So, we have this winter weather event — maybe you’ve heard of it? It’s all over TV, the print papers, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram … it’s cold. It’s a “Polar Vortex” and you can read about it here, where real experts write about it.

I told my preschool-age son, “we can go to (restaurant of childhood lore) tomorrow because school is on a delay.” He was excited, thrilled. He doesn’t like their food and calls the toys “crappy.” But he likes to play. And I like for him to play. I like it even better when he can climb and play in a safe, warm environment that is not my living room (pillows don’t go on the floor, TV stands are made for TVs).

Last night, he was up until after I fell out (at 10). I woke for nearly two hours overnight, did some writing, then (finally) went back to bed. Stars and stones, 7:23 came way too early. I wanted another four hours’ sleep, but my son remembered my promise.

So we talked about it. “Mommy’s tired. Mommy can’t drive yet.” His reply: “Get coffee.” Is three too young to be so wise? That was followed with a “but you promised.” And I had. So we went. And it was fun.

He played well with a younger (under six?) girl. She didn’t speak English and he gave up trying to ask her name, instead calling her “little lady” and giving chase. Hysterical. In an effort to improve the communication, I surfed the web for a translation engine. It didn’t work. I guess foreign language classes are in order.

And if you’re worried about animals (yeah, crappy segue, sorry), check out this video. It shows you how to make a feral cat shelter.