Love and Bundling

Seth has always been into being
"side up down" as he calls it.



Growing up in Michigan, my sisters and I had no need to fear the cold! By the time Mom got us wrapped and ready to go outside to play, in the snow, we felt as though we would melt.
Mom was especially good at bundling us! Bread bags over the socks, snow pants before boots, mittens and then the coat (so that the cuffs stayed inside), hat then hood and finally the scarf. Now, there's a special knack to wrapping the scarf; twice around the face (so that only the nose and eyes peek out) and tucked it in at the back so that it stays,and Mom knew it. Before any of this, of course, she had us go potty! She was a wise woman.
Once we'd built and dressed our snowman or made igloos or ice angels and had stayed out until we were positive that we'd been frost bitten, we would amble stiffly inside, sniffling and crying. And there would be Mom. We'd sit down and she'd pull off our boots , strip our wraps and wipe our noses and our tears. "Put your hands against your armpits" she'd remind us or (worse yet,) "run your hands under cold water". Slowly and painfully the burning tingle of warmth and feeling would return to our frozen, red fingers and toes, while we sipped hot cocoa made from Mom's special mix. We took comfort in knowing that Mom's love would get us all warmed up again. Many, many years later, it is 7:30 pm and 13 degrees outside here in Northern California. Most of my kids, with the exception of the two littlest ones, are heading out to go sledding. They won't be gone long. I will close and get the hot chocolate ready. Thanks, Mom.



Here are Sarah, baby Peter
and snowman, all bundled up









No help needed here! James, Grace, Seth and
friends, snowboarding in the Sierra's.









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