win-win winter

Over winter break I took "my family" (a group of siblings I tutor and with whom I've grown especially close) sledding. It was the first time they'd ever been, and it was magic. (It also might explain why the youngest didn't wear any socks. Can you imagine?! When I found out, I gave him handwarmers to stuff inside his boots, and I traded him his puny cotton stretch gloves for my big snowboarding mittens. Since his feet were already freezing, I figured his hands didn't have to.)

After a couple hours on the hill we drove back to my house, where the kids wrapped themselves in blankets and curled up against the heater to watch Monsters, Inc. All three seemed so satisfied and happy. Plus, I got to feel like the favorite aunt for an afternoon, the one who puts extra whipped cream and sprinkles in your cocoa and digs up cool socks for you to wear. (Yep, I did both of those things. And yes, they did think it was cool.) Win-win, right?