warmth and groudhog day

We have endured the snow and ice. It is warm inside and oh-so very cold, white and frozen outside.

We have been reading The Big Snow by Berta and Elmer Hader during our mornings this week. It is all about winter, snow, the animals that 'stay', providing food for animals during winter and Groundhog Day.

We got to talking about how animals 'cope' with the cold weather. We cam up with migration and hibernation and talked a bit about what those meant and which animals choose to 'sleep', 'leave' or stay.

I asked my children how humans coped with the cold weather and they said with 'food and fire'. Food and fire. I just loved their answer and it got me thinking about one of my favorite topics- warmth.

I am certain that I have posted this link before, but I just wanted to put this out there again because it is so very inspiring to me.

Warming foods, warming spices, keeping our bodies warm and our homes and hearts as well is what this week of posts is all about. My favorite part addresses clothing and varying degrees of cold weather. I am also humbled and inspired each time I read the section that ask mothers what they are doing with their 'downtime' or while their children are occupied. Are we jumping onto the internet? Are we racing around trying to throw in just one more load of laundry? Or are we not even in our homes to experience the times when there is an empty space?

Some of the ways that I am bringing warmth to my family this winter

are keeping our heads covered while when we leave the house, keeping our feet warm and covered indoors, lighting fires at night after dinner, preparing simple, warm foods for our meals (and forgoing my favorite yogurt, fruit and cheese lunches), serving tea and homemade hot chocolates, an extra touch, hug or snuggle throughout the day, keeping myself focused and enthusiastic about caring for my family's needs, avoiding any non-essential time outside of the home or in the car and keeping my heart open to all that this life as a family has to offer.

Oh, and if you are interested, the groundhog in our town did not see his shadow this morning. So apparently spring is closer than it may feel!