Moxie Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 It took me a full 20 minutes to get everyone in their winter gear to make the 5 minute drive to guitar. Good gravy!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in NH Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 Warm up the car for 10 minutes, throw on boots, coats, hats and mittens. Have the 11yo help the 1yo, and the 10yo help the 3 yo = 5 minutes tops. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lara in Colo Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 I just don't leave the house until May. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 Yep. It's a chore, to be sure, but you get used to it after a while. I have lived in the NE for my whole life so it is normal to me. It is sort of delightful when it gets warm enough that you can just grab your keys and walk out the door. I always feel like I am getting away with something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 You get pretty quick at getting the stuff on and off when you've been doing it your entire life. And we don't bother with things like snowpants and scarves for errands unless it's really cold. I didn't even wear them this morning when I walked to the store for orange juice, and at the time it was fifty-one below with the windchill. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 You get pretty quick at getting the stuff on and off when you've been doing it your entire life. And we don't bother with things like snowpants and scarves for errands unless it's really cold. I didn't even wear them this morning when I walked to the store for orange juice, and at the time it was fifty-one below with the windchill. ;) Did the orange juice freeze on the walk home? I cannot fathom living where you live - well anymore. I used to live in the frozen tundra but I was a kid then. I sure hope you have a nice woodstove and a well stocked freezer... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 Did the orange juice freeze on the walk home? I cannot fathom living where you live - well anymore. I used to live in the frozen tundra but I was a kid then. I sure hope you have a nice woodstove and a well stocked freezer... No, but that would have been hilarious. :D The glass doors going into the store were completely iced over, though. That was new. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 and then there is this point in late January or early February when you start doing things like not wearing your coat when you are running errands. It's like we are all used to it being 31 degrees and just feeling the cold. My kids and husband do it first and I am always scandalized and tell them they are going to die a horrible death to which they reply, 'meh'. Then after a few days I find myself running out the door to the car with my keys and no coat. I just blow on my hands to warm them up while I am at stop lights, lol. If it gets down in the 20s then the coats come back, but in the 30s? yeah, no coat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berta Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 and then there is this point in late January or early February when you start doing things like not wearing your coat when you are running errands. It's like we are all used to it being 31 degrees and just feeling the cold. My kids and husband do it first and I am always scandalized and tell them they are going to die a horrible death to which they reply, 'meh'. Then after a few days I find myself running out the door to the car with my keys and no coat. I just blow on my hands to warm them up while I am at stop lights, lol. If it gets down in the 20s then the coats come back, but in the 30s? yeah, no coat. When I lived in the north I did the same thing! I got stuck coming home from work in a bad snow storm for 6 hrs. My car was running low on gas and had to turn my engine off. That taught me to keep a heavy coat, gloves and hat IN the car. That way I could still go coat-less, but it when/if I needed it, it was available. Today, I live in the south and am a big wimp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest submarines Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 Sheer willpower. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammi K Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 Typical Alaskan day... *Start car (auto ignition now, but prior - have youngest child brave the cold to start car) 10 minutes prior to leaving. ..If temp is below 0- Put on sweatshirt or light weight polar fleece jacket. Maybe gloves and hat. Get in car If temp is above zero - Put on sweatshirt or lightweight polar fleece jacket. Forget about gloves and hat. Get in car. If temp is above 25 - Grab sweatshirt. Don't bother putting it on. It's too warm outside. Get in car. (Heavy duty winter coat, snow boots, heavy weight gloves for everyone are already stowed in back of car) We're cavalier about the cold...not stupid. Truth is, when most winter days are below zero, you just stop noticing the cold and get on with getting on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunnyDays Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 and then there is this point in late January or early February when you start doing things like not wearing your coat when you are running errands. It's like we are all used to it being 31 degrees and just feeling the cold. My kids and husband do it first and I am always scandalized and tell them they are going to die a horrible death to which they reply, 'meh'. Then after a few days I find myself running out the door to the car with my keys and no coat. I just blow on my hands to warm them up while I am at stop lights, lol. If it gets down in the 20s then the coats come back, but in the 30s? yeah, no coat. Yeah, I pretty much skip the coat if it's 30 and up. I'm only running between the car and the building. Too much of a pain unless it's really bad. I have taken to wearing the zip up vests quite a bit... It keeps you a bit warmer, but you can also leave it on inside the stores, it's not in the way and I just consider it part of my outfit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Only me Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 Just an honest question. I realize that 15 below isn't a big deal to a lot of people just as 10 to 20 degrees is pretty normal here but not for people in the south. Even if you are used to super cold temperatures don't you get frostbite if you don't cover up? With a near 50 below windchill like we had today we were warned frostbite could occur in 5 min for exposed skin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lara in Colo Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 Here in Colorado, if the temp is above 30, and there isn't much wind, you will start peeling off the clothes as soon as you do any activity. Really, the only thing you need is something to cover your ears and fingers, the rest start to sweat!! I am anti-coat, I hate having it on in the car, or a store. I wish there was a coat you could just push a button and it would shrink into your (small) purse-- like Hermione's . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lara in Colo Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 Just an honest question. I realize that 15 below isn't a big deal to a lot of people just as 10 to 20 degrees is pretty normal here but not for people in the south. Even if you are used to super cold temperatures don't you get frostbite if you don't cover up? With a near 50 below windchill like we had today we were warned frostbite could occur in 5 min for exposed skin. Dry skin is worse off than moist skin. This stuff is AMAZING-- they sell it like hotcakes at the ski resorts.http://www.amazon.com/Melem-Skin-Lip-Balm-Large/dp/B00BFZZ8XI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1389070087&sr=8-2&keywords=melem Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie Smith Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 Eldest wears shorts, and doesn't bother putting on pants unless it is colder then -15c. Anda sweater over a tshirt is just fine for the whole winter. No jacket needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammi K Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 Eldest wears shorts, and doesn't bother putting on pants unless it is colder then -15c. Anda sweater over a tshirt is just fine for the whole winter. No jacket needed. We keep the house set at 62. Youngest son wear shorts/t shirt, no shoes in the house almost always and sleeps in shorts and no shirt. I think after awhile you just don't notice the cold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristusG Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 This is crazy talk! I'd die y'all.... Just curl up in a frozen ball and die LOL. This little Florida girl has never even been in snow! It's getting to 19 here tonight....that's some serious cold to me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbgrace Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 Just an honest question. I realize that 15 below isn't a big deal to a lot of people just as 10 to 20 degrees is pretty normal here but not for people in the south. Even if you are used to super cold temperatures don't you get frostbite if you don't cover up? With a near 50 below windchill like we had today we were warned frostbite could occur in 5 min for exposed skin. We've been getting the frostbite warnings here too, and I've wondered the same thing. Do you in the regularly 30+ below zero areas go out with exposed skin for more than 20 minutes? Are they mis-representing this? All over the area they are canceling school because it's considered dangerous to wait for school buses in that type of cold. We've got ice too right now, but I know schools would be out if it was just the cold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dory Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 It's a balmy 20 F up here right now and I've gotten so used to the -30 weather we've been having that this feels like spring. I was running around without a coat on outside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 You just accept that it takes twice as long and plan accordingly. It makes you appreciate spring more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom in High Heels Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 We rarely wore coats to the car in Germany. We'd carry them in case we had to be out for a while, but not to an from the car or if I was able to park close to where we were going. I did usually put Han Solo's coat on him, as the kids has pretty much 0% body fat, but took it off when I put him in his car seat. Sometimes I just wrapped him up in one of his blankets. Temperature is relative. It's not that cold here (IMO), so I just start the car (auto start) and let the car warm up, grab the coats and get in the nice warm car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunnyDays Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 If you're talking below zero, then yes, you need to bundle up for safety reasons, and it's recommended that you not be outside for any length of time. However, in that kind of weather, I just don't leave the house if I can possibly help it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammi K Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 If you're talking below zero, then yes, you need to bundle up for safety reasons, and it's recommended that you not be outside for any length of time. However, in that kind of weather, I just don't leave the house if I can possibly help it! Yet, when my kids were on ski team, they would have 3 hour practices and they were outside for 1.5 hours at a time. Then they had a 15 minute break and back out for another 1.5 hours. They wore basic ski wear - jacket, snow pants, gloves. No one ever had frost bite - and ski team had kids as young as 4 and 5. And we frequently had temps in the -20s. I guess it can happen, but kids here wait outside for the school bus and go outside for recess and no one gives it a second thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 Just an honest question. I realize that 15 below isn't a big deal to a lot of people just as 10 to 20 degrees is pretty normal here but not for people in the south. Even if you are used to super cold temperatures don't you get frostbite if you don't cover up? With a near 50 below windchill like we had today we were warned frostbite could occur in 5 min for exposed skin. That's what they say, but I was out for more than five minutes on three separate occasions today with my face uncovered, and I didn't get frostbite. Not even close. But apparently the body adapts to living in cold weather, so it probably varies for each person. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dory Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 I have ended up with fairly nasty frostbite on my ears and fingers. It can happen, but not very quickly if you keep moving. When I got my first touch of frostbite I was a teenager out helping repair some fences in weather that was below -40. We were out there for a few hours and I had to wear thin gloves so that I could work with the stuff. My ears were because I hated wearing hats. I learned my lesson. Now once it hits -30 I wear a toque. But then, my ears have gotten a little more sensitive to the weather since I wrecked them. Once you hit below -40 it does get hard on anything that has to be out there for very long. The animals suffer. I've seen cows lose tails and cats lose ears. If you have to be out there, keep moving and you'll be fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ondreeuh Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 My son's kindergarten class allows probably 5 minutes for changing in/out of snow gear. 24 kids get their own snow bibs, coats, hats, gloves, and boots on. It just becomes routine. We have snow from November-May. The schools here continue with outdoor recess until it dips below -20F, and no one worries about frostbite. We live in a valley and it's not until the wind picks up that it really feels too cold. Even then, there are crazy people who walk around with their ice cleats on for exercise. When it's below zero, I only go between car & house/store and out to shovel snow. My good car was in the shop, and I had to drive a truck with no heat for a couple of weeks. That was awful, mostly because I couldn't defrost the ice from inside the windshield! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audrey Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 Just an honest question. I realize that 15 below isn't a big deal to a lot of people just as 10 to 20 degrees is pretty normal here but not for people in the south. Even if you are used to super cold temperatures don't you get frostbite if you don't cover up? With a near 50 below windchill like we had today we were warned frostbite could occur in 5 min for exposed skin. Frostbite is a real thing and a real danger. Just because you "tough out tough winters" doesn't mean you're immune to frostbite. Of course, if you do regularly tough out the tough winters, then you know that and you will be aware of the temperatures and dress accordingly. We like to joke a bit about being tougher than the cold, but people who really live in it all the time are usually quite serious about proper precautions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joules Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 I had a different take on the "How do get out the door?" this morning. My back door was frozen shut here (6 degrees in the South.) I finally got it open and pushed the dog out on the screen porch, but her doggy door was frozen shut. From some of the pictures, I'm wondering literally, "How do you get out?!?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissKNG Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 It's a lot easier now because they are old enough to put on all the winter gear themselves. It was much more a pain when I had to do everything for both girls. I just lay out their things in their own pile and they put them on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThatHomeschoolDad Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 Meh. Every place has its thing. Broiling heat, regular quakes, tornadoes, etc... I think the thing to do is be mobile and drive to wherever the weather is best. Isn't there a whole subculture of road schoolers tooling about in RVs? Personally, I'd go for something like this family had with kids' rooms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarreymere Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 Almost couldn't get out the door today, because the front door lock had frozen shut. DH managed to intimidate the back door into opening, so he was able to get out. I was hoping the car wouldn't start so he could stay home, but he persuaded it to run and went on his way. I guess I'm glad he got the back door open, because it would totally suck if we couldn't let the dogs out to pee. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skimomma Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 The frostbite warnings are not just "exposed skin" but exposed skin of someone not moving, who is not properly dressed, is exposed to moving air, and is most vulnerable to begin with. We spend a great deal of time outdoors in very cold weather. Even in this snap, dh walked to work and I shoveled the driveway with not even a hint of frostbite. You can bet, though, that we are quite serious to be well-prepared and we do take shelter at the first hint of a problem. Just yesterday, I could feel two previously-frostbit toes going past the "numb" stage into the swelling stage while running errands and I knew I had about 5 minutes to get indoors and get the boots off. So I did. My dd is in an outdoor sport and the coaches spend time at each practice discussing how to detect if you are getting too cold, what to do about it, and how to prepare to avoid it. A funny. Dd came home from practice last week and asked me if we had any gasoline. Hmmmm.....why? Well, her teammates had suggested putting it on the exposed skin on her face during practices. What?!?! It took me way too long to figure out she misheard Vasoline. Big difference kiddo. As for getting out the door.....that IS irritating. I am already longing to the day when I can leave the house without putting on my own weight in gear..... The worst is when we forget to bring in our boots from the unheated boot porch before suiting up. Brrrrr! And very difficult to tie frozen laces. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bearcat Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 My kids rarely wear big heavy winter coats etc unless we are actually spending time playing outside. If we are just going to the store or something like that they often just wear a lightweight jacket or sweater. The car is warm, the stores etc are warm. I hate dealing with kids coats, hats etc when we go out. A few weeks ago the receptionist at my daughter's ballet school got a little snotty with me because dd only had a sweatshirt on when we were leaving. She thought it was too cold for that. It was in the mid 30s and the trip between the building and the already warm car took less than 30 seconds. Now, with the -30 temps today, I'd make my kids bundle up a bit if we were going out. Everything has been cancelled though so we are just staying in and doing school in our pjs today. Oh, and I guess I should note that if my kids are cold and want to wear a heavier jacket they are welcome to. I don't stop them from bundling up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UncleEJ Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 A garage!!! Park that car inside! I can never understand why people would fill their garages full of stuff and leave the car outside. Truly mind boggling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UncleEJ Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 Typical Alaskan day... *Start car (auto ignition now, but prior - have youngest child brave the cold to start car) 10 minutes prior to leaving. ..If temp is below 0- Put on sweatshirt or light weight polar fleece jacket. Maybe gloves and hat. Get in car If temp is above zero - Put on sweatshirt or lightweight polar fleece jacket. Forget about gloves and hat. Get in car. If temp is above 25 - Grab sweatshirt. Don't bother putting it on. It's too warm outside. Get in car. (Heavy duty winter coat, snow boots, heavy weight gloves for everyone are already stowed in back of car) We're cavalier about the cold...not stupid. Truth is, when most winter days are below zero, you just stop noticing the cold and get on with getting on. Yes to all of this! Except when the wind is blowing 60mph. I'm not sure where you are, but I lived in the Valley and the wind could be brutal. The house I grew up in sat on top of a hill near Palmer. Seriously, the wind. never. stopped. blowing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie Smith Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 A garage!!! Park that car inside! I can never understand why people would fill their garages full of stuff and leave the car outside. Truly mind boggling. My garage use to have a door a car could fit through. (More of a stable horse door, but whatever) and the previous owners covered it with siding. The only way in is through a door. And since they put it in incorrectly it actaully can't open completely. :glare: And the garage is not attached to the house, and it's a really long driveway so we likely wouldn't use it anyways. If we did we would have to shovel the whole thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Only me Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 We have 3 cars and only room for one in the garage. It is supposed to be a two car garage but really only fits one. We don't have a shed so we need to put some things like the lawn mower in the garage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moxie Posted January 7, 2014 Author Share Posted January 7, 2014 A garage!!! Park that car inside! I can never understand why people would fill their garages full of stuff and leave the car outside. Truly mind boggling. We do park in the garage but it isn't heated so my van is still freezing. And with it this cold, my heater never did warm up fully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DianeW88 Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 Here in Colorado, if the temp is above 30, and there isn't much wind, you will start peeling off the clothes as soon as you do any activity. Really, the only thing you need is something to cover your ears and fingers, the rest start to sweat!! I am anti-coat, I hate having it on in the car, or a store. I wish there was a coat you could just push a button and it would shrink into your (small) purse-- like Hermione's . We don't wear coats here in Utah if it's much above 30 degrees either. At Target the other day, I saw four people just in shorts and t-shirts. Two of them were wearing flip flops. It was 38 degrees outside. That's balmy for us. Nobody ever wears scarves or mittens unless you're skiing. Hats are only a fashion statement, and if we do wear a jacket, we don't zip it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 We do park in the garage but it isn't heated so my van is still freezing. And with it this cold, my heater never did warm up fully. You've got FIVE kids to get ready...that is WORK in any weather. Plus, routines help. If you don't have a cold weather routine, it's going to take longer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolt. Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 My Canadian answer is the one you have already discovered. It takes 20 minutes. Or, somewhat less as we get more efficient over thr course of the winter. That's just one of the things we do in the morning that takes 20 minutes... like breakfast. Lots of things take time in the morning before you can get out the door. On snowfall days it takes a full 20 minutes at our best efficiency: including warming the car, shovelling the walk and front steps, and brushing/scraping the car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 Well, just because I am not wearing a coat doesn't mean that I am not covered. I am wearing long underwear under my jeans. I have on a tank top and a turtleneck and a wool pullover. We all have 'indoor' wool hats and fingerless gloves. Heck, I have a stocking cap that I keep next to the bed just for sleeping. I routinely sleep in a fleece jacket over my pajamas, lol. I was sent home with frostbite a couple times when I was in school, so I take it seriously. We didn't have buses so school wasn't ever cancelled and I had a very long walk. My mom wasn't able to drive me and I prob wasn't dressed properly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Excelsior! Academy Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 A garage!!! Park that car inside! I can never understand why people would fill their garages full of stuff and leave the car outside. Truly mind boggling. We have a twelve passenger van. It will fit in the garage if I take out the clothes dryer. We choose to have a dryer. It is 37 today. It has been in the 20s. I can. not. imagine. temps below zero. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SquirrellyMama Posted January 10, 2014 Share Posted January 10, 2014 Meh. Every place has its thing. Broiling heat, regular quakes, tornadoes, etc... When I first read this line I thought it said, "Broiling heat, regular quakes, tomatoes, etc..." I was wondering what kind of tomatoes were as bad as broiling heat and regular quakes. I obviously need to change my contacts :) Kelly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted January 10, 2014 Share Posted January 10, 2014 You get used to it, for the most part. I do have to admit to having a minor freak out the other day. It was -2* (before windchill) when dh and I got home with the 4 youngest, with the 2 boys sound asleep in the car. Coats on the floor b/c they were in their carseats.I was completely stumped on how to get them all bundled up and into the house. Like, complete brain freeze, stuck in place. Dh rolled his eyes, opened the door, grabbed the boys, and ran into the house. While I stood there thinking, "Oh. Duh!" I may be used to cold, but I'm clearly not used to Below Zero and Wind cold! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsmm Posted January 10, 2014 Share Posted January 10, 2014 It was 30 here today, and my kids refused coats and hats and mittens for our errands. They did wear coats for playing outside. You just get use to the cold, I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsmm Posted January 10, 2014 Share Posted January 10, 2014 It was 30 here today, and my kids refused coats and hats and mittens for our errands. They did wear coats for playing outside. You just get use to the cold, I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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