Ow

This morning I packed up the kids to go to the toddler gym. It is so cold and crummy outside that the toddler gym is a lifesaver. The kids get a big place to run around in, climb, play with other kids, and just get their energy out. So, I changed their diapers, put on their sweaters, put on their coats, consoled Milo after Nora shoved him on the stairs, changed Milo's socks because he stepped in some water, got their shoes on, got them strapped into their car seats, and drove to the toddler gym.

But the parking lot was full, and I had to park several blocks away on the street. I was also concerned because there was a giant 6 foot high pile of snow between the car and the sidewalk, and I couldn't just leave one kid in the middle of street while I got the other kid out. So I got Nora out (she was on the street side), put her on the sidewalk, and told her to stand right there and not move while I got Milo out. Then I walked back to the car and was getting Milo out of his seat with one eye on Nora the whole time, making sure she wouldn't run away down the hill or something. Which is probably why I slipped and fell into the giant snowbank while I was holding Milo.

The instinct when you're holding a kid, or anything valuable probably, is to save the thing you're holding at the expense of breaking your fall. So I had a bad fall and now my knee is killing me. Also, I did sort of drop Milo enough that his pants got wet in the giant snowbank, so he was pretty upset about that. So I had to carry him the whole way there, also holding Nora's hand because she kept slipping on the ice, and I felt like it took half an hour to walk (limp) a couple of blocks. Fortunately I had a spare pair of pants in the diaper bag, and so the kids got their toddler gym morning after all.

The sheer logistics of doing stuff sometimes just overwhelms me. The kids are still a little too young to be good about staying put or sticking close to me, so I want to have physical contact at all times when we're in parking lots or streets. This is the kind of thing that I know will continue to get easier and easier. It is already a lot easier now than it was a year ago, when I had to load them both up into a stroller just to get from the car to any building. At least now they can walk. And as they get older, they will get better at being safe when walking, and one day the time will come when they will even be able to get themselves out of the car. And put their own coats on. And their own shoes. And their own mittens.

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Milo woke up from his nap with a 102 degree fever. Poor little guy. They just got over being sick. Also, I am mentally sending out apologies to every family who was at the toddler gym this morning and got exposed to whatever Milo has. Man. I didn't know.