Happy Legs

Of all the important things I’ve learned from my mother, one nugget of wisdom stands apart as her signature:  layer up!  It’s a practice for keeping warm that she forced us to follow as children and to which she still religiously adheres to this day.  I have followed in her footsteps to a degree…  Although I’ll admit I sometimes find myself shivering at a football game or on a hike in the woods only to realize I should have listened to my mama.  When it comes to my kids,  I keep them in onesies under their outfits until potty training time.  After that, they’re on their own.  (just kidding – I tell them to put more clothes on, but if they choose to ignore my advice, it's the school of hard knocks.  And I’m more than happy to give them a little ‘I told you so…”)

 

Perhaps there’s good reason for my rebellion.  And here it is:

 

My mom made me wear tights.  All the time.  To church with dresses, of course, but also as an extra layer under pants.  And this was not just when we went out to play in the snow, but even to SCHOOL, if the temperatures were cold. 

 

So, what’s the big deal about that?  Well, let me tell you. 

 

These tights were sweater-like.  And itchy.  And, especially  if you were super-skinny and tall, tended to shimmy down your legs so the crotch ended up about mid-thigh and pulled your underwear down while they were at it.  

 

Pure misery.  And I have distinct memories of sitting in my second grade classroom sweltering in my tights-under-corduroys combo when the afternoon temps rose higher than expected.

 

Granted, not only did we face outdoor recess, but we also had a 1/3 mile lane to traverse when the bus dropped us off at home.  So, in theory, wearing those crazy devices of torture was a good idea. 

 

Fast forward 30 plus years and here I am with a houseful of kiddos of my own.  Two days before Christmas, I made a mad dash to Kohl’s for last-minute wardrobe pieces for the 3 dressy events we needed to attend over the holidays.  Possibly because of my traumatic childhood experiences, I’m not great about keeping necessary leg-coverings on hand. 

 

But, let me tell you, what I discovered on the racks of that store is pure genius.  A new invention.  Lives of little girls all over the country, at least the Midwest, possibly all 50 states and maybe even the world, will be forever changed. 

I found….   Fleece-lined tights.  Microfiber fleece-line tights.  They’re warm!!  They’re comfortable!!  The elastic works!!  I bought 6 pairs!! 

 

When I came home and gleefully shared my good fortune, I was initially met with eye-rolling and skepticism…  (‘they’re tights, Mom, how good can they be?’) 

 

But let me tell you, me and my sweats-loving girls have never been so happy to get dressed up and put on tight leg-coverings in our entire lives. 

 

We might even start wearing them under our jeans….