Is It Worth It?

The temperatures up here have been fluttering above and below zero, but that doesn't stop gymnastics classes or Music Together from running their daily routine.  There are no snow days up here, no freezing days, no too-cold-to-leave-the-house days.  If there were, we would be sitting at home every day for the entire winter and we'd waste a lot of money not showing up to our classes.  And we'd get tired of each other pretty quickly!

So off to music, gymnastics, the grocery store, friends' houses we go.  Because we don't let silly things like temperatures stop us from living it up Vermont-style.  Snowbanks, on the other hand, have been getting the best of us lately, but it's nothing a few snow plows and their chains can't handle.  Lucky everyone is so darn friendly up here!  Anyway, my point is, it takes a lot to keep us cooped up inside these days.

Jax is all about being a winter rockstar once we're out of the house, but one thing he's not so down with are his mittens.  I swear, no matter how cold it is, he will not let me put them on him when we are heading out the door.  That may be because it almost always takes a snack bribe to get him to agree to come with me and leave Word World behind.

PS. Are you familiar with Lunchskins*?  They are an amazing invention by some handy mom who was tired of throwing away sandwich bag after sandwich bag.  Reusable sandwich and snack bags!  Brilliant!

Anyhow, Jax hardly ever leaves the house without his Lunchskin filled with animal crackers or goldfish.  No big deal, really, except that we're talking about temperatures in the negative numbers!  Wouldn't you think he'd prefer mittens to munchies?

Well, according to that face, the answer is definitely what the heck are you talking about, Mom?

Even the snotty, drippy nose can't stop him from enjoying a snack during the ten feet walk from the house to the car.  Actually, I'm pretty sure the snot is frozen in this picture (gross!), as is that tear on his left cheek.  Oh, don't worry about the tear--he can produce them on demand like a soap opera star.

 The question remains, are numbed little fingers worth it?  Are they worth shoving handfuls of goldfish crackers down his throat while walking to the car?  Couldn't he wait until he was actually in the car to eat them?  No.  Apparently not.

And is it worth it for me to allow this strange behavior to continue?  Well, after seeing this on arrival at music class--

--I'm gonna have to say no as well.  Nothing like cleaning out a carseat in subzero temperatures with snow falling to make me rethink my bribery strategies!

Can't the sun just come out again?

*(Featured: Snack Size Bag in Green Polka Dot)