Bits & Pieces :: December

** Lots of snow this month has meant lots of fun for the kids.  Even though we've had some ridiculously cold wind chills, they have gone out most days to take advantage of snow.  That winter where we got none really messed with them.

They love to go out the window instead of the door.

** Chloe has been working her way through her bird coloring book doing a few each day.  She said she picked the brightest-looking ones to do first -- of course.

** These two love food.  They really like using sharp knives too. (Have we ever talked about Evan's pocket knife collection??  I think he has five.)

** This is a made up game the kids call "Jeepy Jam."  It is patterned after Rush Hour -- a sort of puzzle mind-bender game -- but they use their clay jeeps and some necklaces for roads.

They play so seriously and intently and if they get a "bad game" they get really frustrated.  They usually play side by side on their separate games, but I have found Evan laying on the floor of his room playing too.

Always sniffing his finger tips.... :-)

** We have a bunch of solitaire-type games, but instead of playing them alone we sit in a cluster on the floor and each play a different one near each other :-)

**  This red hat is in so many photo albums.  I think Chloe was five the winter she picked it out, so she is in the third year of wearing it.

She has a pretty turquoise hat I bought her to match the coat, but do you think she likes that one?  No.

**  The latest clay creation here is gourds.  Gourds!!!  They each studied pictures of their old favorites and made mini versions of the gourds they once loved.  Now they can build mini gourd contraptions too!

**  Yesterday, seemingly out of nowhere, Evan wanted to dig out the old Thomas the Tank Engine set so he and Chloe could build a track for their jeeps.  Within about an hour of building and playing they had the trains dumped out too and it was like a flashback to five years ago.

They agreed before bed to wake each other up early so they could start playing again right away.  And even as I have sat here for almost an hour typing and putting a post together, they have been playing trains!  

(I'm pretty sure this idea was inspired by the latest Little House book we are reading -- On the Shores of Silver Lake -- there is a bit of train talk in the early chapters, so that must be it.)