When it’s cold and snowy out, there’s really only one thing to do. Bundle up

And head out.

Find a hill. Grab a kid and a sled. And let gravity take care of the rest.

Try different combinations of the adult/kid/sled/hill proposition. See how results differ.

Take a moment (or several) to reflect on the fact that snow, while neither nutritious nor particularly tasty, is entirely edible.

Take a moment to make your momentary mark.

The snow is fleeting, so appreciate your angels while you can.

If you are feeling bold, aim your sled at the bump and see what happens.

Perhaps grace will ensue.

Or perhaps the opposite.

If you are small and timid and do not like the idea of moving swiftly down the hill, see if you can con your father into standing in for the sled. Convince him that he is sufficiently aerodynamic for your tastes. Urge him on with words like “faster, faster,” and see if this makes his backside more or less sled-like as you skid, inch by torturous inch, down the hill.

When you get to the place where tree branches block your passage, get your sister to lift them up. This is the very definition of fun.

And when your fingers get cold and your toes and your nose and your lips, turn to your father and explain that the walk back to the car is simply unthinkable. Tell him to make like a mule and start marching. Remind him how nice it will be to be back inside where it’s warm, to drink a little cocoa, maybe.

The kind with marshmallows, if possible.