It is Cold Outside!

​I don’t know what the weather is like where you live, but in Brooklyn, it is cold.  In fact, as I am writing this blog, according to my weather channel app, it is 39 degrees outside.  The low today is supposed to be 29 degrees.  That may not be cold to you, but it is cold to me.  And, its not the “Let me put on a sweater before I leave” kind of cold.  Its more like the, “Go get your sweater, hoodie, winter coat, scarves, gloves, and put your boots on” kind of cold!  Well, at least it is until the hot flashes kick in.  Once they kick in, it feels like summertime.  Anyway, that’s a different blog.  All this to say, its cold outside.  That is why for the life of me, I don’t understand why cross country is a winter sport.

​My daughter is on her school’s cross country team.  I love to go cheer and support her and her teammates.  Almost every time she runs, we make the hike all the way up to the Bronx so that she can run a 2.5 mile race (Side bar, with all the space in Brooklyn and Manhattan, I don’t understand why we have to trek all the way to the Bronx.  I have nothing against the Bronx, but it is far from where we live,  Yes, I’m spoiled.  I know).  Earlier in the season, the weather wasn’t so bad.  It was coolish.  But last Saturday, it was just downright cold!  It was so cold that it actually snowed for a few minutes!  I’m not exaggerating.  It. Snowed.
 
I know that I tend to get cold easily, but I knew it wasn’t just me when I saw other mothers walking around, all bundled up in their down winter coats. Unfortunately for me, I didn’t check the weather forecast the night before.  All I had on was a thin shirt and a fleeced lined hoodie.  No scarf.  No gloves.  No hat. No winter boots.  Needless to say, I was cold.  But as cold as I was, I just couldn’t understand these teenagers. They were dressed like it was summertime.  My daughter included!  When I picked my daughter up from school (her school had Saturday academy and she wanted to attend that first), she had already changed into her running uniform. She didn’t want to waste time getting changed.  She wanted to be able to just warm up and run when she got to the park.  I was fine with that.  After all, that made sense.  However, what didn’t make sense was what she changed into.  This kid had on shorts and a tank top … in what felt like the middle of winter!  I asked her why she wasn’t wearing her running pants, to which she replied, “I don’t like running in those Mommy.”  Can you believe that?  I was in shock.  They make the running pants to be worn when its cold outside!  Anyway, we get to the park, only to see damn near every kid dressed the same way.  I mean, these kids were running around in shorts and tank tops like it was the middle of July in Florida.  I was amazed! Of course, my daughter was sure to point out how everyone was dressed.  
 
Finally, after waiting for about an hour for my daughter’s race to begin, I grew tired of watching her shivering.   I finally asked her if she wanted me to get the blanket out of the car (it was still in the trunk from the “spring” track meets.  I learned to keep it in the car because it gets cold at Randall’s Island). Believe you me, she was happy when I brought out that blanket.
 
So, this is what I learned … always make sure the blanket is in the car, make sure that I bring winter appropriate clothes to cross country meets since I can’t depend upon my daughter to bring them for herself, and always check the weather the night before to make sure I’m appropriately dressed. Basketball season starts in two weeks. I am soooo glad that’s an inside sport.
 
So, for those of you who don’t have teenagers yet, once you get rid of the diaper bag, you may as well go out a buy a gym bag.  You are going to need it to carry around extra stuff.
 
So, now you know, and you can … Consider Yourself Warned!
 
If you have teenagers, what extra things do you carry around?