So, is it hot out?

That was the question my mom asked Kate today while we were video conferencing. Kate's reply was, "No, I'm cold." Now for those of you that don't follow the weather forcast for CS, it has been in the high 80's and low 90's for the last 2 weeks, and today it finally dipped down to 82. But, when it is 82 with a slight breeze blowing, it's possible to go outside to play, it's possible to make it through the day without eating a popsicle, and it's possible to buy ice cream at 2:30 in the afternoon and bring it home in the trunk of your car. So, technically, it is cold out.

While Tutu ate a bowl of cereal, my girls ate a bowl of ice cream. While Tutu turned the heat up in her house, I turned the AC to 73. While Tutu put on a sweater, I took off Reggie's clothes and let her run around in a diaper. But, to Kate, it's still cold outside.

It's too hot to bake cookies, so we made Jello. It's too hot to play in the park, so we went to a spray pad. It's too hot to wear a t-shirt and shorts, so we wear loose sundresses. But, since I let her wear tennis shoes today, it's cold outside.

Aaah, my children are going to grow up not knowing what it is like to stare outside and look at a gray, chilly sky and wonder if you should wear gloves. They won't understand the meaning of the words--no, you can't go outside today, it's raining. They will never hear the question, "is my nose blue?" Instead they will stare at the bright blue sky and wonder if they should just wear a bathing suit. They'll understand the meaning of the words, "no, you can't go outside today, it's too hot." And they'll hear the question yelled from the back porch as they race for the wide, freedom of the backyard, "Did you remember to put on sunscreen?"