Warm Mittens

Do you remember when you were a kid, the smell and feel of mittens and other winter apparel fresh from the dryer?

I don't.

Dryer time was never wasted on such frivolities as mittens, toques, or scarves. No siree. My mittens dried on the radiator, or near the stove if I was clued in enough to remember to not leave them in a pile at the front door. And we all know how good little kids are at planning ahead to tomorrow, right?

Ugh.

My horrid knitted mittens, hats, and scarves spent most of the winter smelling like a wet dog, and even more time actually being as wet as that same dog.

My kid has no clue about the horrors I endured in the winters of my childhood. She expects we will wash and dry her outer wear regularly, or at least dry them with a fabric sheet when they are too sopping.

Part of me wants to make her endure the wet dog smell. That part of me would be put on Santa's Naughty List, though, so I don't.

Sigh. Being good is not always its own reward.