5 reasons I hate winter

I realize that winter does not begin until December, but someone forgot to mention that to the Michigan branch of Mother Nature. So already this winter, I can list 5 reasons I hate winter:

1. The kids go stir-crazy. I suppose if we gave into unlimited video games and TV, the kids wouldn't be so wild after being stuck inside all day. Or perhaps they'd be even crazier. Either way, the kids (and I) desperately miss their outdoor play time.
2. Playing outside. Yes, people do go outside in Michigan. And kids play outside. But it's cold! And you have to put on so many layers, which leads me to ...
3. Dressing in layers. My hubbie will tell you that even after six years, I still don't dress right for winter. That's partially because I don't like wearing layers. But what I dislike even more is having to put all of those layers on my children -- all THREE of them. It takes 30 minutes to go outside to play for five minutes before someone starts complaining that it's too cold and they want to go back inside. Seriously.
4. The gray skies. What's even worse than the cold temperatures is the endless gray days. In the past two weeks, I'd guess we've had two sunny days. The lack of sunshine wears on us so much more than the cold or the snow.
5. The sun goes down ... way too early. It's dark here around 5 p.m. In mid-December, it'll be closer to 4:30. I remember winters when I worked in which I'd drop Brendan off at day care in the dark, and pick him up in the dark. It's rather depressing, particularly when it's been gray all day.