Took the boy on an excursion today

The car is in the shop.

The car will be there until at least the end of work day tomorrow.

I miss my car.

However, I have an odd logic about things. I don't believe that any kid should spend the entire day in the house, unless they are very sick. So, even when the little guy is under the weather, I'll still drag him out for a little while, just so he can get some fresh air.

So what happens when my primary means of transportation is gone???

The house that we're building is in a very child-friendly community. We have playgrounds, coffee shops and stores in walking distance, so we can walk anywhere we need to go without necessarily being on high-traffic roads until we need to be.

Where we're living now - in my brother's basement - the only way to walk anywhere is to start on a main/heavy traffic street.

So today, I took a deep breath and decided I couldn't let the lack of vehicle and very close proximity to fun places stop us from getting out of the house and having a little adventure - specifically going to the nearby swimming pool.

The swimming pool is walking distance from where we're at, but the thought of going there with an almost three year old on a high-traffic route was a bit daunting. The thought of going to the pool in -16° C weather and carrying the accessories required was scary.

Then, I realised from my very sheltered viewpoint that Mommies do this every day. They pack up their little ones and either walk or take the bus to destinations - regardless of temperature or what they have to carry.

We did it. We walked about a half hour in bitterly cold temperatures to the swimming pool, where we played for about an hour and a half. Then we gathered our things, went for hot chocolate and a muffin, and took the bus home.

For me, it was a great accomplishment. Yes you can laugh at that statement. This very routine that other mothers do EVERYDAY. The Moms who do this all the time and make it look easy are my heroes. I think you’re amazing.