My internal thermostat has been reprogrammed

Last year we turned on our heat at the end of September. The furnace started coming on around the clock before Halloween (when the kids went out wearing snowpants under their costumes). From November until March in Minnesota, the only time the sun shines is when the temperature is below zero, and I remember last winter as a fairly sunny winter, which means it was really cold. We even had snow flurries after Bryce's birthday in May.

So when we moved to Texas I planned on doing a lot of snickering behind people's backs when they complained about the cold. I can't tell you how many times I've heard about the legendary snowstorm that fell last Christmas. There was snow on the ground for a few hours and one of the guys in my ward said it was the first time he had seen snow (yeah, he's 28). Last week we went outside during church (it was about 70 degrees, but a little windy) and several of the native Texans were complaining about how cold it was for December.

But the last two mornings it has been legitimately cold. Right now it's 40 degrees (with a windchill of about 20). I sent my kindergartener off to school with his lightweight jacket and was considering running by the office with his heavy coat, but I decided that he'd be fine. After all, at preschool last year he would play on the playground when there was two feet of snow on the ground and the mercury registered 20 below zero. But I'm so cold. I'm wearing a sweater and slippers and my teeth keep chattering. We bit the bullet and turned on the heat two nights ago, and I've been checking the thermostat all day to make sure the furnace hasn't switched off, but it still reads 66 (which is what we kept it set to in Minnesota). Sixty-six never felt cold there.

I had a roommate in college who was from Las Vegas. Whenever it was colder than 40 degrees, Emily would break out her long johns and wear them under her jeans. We all laughed at her, but she said that she could never get used to the cold. Now I'm wondering if my kids will be cold-weather wimps. I'm thinking of sending them out to run laps in the backyard after school just to make sure they stay tough. That way when we go visit the Wisconsin cousins or the Utah cousins my little Texans will be able to show their mettle.

But I'll be watching them from the kitchen with my hands wrapped around a mug of hot chocolate.

--originally published 1/7/06