Today was supposed to be Oliver’s big kindergarten trip out to the woods for a winter sleigh ride. As the house driver (and having been away for the fall apple picking field trip) this was to be my first chaperoning experience.

So Oliver and I woke up at 7:15 a.m., got breakfast, got all bundled up in several layers clothing, brushed off the car, and headed over to the school to rendezvous with the other kids and parents.

Alas when we arrived we found a sign on the door saying that the trip was postponed until Tuesday. So my chaperoning will have to wait until next week.

The irony is that after a January that was more spring-like than wintery, it actually snowed last night, and the woods, I think, would have sparkled like Narnia. It’s the bitter cold that’s calling things off, I guess.

All of which led to the following instant message exchange between Catherine and me when I got back to the office after leaving Oliver for a normal school day:

catherine: where are you

peter: Here on the sleigh.

peter: They have wireless Internet access out here in the woods.

catherine: i couldn’t sleep

peter: It’s very cold.

peter: And my fingers tire easily.

catherine: oh

peter: But I’m getting lots of work done.

peter: The kids make too much noise, though.

catherine: did you take the camera

peter: I did, but it fell off the sleigh and the horses stepped on it.

peter: Damn horses.

This marks only the second time in our almost 15 years together that I’ve been able to deceive Catherine, albeit only temporarily. To her credit, she had just gotten up, and it’s entirely believable, given my history, that I would choose to work wirelessly from atop a sleigh.