Romp in the Woods

Heading off for a run in the woods! It is a beautiful, warm fall day! Jonah and Annabelle jogged together. Grace, Olivia, Finn, Izzy and I jogged together. The three little ones are participating in a school running club. The club meets before school on Mondays to warm up and run together. Then we have to do the same workout two other days during the week. Usually we run during the waiting time between dropping the older kids off at school and before the elementary school starts. But today there is no school! We sure enjoyed the chance to sleep in, make a good hot pancake breakfast, and head to the woods for a romp!

Game Night

Decided to play a few games tonight. Something we don't do often enough. 

We played "Cut the Flour" or "Flour Power" or "Tower of Flour."

Mom lost and had to find the coin. Jonah and Finn also decided to try this part, also. That's where the fun comes in!

Too bad Grace has been sick all day. She stayed on the kitchen floor all afternoon and evening.

The second game was the chocolate bar game. Whoever rolls doubles gets to put on oven mitts and use a fork and knife to cut a piece of chocolate from a bar and eat it. But players continue rolling, and might steal the mitts and silverware before you get a chance to take a bite! This one was much more intense! Jonah had to be reminded to take a breath, it's just a game. Finn was near tears a few times before he figured out the rhythm of the game. He soon learned it's all part of the fun. At the end he said, "This is way more fun than just eating a whole candy bar!"

F-I-N-N-E-A-S

Finn is my little buddy, the only one home with me during the day. He goes to preschool M, W, F, for a few hours. The rest of the time is just the two of us! We do letter activities (the ones involving active play work the best), run errands (which he likes because he gets a granola bar and gets to play on my phone), and play legos. That's about all we do. Finn is obsessed with legos.

I took Finn to Walgreens one day. He saw the toy section, and Legos. He said: I would buy theses Legos if I were you.

I replied: When you are old enough to have a job and earn money, you can buy whatever you want.

Finn: Yes, I'd be a grown up and can buy what I want. I'll be a good dad who likes to play Legos.

Later... Mom, when I'm a grown up, will you be dead?

Me: No, I'll be a grandma.

Finn: Oh, ok. So when I'm a grown up and you're a grandma, and you come over to my house, will you show me the way to that store so I can buy the Legos? Cause I might forget.

Later... Wait, when I'm a grown up and a dad, will I work? Like a doctor or something?

Me: Yes, you can choose whatever work you want.

Finn: But I don't want to work. I just want go to stores and buy whatever I want.

Another time Finn asked me to make a list of things he wants to do, so he doesn't forget. And remind him of these things if he's sitting on the couch doing nothing:

• Make a good guy electricity man.
• Make a Shoot through the wall gun.
• Buy a new set of Legos.
• Try to get Jonah to play the Lego guy war.

Valentine's Day 2015

Kids had fun this week signing valentines and decorating boxes. Jonah's box had a chute attached to it. The little girls planned to wear pink or red clothes all week. Finn had to work hard at writing his name on all his valentine's, but he stuck with it until he was done.

Kids celebrated Valentine's Day on Friday at school. After school we loaded into the van. Arne met us halfway and took the kids to his house for the weekend. Ezra had set this up as part of a surprise Valentine weekend. He took me to Brush and Barrel, a group painting session. Matt and Courtney Kidwell joined us, as well as Katherine and Mike Reed. We were given brushes, paints, canvases, and step by step instruction on how to paint a mountain scene. I would never have guessed Ezra would plan a date like this! We had fun.

Snow Days

Snowed all night and all day Sunday. Church was cancelled. Kids spent a few hours working with Perler Beads. They made ice cream out of snow. The girls dressed up and had a tea party. They watched "Legacy." I pulled pages from the Friend magazine to create Sunday booklets and activity dry erase pages. 

School was cancelled the following Monday due to frigid temperatures and bad roads. Annabelle learned how to make snow candy by boiling maple syrup and pouring it over snow. Success! Kids played outside also. Jonah, Grace and Finn made a large snow fort.

Making Perler Bead designs

Making snow candy. Yum!