It is way too cold.

The temperature here today 24 degrees (F). It's horribly, bitterly cold. Even inside the house, there is a bit of a chill in the air. The kids are getting restless. Sadly, there is no heat in sight. In fact, the forecast is calling for snow here on Thursday. The temperature has been incredibly cold for the past two weeks, so whatever falls on Thursday is guaranteed to stick around for awhile. The temperature isn't expected to rise above freezing for several days, either, so hopefully the girls will have a good opportunity to play outside in a bit of the cold, white stuff. We rarely get good snow here, and when we do get good snow it doesn't generally hang around for very long.

In honor of our pending snowfall, I've decided to provide a few tips for helping children enjoy the cold safely.

1) Dress in layers.
2) Wear a hat.
3) Drink warm liquids and soups to help avoid dehydration and retain body heat.
4) Get plenty of rest along with all that play.

This is also a good time to do a few special things for you children that you might not really have an opportunity to do in other weather.

1) Make hot chocolate. The mix is fine, but use milk instead of water. Be sure to get the kind with marshmallows. It's also a good idea to have a bag of mini marshmallows on hand to add lots of extra marshmallows to the hot chocolate if your kids are particularly fond of them. (What kid isn't?)

2) Build a fire if you have a fire place. A toasty warm fire can be quite soothing to everybody in the house. The glow of light and the warmth that emanates from the fire has an amazing calming affect. (Unfortunately, we do not have a fire place.)

3) Try to find ways to entertain the kids inside. This is a good time to build a tent or pull out some special activities that might normally be off limits. Perhaps you could let the kids play dress up with the dresses out of your closet. Giving them access to your jewelry box, with supervision, can turn a dull and boring day into a special adventure. After all, it isn't every day that Mommy lets the kids play with her jewelery, now is it?

4) Fix a special lunch for the kids. This is a good time to provide them with a bit of extra entertainment at lunch. Create a fun lunch by using icing to decorate their sandwiches or creating a funny face out of their food. The possibilities are endless. (Lunch Ideas for Kids of All Ages)

5) Snuggle up!!! My girls love to snuggle. With the air being a bit chill, this is a perfect time for piling up on the couch with a stack of books and snuggling with them. They think they are getting a bit of extra special treatment while I'm getting a bit of extra special snuggle time. (Added bonus: Little girls make wonderful heating blankets.)

6) Practice patience. Everybody gets stir crazy when the weather makes being out and about unpleasant. Try to be patient and understanding when the kids start to get cranky. The best treatment for crankiness is a change of activity. When the "crankies" set in, that is your signal to bring out one of those special activities.