Winter Fun

Super Eliza to the rescue!

 Alex is becoming such a great reader. He's putting Mike and I out of business for bed time reading. :)

Evan and Eliza climb ladders every where they go. Evan is trying to see if he's taller than Daddy today.

Alex has a pine cone reading task at school. And he can get books from the library and get a prize for it. Recently this picture was used for our local library to promote reading in kids. :) 

This was such great packing snow that we were able to build a tunnel in the snow dune we created from shoveling. The kids thought it was very cool 

Mike has patched the hole in the ceiling after we fixed the wax ring on the toilet upstairs. Progress!

 We celebrated James's 15th birthday this month. Hard to believe that Clayton is now driving and James is going to be starting drivers ed. 

We went to the opening of the restructured Parks and Rec nature center room. The kids enjoyed looking at all the amphibians in the cages and turtles.

We were joined by our friends for dinner one night. Always fun to go to Red Robin, but even more fun when you add a few friends to the mix.

Evan was explaining how the game Mouse Trap works and each step to set everything up, Sara that she already knew all about, but he wouldn't stop he just kept going and going and going.  

 Everyone is working on homework on Sat. mornings in this house. 

The boys enjoying Wii sports. Even in the downtime Evan was bouncing off the couches. 

We finished the first Harry Potter book this month and watched the first movie. Alex enjoyed pointing out the things the movie missed that were in the book.

I needed a break one morning from everyone. So I stepped out on the porch and took a breath... Mike was kind enough to capture it.

We got a circuit set for Christmas so we've been having the kids build different circuits and talking about the outcome of them. It's been a good learning time for them and us. 

Daddy explaining how electricity travels in the circuit. 

Eliza picked this ice chunk up at the bus stop when we dropped Alex off and carried it all the way home. Once we got home I told her she couldn't bring it in the house, so she put it to sleep on the porch for the night. Sadly by the next morning it had melted and cemented itself to the porch... she was very sad. 

Eliza and Evan and I have been enjoying some games before heading to our other events for the day. They set up chairs to sit in while they waited for their turn.

I looked out to see how the kids were doing outside and I saw that Eliza had made herself a frizz bee of snow to dine on and the slide made a nice seat.

Last chapter of Harry Potter!

The kids waiting for the bus on the giant snow pile the plows leave us.

 Oma came for a visit this month. She was kind enough to watch Alex and Eliza while we went to Evan's kindergarten roundup. 

Oma got to see the boys swim class, and enjoy reading to Oma while they swam. 

Eliza didn't feel that one chair was enough, she needed all three. 

We tried a new restaurant this month and it was really good. I decided to get a hard cider to enjoy and Eliza wanted to taste it. I told her she couldn't but she could smell it. She said it smelled like applesauce and jelly, which was pretty accurate for it being a berry hard cider. 

After trying our new restaurant we headed to Wendy's to have the kids try frosties. They loved them!

Love this girl!

Eliza didn't wear her gloves to the bus stop one day, so she had to borrow mine. I have always enjoyed seeing the kids wear my gloves. Not sure what it is.

Evan was kind enough to help me vacuum the upstairs. He's really becoming a great helper when cleaning. 

Evan brought out this game again. You have to nail on little tacks into wood pieces to make a design. He was kind enough to help his sister with holding the tacks while she hammered. 

All done.

It's amazing how big they can get in 6 months.

Goofy kids I love so much!

We had a hoola hoop person come to MOPS and teach us and our kids a few things. Evan did a great job! He's got some talent!

Have I mentioned how much of a helper Evan is. He comes out and helps me shovel the driveway all the time. He shoveled the walk way and the porch for me then salted it! What a great kid.

Alex went off to school and left the rest of his banana unattended, Eliza made fast work of it.

Alex working on his math homework as usual on Saturday mornings. 

Alex wasn't the only one getting things done on Sat. The little people were working on their Valentines. With 90 between the 3 of them I needed them to start early. 

Pretty in pink.

We were packing up baby stuff for Aunty Em to have for her baby, and we gave her Eliza's changing table as well. Eliza had to hug and kiss it good bye before we put it in the car.

I kept hearing what I thought was a bird and when I looked outside Evan was playing in the driveway with the tricycle. The wheels need a bit of oil I think 

  

Dinner out with Aunty Em and her mom and hubby (not pictured)

The kids have been sledding a lot lately. They are out just about every day.

Before the kids come in from sledding they need to be brushed off. They know the routine, hands up, turn, turn, you may enter, step to the side. 

Getting ready to sand. Made a nice little tent so the room doesn't get quite as dusty.

This picture was taken after a long snowball fight with Eliza and Evan, and the giant piece of snow that Evan is holding hit me right in the face after this picture was taken. After that we went in. Then later when I got Alex from the bus stop Alex wanted to have a snow ball fight, so we did. Some neighbors ended up joining in, and Evan and Eliza came out and played. It was all fun and games until Alex hit me in the nose with one and it started to bleed, but it was a lot of fun before that. 

More fun to come this month I'm sure, but so far it's been a blast! Hopefully everyone is doing well and staying warm.