The Good of Winter

Winter has typically ranked last among seasons for me.  Cold, sick, dark, sick, gray, sick, etc.  But this year I've focused on a few things that I actually really enjoy about this season.  I don't know if I'm ready to change it's rank status or anything, but I'm just glad I live in an area where we have a good chunk of time in each of the four season.  Enough time to appreciate the good and the bad and to be ready to move on to the next season. 

So...  The Good of Winter:

Being inside together in the evenings.  When summer rolls around and it's light until late, the kids are often outside until the very last minute.  I've been enjoying the time we're all together, usually in the Family Room.  We've been enjoying our fireplace more than usual.  Lately we've been doing a lot of reading.  Right now we’re reading “The Wizard of Oz” to the kids and we’re all enjoying it (except perhaps Ashley and Dallin).  (If you have any other suggestions of "family books" let me know.  We've also recently enjoyed "Frindle" and "How to Eat Fried Worms")

I also love that when I sweep there aren't tiny baby spiders that crawl out from under the cupboards.  And I love that I don't have to put on bug spray before walking outside for fear of mosquitos or chiggers.

I love crawling in bed after an exhausting day.  Actually I love this year round, but in winter I love being slightly chilly but feeling the weight of heavy blankets on top and expecting the heat from the blankets and Bryan to soon warm me.  So comforting.  It’s just not the same when you’re hot, with just the sheet on, the fan going overhead, and not wanting to touch or be touched.

Lazy Saturdays.  Between soccer, frisbee, and summer excursions, Saturdays always seem to be so busy.  Fun, but busy.  We don't have kids into basketball, so our winter Saturdays tend to be lazy and kind of boring.  I've always gone stir-crazy before.  But I've come to appreciate them this year.  It's OK to be a little bored.  It's OK for my kids to find things to do.  We read, play games, take naps… it’s great!  Maybe that just means I'm getting older and lazier...

And I LOVE soups.  Mmmmmmmm.

Strike A Pose

What do your kids do when you get out the camera?

 

Christmas Memories

Picking out the Christmas Tree

 

Graham Cracker houses with cousins

Christmas Eve pageant with the Ducloses

 

Christmas socks

(Ashley was too busy playing with her Christmas baby to pose with her new slipper socks)

 

Playing in the snow in Connecticut

   

Visiting the mansions in Newport, RI

New Years Eve party

 

Driving around town 

 Visiting Washington DC

Family "naps"

 

Spending time with these hooligans

Favorite Christmas Presents

For Sienna... a beginner piano book with piano lessons.  She is very excited about taking lessons from Dad and enjoys practicing.

For Colby...his transformers. He's totally into them right now.  Of course he also got a big kick out of his light saber, nerf guns, and remote control truck.

For Ashley... her new baby doll with accessories.  LOVES it.

For Dallin... what more does a baby need than wrapping paper?

He also enjoyed the two front teeth that Sienna made for him.

 

He has some of his own now.  Nice and pokey.  Ow.

Snow Day

It snowed again, therefore school was canceled.  Again.

After "timing" themselves (by counting) while running around the circle in our house for a while, the kids were wondering what to do next.  The conversation went something like this:

Sienna: "What should we do now?"
Colby: "I don't know."
Sienna: "We could make something?"
Colby: "OK."
Sienna: "What do you want to make?"
Colby: "I don't know."
Sienna: "How about a cowboy? Or polar things from Antarctica?" (She's learning about polar animals in school)
Colby: "Yah! A cowboy!"

Hence, Conner the Cowboy was created.

 

Meanwhile, Ashley had been taking care of her babies.  The girl loves her baby dolls.

Dallin has gotten pretty good at the army crawl.  And he tends to get stuck in awkward places.

 

 

 O.K.  So this one he had some help with this one.

What it takes to get somewhere

The process of getting ready to go somewhere.

Get your socks on.  Get your socks on.  Stop playing with the toy.  Get your socks on!!
Put your shoes on.  Put your shoes on.  You can only take one baby.  Put your shoes on!!
Put your coat on.  Put your coat on.  Get back here.  Put your coat on!!
Get in the car.  Get in the car.  Put the stick down.  Get in the car!!
Get in your car seat.  Get in your car seat.  Leave her alone.  Get in your car seat!  GET IN YOUR CAR SEAT!!

Every.  Step.  At.  Least.  Three.  Times.

Broken.
Record.