Okay, the DeRossett family needs to literally fly south for the winter. Stick a fork in me, I am done!
Many of our friends and family will attest to the fact that we are not—at all—winter people. My husband and I were already aware of this before he was given orders to the mid-west. We are from Texas. Texas is where we were raised and where two of our four children were born. We got married in 1996 and moved immediately to the desert of southern California and then later to Georgia. The military did not care about our love for the south and blistering hot summers. So this most recent duty station is our first experience–ever—with a ‘real’ winter.
We thought that this new environment would be a pretty cool adventure for the kids. After all, don’t all children love snow? Well, they did for a little while and then the novelty wore off. My daughter, Milan, asked repeatedly our first winter, why the snow “was still there”. I am so thankful to be a homeschooling mother because the snow pants, gloves, scarves…boots, would be the makings of a nightmarish assembly line in the mornings. We don’t have to venture out in the snow. We can still hide out in the warm house!
It totally blew our summer plans because the water was in the 70′s and who wants to swim in that?! Our rule in the other states has always been, “no swimming unless it is 90 degrees outside”. Now we only get a handful of those. Not such a cool adventure for the family who loves to take the boat out to the lake. Xander, my 8 year old son on the spectrum, especially loves the summer. For him there is nothing like tubing* with his brothers, being smacked against the waves and then the high-speed flip into the water!
The boy loves adventure, but not the snow, and especially not now.
Before we get to the how’s and why’s, let me first clear one thing up for those from the north who are laughing at the southern girl. Southerners do not hide out when we get a little ice or snow because we are babies. Everything shuts down because this happens so rarely that our cities are not equipped to take care of the problem. Ice melt? Snow plows? Long-handled ice scrapers for the driveway? These are new to our family. Several feet of snow? It brings me to a clueless, crying panic. Oh yes, I am woman enough to admit to that. What happens when a southerner meets black ice? People die. There are valid reasons for us to stay at home.
My kids are over the snow, just like their parents.
Around Christmas we got a lot of it, and still more took us into the New Year, and they are forecasting some more this week. I have resigned myself to the fact that the Christmas lights will be up until have our first thaw because they are held in place by foot and a half long icicles. Do you remember on A Christmas Story where Ralphie is trying to explain to his mother that it was an icicle that injured his face when it was actually the Red Ryder BB Gun? His mother responds:
“Ralphie, you’re lucky it didn’t cut your eye! Those icicles have been known to kill people.”
Guess what happens when you have a child with Autism that takes this phrase literally? It will not matter that he has a better chance of being hit by a bus than the above scenario playing out. It will scare the fire out of him.
Little did I know– Xander remembered that part of the movie.
It did not help that I was joking about something similar with the kids and telling them not to look up when they passed under the icicles. It did not help when we joked that it would not matter if anyone looked up or down, it would still “get to the brain”. Cut me some slack, I have three boys. Last night when we returned from a few hours (Okay, 30 minutes) of shopping for video games I heard a small voice:
“Mom, those things are scary.”
I told him to hurry past them. It was cold outside so my only concern was getting inside. He ran right up to the door and pressed his entire body against it. The icicles were four feet behind him! I am not sure he will ever want to go outside and face them again because he is absolutely traumatized. Don’t think this has gone unnoticed by his brothers who think it’s hilarious.
Ah yes, I forgot, this is not only the child who loves the thrill of the ride, but also the child who is terrified of losing body parts (trimming his fingernails) and having blood drawn (they might take it all).
I think the boy has a special kind of hatred for the winter that none of us have reached yet.
Lesson learned, Lord, please bring on the spring!
*For those of you from the north, ‘tubing’ involves being pulled behind the boat in an oversized ‘tube’. This can also be a raft or any other floating device a person can hold onto. You hold on to (said object) for dear life because the driver of the boat’s sole goal is make you fly off … and it’s fun.
Angela DeRossett is a fun-loving, married to the military, homeschooling mother of four. She has four cats and a great big dog and loves her very full house. She is currently pursuing a Master’s in Christian Education and holds a Bachelor’s of Arts and Science in Christian Ministries. Angela is a coffee and theology junkie and is passionate about Autism advocacy and disability rights. You can find her blogging at Memoirs of a Chaotic Mommy and Homeschooling the Chaotic Mommy.
lol! I grew up in the North and went tubing many times.
That being said, I’m certainly enjoying the mild, beautiful weather in Az this year. We do miss snow, but we don’t miss the cold. 
Heather @ Marine Corps Nomads´s last blog ..WFW – Set Me Free!
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I live in northern NH and even though I am a native to the North, I still get tired of the loooong cold winters. However, I don’t think I could handle many 90 degree days, I would probably dream of snowbanks and even icicles. ;O]
Lesley´s last blog ..Menu Plan Monday 1-11-10
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i can’t imagine, girl. cannot imagine.
and i wondered why on earth you would put an asterisk next to “tubing”.
i’m also so southern i knew what you were talking about without hesitation. now all those winter implements? not so much.
Suzanne ~ TheJoyfulChaos´s last blog ..Boy Blogger Steals My Thunder
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Tubing… Very funny you would think it needed to be explained to us northerners! I’m native Minnesotan and always thought we invented it. I practically grew up on a tube on a lake, either pulled by a boat or drifting. We have a lot of lakes that are only frozen some of the time.
You can also go tubing down hills, and behind a snowmobile on a frozen lake. Find a friend with one and try it.
Winter is a beautiful thing if you dress properly. (Layers and real wool!) Go outside and enjoy yourselves!!
My kids go sledding in the front yard on a slight incline and have a blast! A cardboard box (flattened or not) works great if you don’t have a sled. There are also snow forts and tunnels to be made.
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Della Reply:
January 21st, 2010 at 1:31 pm
Carol, I like your attitude; however, I just cannot bring myself to embrace the COLD weather these days. I grew up in OH & did enjoy snow…we even made snow ice-cream & loved it, unfortunately due to the environmental pollution that is no longer acceptable. I also thoroughly enjoyed the snow tunnels. My kids made one several years back and I went through it even with a big pregnant belly…fun, fun, fun.
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As a mom with a boy with both autism and sever OCD, I totally get the icicle thing. (Hot tip: If you see any television specials on killer bees, that might be another thing to avoid, just in case. My son hasn’t worn short sleeves or shorts in nearly 2 years, summer and all!)With 3 boys (and 1 princess), I also totally get that brain splitting and eyeball gauging are normal conversation. =) (I spent many growing up years in WI, btw, and, rest assured, we in that land-of-lakes knew well what tubing was!)
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Poor Baby! (Being so scared of icicles) I can commiserate with you about the weather. I grew up and still live in the midwest, but we haven’t had weather like this in like 20 years! My hubby moved here in the 6th grade from Iowa and he thought we never got any “real” snows until this year. Now he believes me. My brother and I used to make snow caves and snow tunnels when school was cancelled. I can’t seem to enjoy the cold and snow now…I’m so used to mild winters. I will take snow over ice any day though! It is beautiful. I need to put on my coveralls and get out there and enjoy the snow with my kids and Hubby!
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Awe! Praying for Spring
Nikowa Lee´s last blog ..365-15 My Gracie
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I don’t have autism and I’m afraid of walking under icicles. We’re a military family also and I’m glad to be back in Southern California!!
Melissa´s last blog ..Today is Brought to You by the Letter S
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Angela DeRossett Reply:
January 15th, 2010 at 1:52 pm
What part of So. Cal? We lived in 29 Palms when my husband and I got married–13 years ago.
Angela DeRossett´s last blog ..Valentine’s a Bust
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We are right there with you and the frozen winter. This is our first winter in the midst of the Rocky Mountains. We have had several feet of snow already and they are telling us this is a mild winter. Praying for the thaw of spring for your family to enjoy your surroundings a little more.
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Phew, makes me very thankful we’ve never mentioned the “inherent dangers” of icicles to our HFA child. He does LOVE the snow though. As a family of transplanted Californians we love having actual seasons.
Sheri´s last blog ..Metamorphosis
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Oh, I so needed to read that and the comments! I am fairly new to the home-schooling scene…I pulled our 10year old son with Aspergers out of the public school after a recent move hoping a new start would help. However, when I kept getting phone calls from the principal and was told during our last conversation that he would be self-contained before they would pay for a support person, I just couldn’t send him to what felt like “hell” every day. At any rate, it started off great but things have gone crazy after Christmas break. I finished my last class for my Masters degree in Psychology just before Christmas so the previous 6 weeks to Christmas, I let his studies slide in lieu of mine…opps. After Christmas I also weaned him off his meds, I want to try a more natural and behavioral, cognitive approach. Now, we are so off but I am hoping to start seeing some progress. It is nice to know you all are out there!
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