observations on a snowy Wednesday afternoon

It has just been snowing and snowing and snowing. We wake and it's snowing. We drive and it's snowing. We go on walks and it's snowing. The kids play together at home fantastically. We don't do TV during the week at all and it has made a huge difference with their patience and moods. We all feel happier and go to sleep easier. Plus now when they do watch stuff on weekends I don't feel guilty. We have been playing a lot. Playing board games like Monopoly Jr, and Hoot Owl Hoot. And puzzles and painting. We do chores. I mostly do them, but they like to help too. They love doing dishes, vacuuming and sorting laundry. When they have to do things that are actually their chores (cleaning up the table, setting the table, cleaning up messes) it's like pulling teeth. 

They pretend a lot. "Pretend you're my mom and you have to chase me a put me in time out." hahah. Collin and I made them some wooden clothespin dolls for their Christmas presents and they LOVE them. They are just wooden clothespins that we have painted clothes, skin and hair on. (no faces so that they can decide how the people are feeling). They play will those like crazy. Ella loves them too. She loves to mimic and follow her siblings around. She thinks she's part of every game and it's so cute. Today popcorn and hot chocolate and gingerbread tea for snacks before music class. This was sort of a dreamy afternoon we had. Dreamy because it was fun and relaxing and we were listening to "Singers" by Mount Eerie et al. (and it was only relaxing until we had to get out the door to go to music class. NO ONE LISTENS TO ME. I give plenty of time and ask them nicely and help them but inevitably they wont get in the car or get their socks and shoes on and we are pretty much always running late these days.) But we all talk about it and forgive each other and say we're sorry. We're all practicing that lots: "Sorry," and, "it's ok."

a bunch of popcorn dropped on the ground.
This one is THERE to eat as much of it up as she can before I can get the broom.

This cheese is pretty potent and kind of kills me even though it's delicious.
BUT with these "everything" crackers the combo is magical.

My kids totally bought this nasty wolf's lies. They told me, "That's the real story, mom!"
And followed with, "Can you tell us the fake story?"

It is very very very much still Christmas around here. It's a combo of  being tired, so many things to do besides taking it down, the snow making it feel like the holidays still, us not seeing it much since we were gone for Thanksgiving and Christmas and loving it so much. Hattie calls it her "decorations." (put up for her winter wonderland 3rd birthday party.) Yikes, those cranberries NEED to come down....

The hot chocolate powder packets at Trader Joe's are BOMB. (The chocolate squares you melt in your drink SUCK.)
Our homemade popcorn is PERFECT.

We love our mugs from Starbucks. We need the Arizona and Washington DC or Maryland ones!!

He is so fantastic. He is a great leader in our family, in his class (and even school), and among his neighborhood and church friends, too. He isn't afraid. He is bold and present and imaginative and sensitive. He is growing and changing so much. He goes forward, and then comes back to me in all the ways he knows how. I will always do my best to teach him and I will always love him. 

Still no teeth. I can SEE and feel them RIGHT THERE. But it's been that way for months.
Poor poor teething for 6 months baby. 

I love her pride here. I love her confidence and commitment and even her stubbornness.
She has so many strong qualities and will be a very strong woman. She's sweet and kind and nurturing.
I know we will always be best friends. I could feel it during our shared bowl of broccoli cheddar soup last night. (Her favorite right now.) Girlfriend is a soup lover. 

We walked/rode his bike/rode in the stroller/rode in the carrier to his kindergarten playgroup with church today. He has grown to LOVE his bike. He practices hard, is more daring, enjoys going downhill, FAST, and hardly complains at all. It was fun in the falling snow and snow covered sidewalks.