The Snow Came Down

I drove in the snow today.  Voluntarily.  Voluntarily!  You may recall the last time I drove in the snow, an experience that did not sit well with me.

The factors making this possible were as follows:

(a) I have snow tires.
(b) They very seriously plow and salt in Canada.  No messing around.
(c) It is so SUNNY that it's almost impossible to stay inside even though the world is full of snow.
(d) The Bairn and I didn't actually have to go out, so I knew we could just turn around and go home at any time if the snow driving turned out to be a mistake.

The Bairn I were hitting the thrift stores today.  We stopped at the Salvation Army to check out the Christmas room, because I want a wreath but I have no intention of making a wreath, notwithstanding the many beautiful patterns floating around Pinterest.  The Bairn and I have priorities for Christmas--making cookies and sending Christmas cards for me and losing the mail key as often as possible and learning to walk for The Bairn.  We have no time for crafts this year.  We're busy!  So busy losing that key and driving in the snow!

The Salvation Army had nothing for us today, so we moved on to our favorite thrift shop, a thrift shop so popular that there are very mean, handwritten signs with lots of exclamation points in the parking lot shared with a much less popular store specifying that customers to the thrift shop CANNOT PARK!!!!! in certain rows.  The pricing at this thrift store is mental.  High chairs sell for $3.50 but then sometimes mugs also sell for $3.50.  The Bairn gets most of his toys there, because they're almost all $0.50 except for the ride on toys and giant car slides, which are $1.00.  I show The Bairn a toy and if he gets excited and seems to be telling me with his eyes that he will love and cherish that toy, I let him hold it while I circle the rest of the store.  Then we buy the toy, bring it home, wash it up, and The Bairn changes his mind and decides that he would rather play with the mail key, my pen, or the newspaper circulars. 

While he was sitting in the parking lot, waiting for me to release him from his stroller after acquiring a toy boat today, The Bairn took a taste of the snow on the car bumper.  He likes it.  He likes snow.  When we get a bit more snow, I'm going to stuff The Bairn into his snow pants and take him outside to taste all the snow he wants.  There is nothing funnier in the world than a baby in snow pants.

I may become a convert to winter after all.