Frostbite in November: The Chronicles of Seth vs. My Thermostat

Ah, the joys of adult children coming home for a visit. You’ve missed them, their stories, their laughs… and their complete disregard for utility bills 🤑. Enter Seth, my beloved 20-year-old, who loves his family almost as much as he loves turning my house into an igloo.🧊🐧

Let me set the scene. It’s a brisk 40 degrees outside—a temperature that screams "cozy sweaters and hot cocoa." ☕🧣 But no, not in this house. Not when Seth is home. At some point, you’ll walk into one room and instantly know something is wrong. It’s Arctic cold 🥶. Your nose starts running, and you can’t feel your toes. Naturally, your first thought is, “Did I leave the freezer door open?!”

❄️Spoiler: I did not.

I march to the thermostat, ready to blame the HVAC gremlins, only to discover… oh yes, someone has cranked the air conditioning ON. 🌀Not just a little bump to "cool things down," but full-blown Antarctica mode. The unit is working overtime, chugging along like a poor overburdened reindeer trying to pull Santa’s sleigh.🦌❄️ And who’s responsible? Oh, there he is, Seth, casually lounging in a hoodie, sipping coffee like a 20-year-old villain in a Netflix drama.😎☕

When confronted, does he apologize? 🙅‍♀️ No. Does he offer to cover the impending electric bill disaster? Also no. Instead, he looks up at me and says with a completely straight face, “I turned the air on because we’re about to snuggle under blankets.”🛋️🛏️

Blankets?! BLANKETS?! 😳 Jesus, take the wheel and the thermostat.🙏🚗

Let me get this straight. Seth, the same child who once told me he couldn’t wash dishes because it was “too cold,”🌬️ has no problem turning the house into an ice palace so he can pretend he’s auditioning for a Hallmark Christmas movie.🎄🎥

I don’t know what kind of Viking-level metabolism Seth developed in college, but this man treats the thermostat like it’s his personal fidget spinner. 🤦‍♀️ And let’s not forget the financial impact of his cozy blanket dreams. You know who’s not snuggling up with blankets? My electric bill. 🏦 It’s just out there, exposed to the cold, weeping softly as it climbs higher and higher. 📈💡

So, here I am, shuffling around in thermal socks 🧦, wrapped in my fleece robe 🧥, while Seth lounges under his mountain of blankets, casually scrolling on his phone 📱, as if nothing is amiss. I think about the three HVAC units in this house, each valiantly trying to keep up with Seth’s frost fantasy. Somewhere, the spirit of Ben Franklin is judging me for how much I’m paying for this unnecessary chill. 😔⚡

By the time I reset the thermostat and restore warmth 🔥 to my corner of the house, Seth is already plotting his next move. “Mom, it’s so much better this way,” he says, grinning like a man who’s never opened a utility bill in his life. 😏 I glare at him, silently wishing I could hand him the login to my energy provider’s website. 🖥️

But hey, this is what parenting adult children is all about, right? 🙃 They come home, they eat all your snacks 🍪, they hog the good blankets, and they turn your house into a winter wonderland because apparently, common sense doesn’t apply when you’re visiting Mom.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to tape a Do Not Touch sign over the thermostat. 🛑📋 Because Seth may have won the battle, but I will win the war—preferably with

the heat ON. 🔥👩‍⚖️

~ Mary

#MomLifeWithMary