Warm Inside

It's a snow day outside, but not one we can really enjoy.  Blustery icy cold gusty winds blowing snow sideways ..... no thanks.  Even Todd came home from work early since he couldn't get there safely.

So, we're inside together.  The morning started with lots of tickly-cuddly time followed by a wild game of tag.

Evan was glad to have his dad to help him put together his latest RC Machine.

He got this toy on Christmas but the power pack malfunctioned and had to be replaced.  Now that he's got working parts, it's been out every day.  Today's was a bulldozer.

This one is a fold-up car.

And this is an antique car.

Chloe spent some time on her many art projects including ading some more curvy pieces to her "hissy" (one of those pieces is a new head so it can be two-headed if she wants it to be).

You would never guess that yesterday it was like spring and the kids played in the backyard mud patch for three hours.  It dropped 40 degrees in 24 hours.  So, yeah.... glad to be warm inside today.

Beautiful Creating

Evan was so proud of this coloring page.  He picked out all the coordinating colors and colored it all in one day.  Isn't it gorgeous?

And Chloe is finally working on her window cling set from Gramma.  She chose this amazing snake which needs lots of curvy pieces to look like she wants.  It's going to take a few days to finish all the parts and let them dry, but she is dedicated to it!

Hungry Dad

When we do our big monthly stock-up trip to the Co-op, it's important to keep the kids motivated and occupied.  They have certain jobs to help with, favorite food items to put in the cart, and that sort of thing.  They are great at playing "I Spy" in the cereal aisle while I fill bags in the bulk section, but eventually patience runs thin.  The only thing that keeps them from hitting each other (anymore) is the bribe -- behave and you can pick a treat at the end.  And they always do. 

Their favorite treat is gummy worms, and they are allowed to eat them as they please once we leave the store.  All six in one day, or one at a time.... doesn't matter.  The problem is, when you try to eat something special near a hungry dad, you have a battle on your hands.

He never does win, with Chloe's iron grip and all, but it's an entertaining game to play.

Snow Ramp

A few days ago Uncle Chris surprised Evan by stopping by to play.  Evan's choice was, of course, going out in the snow.  Hours later, an amazing snow ramp was built on the deck!  It was tall, it was dangerous and slippery, and there was a ramp right at the bottom.  Wow!

Yesterday, after church the temperature was nearer to 30 and perfect for playing on the ramp.  With a few modifications so Chloe could play too (some snow steps, a flatter top for laying the sled on, and the elimination of the deadly ramp) they were off......

..... and we didn't see them again till after dark.

The Cat Whisperer

Our cats are pretty high maintenance (like all cats I think), so it's nice to have someone in the house who actually wants to meet their needs on a daily basis.  Chloe loves this job and seeks out opportunities to make life great for these two cats of ours that are trapped indoors for the winter.  As payment for the hours of time spent rigging up cat tents and play-things made out of household objects, Chloe only asks one thing in return:  cuddle time without any whining.  This has yet to happen, but she won't be deterred.  One of these days the cats will have to submit and realize they have it pretty good, even if that means stifling their desire to 'm-row' loudly and claw to get away from the ones who love them the most.

Currently

He ::

:: has been enjoying a winter full of read-alouds.  Over the past two or three months we have read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, and Farmer Boy.  We started The Voyage of the Dawn Treader but Evan decided to stop that one and begin The Long Winter.  This might be his new favorite.

:: waits for his dad to get home from work every day so he can say, "Hi Dad, can we play games together?"  Todd lovingly obliges him (after taking a shower) by playing Monopoly, Risk, Yahtzee (a new favorite) or one of his off-roading video games.

:: took an interest in constellations recently, especially Orion.  We used some phosphorescent paper to make a constellation on the ceiling over his bed -- he adores it!  Also one clear snowy night, we went out in the yard and did some star searching to find Orion and others we knew. 

::  waited almost two years to go sled riding with his favorite friend Jed and it finally happened.  (Remember it only snowed three times here last winter and only one of those times was more than 2 inches.)  With enough snow and the most excellent backyard sledding hill in Jed's yard, the boys played for hours together. 

::  thinks Wile E. Coyote is the funniest Looney Toon character he's ever known.  The collection of videos Todd has gathered for them to watch on the computer is one of the highlights of his day.  He and Chloe pick three to watch together and be inspired by.  Lots of their playing revolves around this coyote.

::  received a marshmallow gun for Christmas from a dear friend that has brought nothing less than 400 daily laughing fits since its arrivial here.  He has taken it's pvc tubing pieces apart and reconfigured them so many ways to see what works -- what an incredible physics lesson!

She ::

:: is our resident cat whisperer -- she claims to know just what they need and when.  She sets up elaborate nests and houses, and of course gives them their daily dose of affection and cuddles.

:: listened to her favorite read-aloud chapter book Barbaro for the third time.  Life has been all about horse-racing and racehorses.  We get Secretariat on DVD from the library quite often, as she is enamored with him.  Every bit of her horse playing lately has had the racehorse thread woven into it somehow. 

:: has been loving the board game Life.  She only likes to play it with one person so it doesn't take as long, and of course that one person reads every space and calculates all the math, etc.  (so that one person reluctantly says yes to such a game....)

::  used up her entire pack of Sculpey clay that she got on Christmas.  She made apples, carrots, bunches of bananas, grapes, one strawberry, and a fruit basket.  Then came the candy canes followed by four or five birthday cakes for horses (embellished with carrots, apples and minty candy canes).  She also made three snowmen, the smallest of which baffles all who see it.  It is a mere 1/2 inch tall.

:: is in love with "Wiley" Coyote as much as Evan.  They play game in the basement they call 'Wiley Houses' where they each live.  They come out to shop at the Acme store (aka the toy shelf) to find items for  building roadrunner and rabbit traps, naturally.  This is how they spent the good portion of an entire week.
:: enjoys looking at a constellation over her bed that she calls The Ryan or My Ryan.  She's not so into the stars as Evan is but, if Evan has one, well....

What Todd's Been Doing

Todd has been busy for months on his biggest project ever -- THIS fantastic structure:

{All photos taken by my mom}

So talented, that husband of mine!

Bits & Pieces :: January

** January weather has been so crazy; it was just about 60 degrees one day so we spent a good deal of it outside smelling spring all over the place.

** Lots of braiding and bracelet-making has been going on with the embroidery floss collection. Evan really loved learning the Chinese Ladder method since braiding has never been his favorite thing. Chloe braids like a professional and has a dozen colorful strands now.  She and Evan both are learning to make striped friendship bracelets with knots.

 ** Even after it does snow, there seems to be a warm up that follows and melts it all.  Bicycles do not make good snow plows.  Evan went over his handlebars on this pile when he flew into it and his bike got suddenly stuck.

** One of the kids' favorite things to play together is "Action Figures and Horses."  So much hilarious dialogue in a game like this.  I rarely see them since the door is closed, but occasionally a rogue horse with run out with the Jeep hot on his trail.....

** When we took the kids out to spend some of their Xmas cash, they found some new treasures.  Chloe fell in love with two big stuffed horses and Evan fell in love with a handful of droids.

** Evan and Chloe spent an entire afternoon throwing their 'giant flying discs' from the deck.  They cheered each other on and were so happy together.

** We have almost two feet of snow now.  The kids went out to play in it yesterday but since it was only 19 degrees with a 3 degree windchill, I opted to not go out and photograph them... you know, that cold weather is bad for my camera..... So we are back to real January weather and maybe some actual real blog posts coming soon.