BLOGMAS #15: HOLIDAY WEATHER, YAY OR NAY?
Nothing will discombobulate a teacher faster than the week before winter break. My head is a mess of fog, my coffee maker is wheezing and the only thing I have for the students today is a showing of the Madagascar holiday special.
But, I made a commitment to blogmas and I intend to keep it!
So, what's the word on weather?
Before we get too far into this post, a gentle reminder that I live in Texas. For us, December averages in the 50s during the day and in the 30s over night, so when I speak of the holiday weather I am not inundated with snow drifts and hard freezes.
As a general rule, I despise anything upward of 60 degrees. I don't know if I'm hot-blooded, too chubby, or carry too much muscle mass, but the heat makes my whole body itch. So, when December hits and the temperatures finally require a jacket, I'm on cloud 9. Mornings are absolutely beautiful, with the warm earth and cold air coming together in an ethereal haze.
Mallerie and I have already noticed that we're more willing to take evening walks and go to the park with the littles. We're wrapping ourselves up in our favorite hoodies and blankets every evening. I'm breaking out the sweaters and cardigans for work. In short, we're layering and it feels wonderful.
My one caveat, though, is that I hate snow. I mean, the occasional dusting we get in Texas doesn't bother me much, but the large accumulations of snow drive me nuts. We're not equipped for strong winter storms, which means school closings and partial shutdowns over just a few inches of snow. If we get hit hard (and by hard, I mean 6-8 inches), we may not have a route out of the neighborhood for days, and that makes for a very stir-crazy family.
Luckily, winter storms of that magnitude are rare, especially around the holidays. We tend to get our snow and ice in February, rather than December. In fact, last December was so warm that my girls wore rompers and we played at the park in short sleeves. I think the high was near 75 degrees.
Some may enjoy the warmer waves, but I think this holiday season has already been more magical and more Christmas-y. I love seeing our kids in their winter hats and coats. I love wearing my fur-lined Toms without slowly melting. And I love love love walking outside to the cold smack of pre-dawn. Of course, my tune might change after tomorrow, when we're supposed to get hit with frigid temperatures and crosswinds of 15-20 mph.
Check back later for Day 16: Christmas scents.
