Old Man Winter, You're Bumming Me Out

Today I was shoveling the driveway, in a dress, because if I thought it was man's work I would have worn pants. Anyway, G was of course, hanging out in the snow with me. His hands got cold, so we put on his mittens, but he still got cold.

Johnny's car wouldn't start this morning because it was so blasted cold outside, so it was sitting in the driveway. G kept going up to it and touching it and saying "Dad". He knows it's Daddy's car, but he didn't see Daddy. He got a little mad at me, like I was hiding Daddy from him. I tried getting him to remember driving Daddy to work, but I ended up putting him in the house with the idea that he could play with the vinyl Christmas cutouts on the front door, and I could shovel the front walk, that way he would know where I was. Shortly after I went outside, I heard G start crying, monumental crying. I called to him from the front porch so he would come to the front door and see me. He did, but he didn't stop crying. I thought, how sweet, he's sad he can't reach me and give me hugs or have me hold him.

That helped with the cold for about 2 secs, until I saw that in his hand was a candy bar from my stocking. Here's what I think happened. The candy bar was on the kitchen table. As soon as I left, he climbed up on the chair and got it down, but when he couldn't open it, he got really sad. And since I was outside, I couldn't open it for him either.

The proof of this story happened when I went inside and G came over to the back door, face wet and snotty. First thing he does, hug me? No. Hold out the candy bar. Which just led to a little candy-eating fest for the two of us. So we were all happy in the end, though the front porch is still icy.