It's getting chilly outside. Time to warm up with this issue of Kids VT! Astrid Hedbor Lague's got a yummy butternut squash risotto recipe to recommend. She made it with her 18-year-old son, who has finally started to show an interest in learning to cook. Congrats, mama! On the other end of the spectrum, Seven Days food writer Jordan Barry documents life with an unpredictably picky toddler. Carolyn Fox and Angela Simpson compiled some notable family-friendly winter events. And the kids at the Davis Community School have imagined woodland creatures celebrating and coping with the cold. Speaking of coping ... graphic artist Elisa Järnefelt puts current events in perspective with her two-page meditation on parenting through turbulent times. She ends with a promise: "For my daughter, I will choose to shed light on hope." I see a lot of hope in the young people who participated in this summer's Good Citizen Challenge. We shined a spotlight on a few of them. The energy they brought to the Vermont Statehouse in September fuels my faith in the future. Bundle up, stay warm, and we'll see you in the new year! This article was originally published in Seven Days' monthly parenting magazine, Kids VT.…