Ah, Winter, How I Hate Thee

I grew up in Central NY where wintery weather is a fact of life for almost half the year. I can remember that during my growing up years I would feel desperate for spring to arrive, and for the dreary, dirty mounds of snow in every parking lot and roadside to finally melt away. Usually by mid to late April my wishes would come true.

Thankfully, I grew up and moved to Central KY where we only get winter for approximately 2 or 3 months, often with springlike weather sprinkled all throughout it in a naturally scizophrenic sort of way. We barely get any snow here, but when we get even a dusting everybody gets hysterical and cancels schools and church services and people go crazy at the groceries, stocking up as if they are likely to be stranded in their homes for weeks.

This weekend we've had several inches of snow and today the kids even got a day off from school because of it. Three days in a row of snowy weather is enough to make me thank my lucky stars that we don't live someplace more north of here.

Snowy weather in a house full of children means:

-the floors leading from the back door are sloppy, wet, slippery, and dirty. I could mop, but it would only get bad again within hours.

-spending lots of time trying to find boots, mittens, hats, coats, and dry changes of clothes. Depite the fact that we do have all of these supplies for each and every child, it never fails that we are missing some crucial element, and someone is by the back door whining and waiting for their lost boot to show up.

-It takes longer to dress the children in their winter gear than most of them spend outside. I am seriously considering just sending the youngest ones out in their regular clothes and some slippers. They'd turn around just as fast and be right back inside before any damage could be done. Think of all the time and frustration I'd spare myself!

-Sledding is a fun part of snow, but when my child takes a pitch off the side of a sled and ends up in the ER with a possible broken collarbone, it sure takes the shine off. (Thankfully his collar bone wasn't actually broken.)

Some of my children have decided that it is not possible for them to recover from playing outside in the cold without me making some homemade hot chocolate. For those of you that think hot cocoa is something you make from hot water and some stuff in a packet, read and learn.

Homemade hot chocolate is very simple and delicious. Here is the recipe I use:

In a saucepan combine:
3 cups milk (or 1 cup dry milk plus 3 cups water)
1 cup hot water
1/3 cup sugar
3 Tablespoons unsweeted cocoa
a dash of salt

Mix with a whisk and heat on medium high until it's as warm as you want it. Enjoy! (don't overheat or you can burn it which isn't very yummy at all!)