Oh what do you do in the wintertime . . .

Oh what do you do in the wintertime
When all the world is cold?
Do you play in the snow?
Or suffer from boredom untold?

The Midwest got hit by a large snowstorm last week. We didn't go out much- and it wasn't always an option either. But we did try to fight our boredom. Here are some things we have done recently. Maybe it will give you some ideas so you can fight cabin fever as well!
We have run the humidifier and used up a lot of tissues. Who doesn't do this during the winter?
We play dress up. (He asked to put the dress on and secretly I was excited just so I could have this photo hanging over his head for the rest of his life!)
It was warm enough to go outside.
We love swinging.
The kids love books.
I love books. Thank goodness for public libraries!
Mike loves sleeping.
Who doesn't have laundry?
And the dishes never end, even if school is closed.
This is Frosty- Lydia's pride and joy. He's actually been around for several weeks and is frozen solid. Any guesses on how much longer his life span is?
Movies!


We have been doing many crafts. Colton's parking garage made from a cereal box and 4 toilet paper tubes.
Balloons really are a marvelous invention!
A chick in a nest. Made from an egg carton.
A Dragon for Chinese New Year. Made from the rest of the egg carton.
Finger paint and any other kind of painting.
A heart valentine. This is string dipped into a cornstarch glue and molded into a heart shaped cookie cutter. This was a very messy craft and we will never do it again! yuck!
A hooded towel for a friend's baby shower. It was nice to do a little sewing one afternoon, but of all our crafts and activities, this one wore on my patience the most. ALL of the settings on my sewing machine were changed throughout the course of this project. It worked out well though because Lydia changed my stitch and I actually liked on the one she selected better than the one I had been using.
When there is nothing else to do- make treats! Not only is it entertaining for the kids, the tasty results are enjoyed for several days!

Birthdays and stuff

During Colton and I's photoshoot today, I noticed Lydia and Colton's blankets on the ground, so I snapped a picture, because one day, these blankets will be put away, but I don't want to forget all the love they have received. What a piece of childhood-a blanket. They get dragged everywhere, they are stained and often ratty, but priceless. They are a mark of childhood. I had a blanket- Pinkie. I liked to feel the silky edging pinky had. If Mom wouldn't let me take Pinkie into the store, I would rip off some of that edging and put it in my pocket so I could still have a piece of my blanket. Needless to say, when you start ripping pieces off of your blanket, it gets pretty tattered.
These are the new shoes I bought for my birthday. Thanks Mom.
It was a pretty tight squeeze on the couch tonight, but all my kids fit- until one of them rolled over. (Notice Lydia's forehead bandaid- a near trip to the ER (again) when she split open her head on a counter at church. We just glued it rather than taking her in for the possibility of 1 or 2 stitches. )
Our most recent Frosty. Lydia was delighted today when he still hadn't melted. (I love the look Colton is giving Lydia.)
My birthday cake. The frosting didn't turn out quite how I wanted it, but I was able to overlook that when Lydia meticulously placed my candles- all in a line.

The best places to sleep

Colton couldn't keep his eyes open during dinner a few nights ago. He ate most of his plate, then asked where his blanket was. I told him it was upstairs. Apparently it was at the top of the stairs, and once there, the little guy could make it no further.
This is where I find Colton most mornings lately- the hallway. Don't ask me what it is about the hallway that is so comfortable. He sneaks out there during the night, and surprisingly, I don't even hear him. I'm finally starting to get used to the little speed bump when I get up in the morning.

Colton's photoshoot

Colton likes to see the photo's I take of him, but I think what he likes the most is when I get out the tripod. Today we needed a little indoor activity since you can only do so many puzzles, read so many books, and help cook so many times before it gets boring. Here is our afternoon photoshoot.

Gymnastics

Colton fearless jumping into the ball pit.


We signed Lydia up for Gymnastics as a Christmas gift. She attends with her best friend and another boy from church. Not only did she love it, but Colton was able to run around and play while she was in her lesson. Colton came home, ate lunch and crashed on the couch.

Lots of Christmas

We went to Ohio for Christmas and spent it with the Hansen's. We spent a lot of time sledding, but unlike most holidays, we did not spend much time eating. Mike, Colton and I got the stomach flu a few days before Christmas. While this was not ideal, we certainly didn't overeat over the holidays, and since we were at the Hansen's we had extra help while we were in bed recovering. We were able to go to the Columbus temple while we were there as well.
Mike helping in the barn. Well, he's not helping at the moment, but that's because I made him stop so I could take a photo.
Lydia waiting her turn to ride the horse. She insists on wearing this bike helmet- due to its pink nature.
They had this big tree on campus.
He was just sitting like that and tore his eyes away from the TV long enough for me to capture his little smile.
Hey Rudolph!
A local church had this amazing "Living Nativity" You walked through 14 stations all about the life of the Savior and they had people acting/miming it all. They even had real camels for the wise men. It was really cool. And the hot chocolate and cookies at the end didn't hurt at all either!
A big gingerbread house on campus- at the same place as the big tree. It smelled really good!
I loved walking into my door every day over the holidays because I was greeted by this home made wreath. It's the kids handprints cut out on green paper and glued around a paper plate. A fun craft idea for the holidays.
Lydia was delighted to get the scooter she had asked for. And it was PINK!
Colton loved his John Deere Tractor and implements! And I love them too. They remind me of my own childhood when I would go to Grandma's house and 'plant' crops using the woven rug as windrows.
Even Mike's mom got in on the sledding. The Hansen's have the most amazing sledding hill. It's long and fast. 26 mph was our top speed while we were there. And the best part is, you get to ride the four wheeler back up!
One of only a few rides down the hill that Colton took. He was content to stay at the top and push people down.
Mike on the tube.
Lydia was not as reserved as her brother when it came to sledding. She did so well! It was pretty cute seeing that little girl brave it down that big hill.
Of course, one of the best toys of Christmas- the boxes. Colton loved crawling through this 'tunnel'