Lately, it has been much colder here in South Carolina than it normally is. We have had more snow and ice. There have been many days it is too cold to go out and play so we stay warm inside.
We have been finding more ways to have fun in the house. There have been hours of playing with construction equipment, building train tracks, and playing in a fort beside JDaniel’s bed. We have played shape dominoes and worked with pattern blocks at the kitchen table. Each week we have devoured a new bag of library books under a throw snuggled together. We have danced to Laurie Berkner and Ross King so that we can move and get exercise.
Unlike my son who loves to run around the house sockless, I hate being cold! Even inside the house with the heat on I feel the cold. Each morning I pile on layers of clothes. I have sweaters of all weights and thicknesses along with turtlenecks and thick socks. As it warms up during the day I start to shed layers but keep them near to pile back on as the sun goes down.
New soups have been explored this winter. We normally stick to meals of meat and vegetables with a casserole thrown in every now and then. The cold winter weather has motivated me to make minestrone and vegetable soups. I am going to try homemade tomato soup next. We have also inhaled pots of creamy macaroni and cheese. I don’t know why it has always been a cold-weather comfort food for me. Both my husband and JDaniel love homemade macaroni and cheese as I do. It has been fun to try several different recipes for it.
Cold weather also leads to long talks in our living room huddled under fleece blankets. They are great opportunities to share not only our days but our dreams for tomorrow.
It is the cold of winter that reminds me that our house is a home.
What is your favorite part of winter?