the freaking time. I went out and bought heavy duty weather gear for you and your brother because I KNOW. I grew up here; you don’t go outside in the winter without hats, gloves, scarves, those toe warmer things that you snap and they get warm and you stick ’em in your boots and go “ahhhhhh….” Your idea of winter is me making you wear socks when there’s snow on the ground.
Walking to dinner last night, A kept up a running commentary about the cold. The snow. The wind. The cold wind blowing snow. Then he tripped over a curb and landed in the cold snow. Then it was just a running commentary about the cold. How the cold was numbing his nose. His ears. His lips so it was hard to talk. Dude, pull the neck thingy over your face and quit talking, your lips will warm up.
He complied. And then, lips held tightly together to keep them warm, continued his diatribe about the weather. Only my son.
The reward at the end of our two block walk was Thai food. Glorious, hot, fragrant Thai food. Give me a hot bowl of Tom Kha soup and I am one happy camper. Give me anything made with coconut milk and I’m a happy camper. The bonus to the dinner was that A ate. Ate heartily. Always good to see him eat, gives me hope that he won’t waste away to nothing. But for him to eat Thai food was doubly satisfying.
But all good things must come to an end, and back out into the night we went. Really, A, shut up already. Yes, it’s cold, yes, it’s snowy. But, for Crissakes, your father just pulled the “when I was your age I had to walk to school in weather like this and it wasn’t just over the back fence” line. Dude, this afternoon you’re going out and shoveling snow. Yeah, your grandparents live in a condo and it’ll probably all be shoveled by the time you get out there, but I’m sure I could find a few sidewalks for you.
And if you do a good job, I have some leftover green curry here to warm you up.
Lucky you that he likes Thai food! It is super easy to make, usually gluten-free, and I am sure you can get the ingredients in Denver. I mean if I can get them in Ellsworth, Maine, you can get them in Denver, certainly.
As for weather wimps, all kids are weather wimps. Adults have a selective forgetter thing that only allows them to remember the fun they had as children, sledding, skating, etc. and not the whiny, resentful brats they were when sent out to shovel the front walk. Tell both the husband and the boys to shut up and hand them shovels and send them outdoors.
I don’t know if it’s the sensory processing disorder, but Evan does not seem to notice the cold weather whatsoever. And he loves the snow. Licking it, rolling in it, burying his feet in it. If he could live outdoors in the snow right now, I think he would.
He HATES the wind though. He is convinced the wind is out to get him. He’d definitely be able to bond with A on that one.
That’s so hilarious. People do think CO is cold, when it’s really not. Chicago, though–God, those are brutal winters!! I so miss all the great restaurants there. We used to live off of Montrose and Damen, and there’s an awesome Thai restaurant there. So good and cheap.
Awesome post!!!! Chicago has truly brutal winters……and you do learn how to survive when you grow up there. So, why I moved to Minnesota after IL I will never understand! I laughed at your cold CO comment…..because that is so true!!!!!
I hope I can get Punky to like Thai. Very cool……
I’m thinking Gag Order – with a real one!
Wow, Jen, your friends are so whiny! 😉 I’m literally still walking around in a hooded sweatshirt jacket. Wusses!!!
Thai food rocks. Maybe I’ll get some tomorrow….
As for cold weather? There is now way I would survive north of Dallas. Seriously. I’m all about the hot weather.