Winter Games & Activities

This past winter has definitely been the winter of games. The kids are big into games now. Oh, we've played Candy Land, Memory and similar games before, but now it's the kids really asking on their own. Scooby Doo is very, very big in our house. Not a day goes by that we don't watch, read about or play with Scooby and the gang. This haunted mansion Scooby Doo game was a HUGE hit around here. The gang has to make it to the top of the mansion, but there are traps along the way.

On Christmas Eve the kids received a Smashed Potato Head Playdough game. I have to admit that I find it pretty fun, too. You have to make it around the board without getting either cut in half, turned into fries, rolled into a hamburger or chopped in two.

Besides Legos (which deserve a post of their own), Jared loves his Trio set next, especially one that also turns into a Batcave. He and Steve have spent hours playing with this set. He's hoping to get a Joker set for his birthday in a few weeks.

We've also really enjoyed Don't Wake the Daddy.

Of course, it's always fun to play good ole blocks with Daddy.

Alexa seems to go back and forth with wanting to play with her GeoSafari laptop. She really likes it when others play with her.

What she ALWAYS wants to do is look at globes. She loves to search for different countries on the computer, read about them, and then find them on the globe. I guess my love of all things travel is rubbing off on her!

I love the show Art Wolf's Travels to the Edge. It combines two passions of mine- travel and photography. Alexa really enjoys cameras, too. So, she and I really got into watching this show together this winter. One day she asked to take pictures of the screen to kind of emulate Art as he was taking pictures on screen. Here's one of her shots.

The kids have also spent quite some time with Alexa's GeoSafari Talking Microscope. It's a pretty cool toy for kids who like looking a small insects and spiders and taking quizzes on them.

What indoor winter activities have been big around your house this year?

Christmas Day

I had thought for sure this year the kids would be bouncing on our bed by 6:30 in the morning, but nope, we didn't start unwrapping presents til closer to 8:00. I know they didn't get to bed til close to 11:30 the night before, but still, it's Christmas morning!  I guess I shouldn't complain though. Most parents would be ecstatic to sleep in more.

I can't believe I'm including a picture of me first thing in the morning with no makeup, but there it is. Alexa took this of us, so I really wanted to remember that.

I had to buy them on Ebay, but I was finally able to find a complete set of the four Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for Jared. He asked for them forever. He was SOOOO thrilled.

Alexa's favorite present of the season was by far her kids pottery wheel. She had been wanting one, but almost all the ones I saw were at least $80 and that just couldn't happen. Then I saw this one for $25 at Michael's. At first I passed it up because I figured it'd be too cheap to work, but she and Steve had a blast with it. It worked perfectly for what she wanted out of it. You won't be making a real bowl or cup with this kit , but she just loved it.

These next set of pictures will be different because Steve bought me the camera I had been dreaming about!  It's a Canon T1i Rebel. I had been drooling over DSLRs for months but thought we'd never get one because they are really expensive (almost $700). But Steve surprised me for Christmas. I was bawling my eyes
out. We never, ever get presents like that for each other. I hope to learn more about photography and start posting pictures on the microstock sites to earn a little extra money.

We drove over to my sister's house early afternoon to celebrate with my parents, grandma, brother and sister's family. Jared loved his Batman mask and accessories.

Grandma?  I'm not too sure.

I think she had a better time opening presents with Alexa.

Uncle Andy brought lots of laughs with his new teeth.

Pre-Christmas Celebrations

We had an awesome Christmas Eve this past year with everyone on Steve's side of the family meeting at his parent's house. The kids were so, so, so excited before we arrived to see all their cousins.

We have a tradition every year of lighting a candle a day the twelve days before Christmas. We usually read some part of the Luke version of the Christmas story and sing a few carols while we light one candle. I should have taken a better picture, but the candles are all places around a five-pointed star. We all did our "candle time" together on Christmas Eve.

Then it was presents! Jared was thrilled with his spinosaurus

...and also loved his puzzles, legos and games.

Alexa's favorite presents were painting kits, games....

....watching Jared open his Batmans Trio cave...

....and her absolute favorite....her GeoSafari Talking Microscope.

Jared ended the night on a high shooting nerf bullets with his cousin.

Sledding Through the Woods

Ok. This time I really am going to get caught up on my posts!  I know I said that over a month ago, but I've been working on a big, big project, which I will share with you very soon. We're going on a three week vacation to Nevada and California, so I know there will be tons to share when I get back. So I'll post every other day until I get caught up.

Now to get you caught up on the past three months.....

We've had so much snow this winter! I'm usually a cold freak, as in I can't stand it, but with kids somehow it's different. They've really made me appreciate the art of bundling up and trudging through the snow.

A few weeks before Christmas we went to our favorite woods, and Steve pulled the kids through the snow. There was a tiny hill, but mostly he just had to use muscle power and pull on flat ground.

There was no one there that day. Actually, there usually arn't that many people when we visit the woods. It's wierd me even thinking this since I don't like the cold, but I've actually been thinking about visiting Antartica one day.  Does anyone else think this is a cool idea, or is it just me?

We saw some deer tracks in the woods and, right before we left, saw a family of three deer running through the woods. The kids were very excited.

We also ran across this bird's nest on a fallen tree limb. 

Does your family take regular winter walks?

WonderWorks

We hadn't been to WonderWorks in Oak Park since the spring, so I was glad when my friend suggested meeting up there for a playdate.

WonderWorks in the smallest children's museum we frequent, but it's nice because when the kids run off to different sections I don't have to worry as much - I'm only a few steps away. They played with my friend's son (2 years old) for a while in the dress-up  area until Alexa said she wanted to do some art.

Jared headed straight for the scissors and cutting (one of his favorite things) while Alexa grabbed a paint brush and went to work. She gets into these painting moods where she'll want to paint like crazy every day, and then it seems like she forgets about it for awhile. And every time she comes back to it, she tries something new.

It's just so interesting to me to watch how people process information subconsciously and how very important it is to step away from things for awhile. And not just in areas like reading or math, but even painting or playing a musical instrument. It's amazing how when kids are given the freedom to respect the rhythms of their own learning the amazing progress that occurs. It's such a shame the school system does not respect this type of learning that is so essential. Oh, they say they understand that important cognitive function of the brain, but yet they insist all kids MUST do some math, writing, and reading every day for there to be progress. AAAAUUUUGGGGHHH.

After eating a quick lunch together, my friend and her kids left for home, and Jared, Alexa and I hung out in the music/puppet section for the next hour and a half. The kids love, love, love to make of songs, dress-up and make up stories. I'm really, really going to miss this age someday.

December Birthdays

Well, as I write this it's really the middle of January, so I have a lot of catching up on. We've had so many wonderful adventures, have been learning so many new things, and I've been pleasently distracted by new projects I'm working on that posting our lives to this blog hasn't taken much of a priority. It's still important to me, though, to chronical our lives and learning adventures, so I'm dedicating this week to catching up and posting every day for the next month.

December is always a busy month with four birthdays to celebrate on Steve's side of the family. We met for brunch in the middle of the month at Steve's parents home to celebrate Steve's sister's birthdays.

I really don't remember any of the specifics so far besides eating an amazing late breakfast with the family, watching the girls open presents and teaching Alexa how to crop pictures. I tell ya, just give that girl a camera and she's happy for hours. She saw me cropping some pictures, asked me how I did it, I showed her just one time, and she was good to go.

Here's a picture of Steve she took.

I think taking pictures will play a big part of her life growing up.

Exploring, Creating, Being

What's more fun than opening up boxes of Christmas presents from Amazon? Drawing all over the boxes, of course.

Alexa's ballet teacher gave her and Jared coloring pages of Frosty and Rudolph. We taped these to the picture window in the living room. Actually, in real time it's Jan 7th and they're still taped up there.

Mmmmm. Nothing like a good icicle to eat.

Jared said, "Look, Mommy. I sculpted a dragon head."

I just had to include these last three pictures. How long with they want to dress up in silly costumes and tie tupperware on their heads?