Let me start out by saying that I love the four seasons in Wisconsin. The transition from one season to the next brings on a fresh appreciation for what’s to come. That being said, I’ve been having a case of the winter blues! I’m just craving springtime extra bad and it’s only January! For me, there are several contributing factors that I’ve pinpointed as the culprits for these feelings.

1. Sickness | This is Evelyn’s first winter in a traditional daycare setting and she brings home every virus and bug that’s going around. It seems like a revolving door of sickness in our household. The worst was when Evelyn was diagnosed with pneumonia just a couple of weeks ago and a deep exhaustion settled in for my husband and I while taking care of our sick little girl and both working full-time. She is back to her happy health self now, but during the holidays and New Year she was feeling pretty darn crumby!

2. Weather | Snowy days typically represent glittery covered trees, sledding, and a fire in the hearth. Lately, this winter has been a weird mix of extremely cold days, the kind where it hurts to walk to your car it’s so cold, and icy rain! Which means no beautiful glittery trees, just messy roads and ugly brown yards. It also means I will likely be a single parent for the day since my husband works for the highway department and it’s his job to keep the roads safe for everyone else. The days he has to work late have been piling up lately, which for this pregnant mama, has been pretty tiring after putting in a full day of work. Plus, there’s just such a good energy in our home when we’re all together that’s missing when he’s gone.

3. Momlife | During my first trimester, I was really tired and we were mostly cooped up in the house with the extremely cold temperatures and Evie’s sicknesses. I’m craving fresh air and walks to parks to get my blood pumping and energy out of a busy toddler. It also makes everything take a little longer when you have to get boots, coats, hats and gloves on whenever you want to leave the house, which can take a lot of effort with a toddler who sometimes refuses to cooperate. All you mamas know exactly what I mean! 

This weekend I was given a refreshing gift – a beautiful sunny weekend with high enough temps to want to be outside, without it hurting your face. We took full advantage of it and made sure Evelyn got outside both days. Jeremy took her skating on his own on Saturday, while I was able to run around and do a few errands on my own. On Sunday, after church we all went to the park as a family and played on the ice rink. Evie’s giggles and screams for more spins around the pond were enough to lift my spirits. I think the key to surviving the winter blues is to appreciate the good in each season. Let’s look at my three reasons for the blues and take on a more positive attitude with each one…

1. Sickness | This is a hard one to feel positive about, but it lead to a lot of extra snuggles, movie nights with fresh popcorn, warm blankets and slippers, and sick days from work where I got to spend the whole day with my little girl.

2. Weather | Days of cuddling up and not feeling bad about not going anywhere. Partaking in indoor activities such as coloring, squashing play dough, playing hide-and-go-seek and make-believe, and baking cookies, when it’s just not an option to go outside. As for Jeremy needing to work late, that also means he’s building up comp-time so that he has even more paid days off for the couple of vacations we have planned this year and paternity leave when our second babe is born. 

3. Momlife | Since I was such a tired pregnant mama during my first trimester, having an excuse to rest and not have to run around outside, should be looked at as a blessing! And as for the work it takes to put on all the extra layers of clothing to gear up for cold temps, I should be thankful that we have everything we need to be properly clothed during winter and a warm house to go home to if we just can’t bear the weather. 

So there you have it, surviving the winter blues is all about attitude and how you look at things. I can choose to see things as negatives or turn them into positives. I am responsible for my own attitude and making the best of things. So today and moving forward, I am choosing to be happy. I’m not going to just survive the winter, I’m going to thrive during the winter. Wish me luck 😉 

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