Cold Metal Blues

First, I've got some book giveaways for the long Thanksgiving weekend coming up. Check out these links for details:

https://storyoriginapp.com/to/RRCPc8P

https://storyoriginapp.com/bundles/e6d3cfc8-123f-11eb-a6e0-5729fef33026?bundleLinkId=6z77anV

Like it or not, meanwhile, winter IS coming--and I saw a post from a friend this week that made me think of it (with a smile). She asked if we as moms (or if our mothers) ever put plastic bread bags inside our boots in the winter. 

Yes (I did for my son). Meaning we must be Midwesterners (at least for a time). Because plastic bread bags are an excellent way to protect someone's feet when it's sixty degrees below zero out here (and sadly, we get there. We do.)

The OTHER thing I remember about my four-year-old son's winter childhood was telling him never, ever, ever to put his tongue on metal when it was cold outside. He seemed to understand me and then of course, not.

So on the day I was leaving for a business trip I called a cab that was going to take both of us to his dad's house. The plan was to drop him off and then head to the airport.

I was taking a last look around the house to be sure I had everything I needed when I heard a yell. My son had put his tongue on the metal door handle of our porch door, and couldn't get it off. At this moment, the taxi pulled up. I was completely flummoxed and had no idea what to do.

I apologized to the taxi driver, explained what happened and pointed to my son. Luckily, before the police, ambulances and fire department had to be called, my son managed to pull his tongue off the door, and though it was bleeding slightly and he was crying, it seemed like things were back on track. The only thing I wasn't looking forward to was telling his dad what happened.

The taxi driver made the point that every kid in our climate did what my son did. I thought that was as good an excuse as any for why my son had licked the door when my back was turned. I wonder now if my son remembers it - though I've probably told the story enough by now so he does.

If there's a moral here (and I hope there isn't), I suppose it would be that the forbidden is always irresistable, especially to children, so we must allow for those mistakes to happen and hope they don't happen too painfully. Still, I hope your child listens better than mine did--especially when it's sixty below.

Crying boy: David Shankbone