Winter. It seems so romantic in movies; the snowflakes delicately cascading down from the sky and skaters navigating figure eights over frozen water. Every year, I get excited as Thanksgiving draws to a close for cold weather, hot chocolate, and the smell of flames in the fireplace. And then winter arrives, and I wonder what the hell I was thinking. It sucks! Let's take a look at why, shall we?

1. Coats. Why is it that children refuse to wear coats? My daughter hates the puffiness. My son hasn't mastered the zipper. They can't buckle themselves in with the added bulk. It's a battle each and every morning and I'm beginning to wonder if it's even worth it.

2. Gloves. Five spots for five fingers. You wouldn't think this would add up to disaster, but somehow for young children, it does. Plus, like socks, we just can't manage to keep a single pair together.

3. Getting Out the Door. I am not usually a late person, but I forget to add an extra 20 minutes to each and every day.

4. Dry Skin. My elbows. My knees. My lips. My hands. I'm grossing even myself out.

5. Sickness. I forget what it's like to feel 100 percent. I forget what it's like not to have sleeves covered in snot and little ones hacking through the night. Health? What's that, again?

6. Messy Floors. My poor wood floors have lost their luster thanks to street salt and are now home to tracks of shoes of all shapes and sizes.

7. The Darkness. My most productive time of day is once the kids are tucked in and asleep for the night. The problem is that when it gets dark at 5, I'm ready to join them in bed at 8:30.

8. Black Ice. Ice is bad enough, but the hidden ice that causes car skidding and tumbles down front steps? It's evil.

9. Sledding. Sure, it's fun. Fun, if you like risking injury, blindness, and ER visits for your children.

10. Snow days. One is mildly fun. More than one? Not so much. A week of them? Hell on earth.

What about you? Do you love winter or hate it?

Photo from the Smokler Collection