Even though getting outside everyday is one of my core values, I haven’t been great about doing it with Anja the past couple months. That makes me more than a little sad. I imagined this winter to be full of snowy hikes with her on my chest and alpenglow skins with her snoozing in the ski trailer. At one point, I even thought that maybe I could train for a cross country ski race, logging all of my k’s with her in tow.
The reality is, the winter has been harsher than most and wrangling a squirmy baby into layers is hugely challenging. Jordan and I joke that the only world Anja knows is the inside of our house. (That’s not entirely true – the girl has been on 3 international trips, made half a dozen trips to the Front Range, and is a regular fixture in the backseat as we shuttle the boys to activities.) We’ve gotten outside a fair amount, but it’s not what I pictured.
I’m mostly ok with that. The truth is, I’ve been able to ski on my own way more than I thought would be possible this season. I’ve returned to work in a meaningful way sooner than I planned on. I’ve volunteered with my older kids’ ski club while Anja has stayed cozy at home with a sitter. I’ve skied with my older kids and taken them on mini snowy adventures. I’ve even skied a lot with Jordan!
But, I think getting outside regularly is vital to a baby’s development, so I’m buckling down on getting her outside. Instead of aspiring for an hour a day, like I do for myself, I’m accepting that any length of time is better than nothing. So today, when we walked outside to fierce winds, I pulled up my huge jacket that was covering both of us and ducked into the wind. If we made it only to the end of the driveway, it wouldn’t be a failure – there’s success simply in trying.
We made it almost 30 minutes, over giant snowbanks, down the snowy neighborhood path blocked by said snowbanks, and along streets baring pavement for what feels like the first time in months. We’ll keep getting outside, little by little, everyday.
