It's cold, and I'm losing my cool

Winter + mornings + a doddling three year old + the commute from hell = one fed up mommy.

As I recently commented on a friend's blog, I'm fully aware that most people think that winter-haters like me should just get the hell out of dodge and move to a warmer climate. And truth is, I would in a second if hubby and I could have good jobs, and our family could enjoy the same quality of life we do now.

Actually, maybe now that I put it that way, maybe a little winter is worth it in the end.

One thing I really can't stand these days about winter - above the cold, even - is how long it takes to get two little kids dressed. It takes me about 30 minutes to get the kids dressed, out the door and buckled in their car seats. On a good day. And the constant snowfalls mean my 1 hour commute in the morning is taking closer to two. So by the time I get to the office, I've been up for almost 4 hours and I'm exhausted. My "I'm not worried, I'll get the kids to daycare and myself to work whenever I can" routine is getting more and more difficult to carry on with.

Starting next week, hubby will be working slightly different hours, and he'll be around to help me get the kids ready in the morning, I can't wait.

I hate that by 9:30, I'm stressed, tired, some days I've already yelled at the kids... Somehow, it doesn't seem worth it. You would think that in this day and age of environmental concerns, transit problems and open-mindedness when it comes to HR issues, more employers would encourage working from home. My boss is relatively flexible... but it's still expected I go in every day short of extreme weather or the odd day where the kids are sick. Yet I could probably do about 60-80% of my work at home - 3 or 4 days a week.

On those 3-4 days a week, I could start working at my computer a full hour or two earlier than I do now. And I could work until at least the same time, since I'm only about 5 minutes away from the daycare. And really, I could be getting dinner started while I wrapped things up... So, all in all, I could theoretically be a more productive employee.

Imagine if one third of employers did that. You could cut down on traffic by about one-fifth, total. That could shave a good 20-30 minutes off my drive the days I would go in. And anyway, I'd be happier to spend two hours in the car in the morning if I only did it a couple times a week.

Oh, it's a pipe dream. But a nice one!