All through the weekend, we heard about an impending snow storm, which we pretty much disregarded. It’s not unusual to hear about the possibility of severe weather around here, all through the year, but many times it just doesn’t happen. I do like to know what could be coming, so we can plan accordingly, but usually the storm misses us and then we move on.

Imagine my surprise to wake up this morning to find a bunch of snow on the ground, and to hear that the kids were out of school for a snow day. In November. Craziness.

Of course, the kids were elated to have a day off, and they almost immediately wanted to play in the snow. That’s when it began, the relentless chorus of “Mom, where’s my ______” that comes with each new season. Gloves, hats, snow pants, boots. They wanted it all, and couldn’t find any of it.

It quickly occurred to me that the four seasons have different meanings when you’re a kid. Winter is “Mom, where are my mittens?” Spring is “Mo-OM! I can’t find my jacket. I don’t need is anyway, it’s warm!” Summer, or “MOM! I can’t find my other croc!”, comes next, and is followed by Fall, or “Seriously, Mom, I don’t need a jacket. It’s still summer! Besides, I lost that jacket. Will you buy me a new hoodie?”

Seeing as we just entered “Mom, where are my mittens?”, or Winter, I wish all parents the patience to search the entire house, every day, for random gloves, scarves, and boots. May we all retire someplace warm, where we never have to worry about cold weather gear again.