January pictures

We just kind of went through January, and it went by really pretty fast. And that is ok with me. January is historically my least favorite month of the year. It is long. Dark. Cold. Depressing. We are stuck inside in the basement. Nothing fun is on the horizon. Kids are sick. But this year, for whatever reason, it really wasn't so bad. And I am incredibly grateful.  Even though it has been snowy this January, I haven't felt trapped and bogged down and crabby the same way I normally do in January, so that is a huge blessing. But I still want it to be spring.


Here are a few pictures from this month.  I didn't really take that many because we really didn't do too much.

We got this toy from Andy and Emily for Christmas.  I wasn't sure at first how it would work out...if the boys would share or not. More often than not they don't share, but they have the rare occasion that they do.  The sharing/not sharing is becoming more and more of an issue...when they do share it is so awesome and so cute.  When they don't, it is so ugly and horrid! 

 The boys all LOVE apples, but only if they are whole.  How dare I cut them into slices!  Normally I can get one or two and they will all swap them and take turns gnawing on them.  The other day, though, they all managed to get one each while I was somewhere else (checking email, maybe?!).  I walked to the kitchen and they were all so proud of themselves, eating up their own apple, Z included.  This particular apple cracked me up because it was the size of his head, practically!

We got toddler search and find books from Mat and Marbree for Christmas.  One was Elmo, one was Handy Manny, and one was superheros.  The boys about go crazy over the Elmo one.  The other two they like, but Elmo...watch out.  C and L have gotten pretty good about finding the different things in the book (can you find the ball?  the boat?  the soap?  etc), and N just wants to point out "Melmo" the entire time.  Here Z is showing them how it is done. 

 The boys all love legos.  The little boys have even gotten the hang of putting the smallest ones together.  We don't typically let them play with them because Z would freak out, but if Nate is there too, all 5 of them will sit there and build.  Pretty cute. 

Snow, snow, reprieve...and snow

It has been such a snowy winter. 
Snow in December. 
Snow on Christmas Eve. 
Snow in mid January, twice.
Snowstorm of "historic preportions" in progress.  More on that in the next few days, as we see how it pans out. 
Tomorrow will be Nate's fifth snow day.  That is huge.  And likely, he will have a snow day on Wednesday as well. 

I have never been that mom who dreads snow days, but I am getting to that point.  Z's school has had 4 snow days this year, and every one of them has been on one of his school days (he only goes 2 days a week).  Even though Nate is home, it is still a nice break for everyone when Z is at school.  And I'm really bummed about tomorrows, because it is his birthday and he was going to take snacks.  Now he will just be home with all of us.  Not quite as special.  Oh well. 

Thankfully we had a bit of a reprieve this weekend.  We were able to get outside and play, even though it was a bit muddy.  It was in the upper 40s, so the kids had on heavy jackets, but we went on a walk, played on the swingset, and played in the driveway. It was so nice to get out of the house.

We decided to make snow ice cream after one snow, which I read about all over on facebook.  Snow, milk, sugar, vanilla.  YUM.  Nate and I were fans.  Z said it made his tummy feel funny.  L and N loved it, and C didn't like it.  The biggest problem was that L and N didn't get it all in their mouths, and most of it ended up in their laps, leaving them shivering and cold.  :)