It's here...groan!

Winter's officially here. Brrrr. Stepped out yesterday evening and the sunlight fooled me. I ran out and ran right back in. Man when did it get so cold?! I looked up at the trees - leaves were still there, very green and so how....when? Anyway - it's here and Im dreading it!

Once upon a time I loved winter. Hot chocolate/coffee and snuggling up with a book or even braving the cold and loving the way it made my skin feel alive. Giving it nippy little wake-up calls. Loving the coolness it gave my insides when I breathed it in. Hiding my flat panel widescreen of a butt under long sweaters and coats.

Now? All I can think of is snotty, leaky noses and fevers and extended half n hrs before leaving the house convincing the little people to wear their sweaters, mittens, scarves, jackets, socks, shoes and chapsticks and moisturisers and choreographing well timed entries and exits from and to the car and assorted homes/ buildings so as to minimise contact with cold!

Diaper bags get heavier. Medicine cabinets more colourful. Humidifiers, vaporisers and Vicks.

I envy all you people in tropical counties!

Seeing winter from Nosh and Reh's eyes calms me down though. All the q and a's about where all the leaves went. That we can see neighbours windows that were hidden before. That chasing leaves makes for fun one child 'tag- you're it' games. It's a change. Every month at the fag end of the year has a holiday to take part in. We have birthdays too!

This year we can all sip hot chocolate together and look at things outside our huge window together! Even Reh! Yay!

Did a small Halloween decoration stint for the first time for the kids this year. Neon stickers of bats and ghosts and pumpkins in their window. Blinking skulls and Jack-o-lanterns on our doorsteps.

R takes us to see other houses and how theyve done it up and the kids (and me) are always thrilled to check them out.

Still havent decided on their trick-or-treating costumes. Reh wants to be a monster and Nosh wants to be a bat or an angel (!!). Which is great bcos I dont want her to go the princess way. Dont ask me why.

I said Dont.