P is for Polar Vortex

This is not a rant against the snow or the cold. 

I haven't really minded it.  

It hasn't cramped our style. 

After I get over the initial shock of changing plans (I really like my routines) my brain goes into overdrive on what we are going to do. 

It's an opportunity to do some fun stuff with the kids. 

The kids start jumping up and down as soon as school is called off. 

They know their momma has something fun planned.  

That is a lot of pressure... but I usually pull something out over the top for Snow Days. 

It can be as easy as blowing up 2 dozen balloons to play in the living room or 

building a pirate ship out of cardboard. 

I LOVE using my imagination. 

Below is how we survived the Snow Days so far. 

We made "snow cream" when our snow day actually included snow. 

If you haven't seen the recipe all over Facebook and pinterest it goes something like this:

 4 cups ice cream

1 cup milk

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla 

MIX... that's it.  

 We have dance parties in the living room. 

  

 We paint and and make crafts

We eat whatever we have in the fridge.

We have adventures.

I turned the girl's bunk beds into a pirate ship and made a treasure map for them to 

find "treasure".   

We have cozy movie time.

......And then mommy rests.

  
And if we venture outside, we bundle up.

Snow days are fun, but they create one exhausted momma.
It's good that they only happen once in awhile!

"This is the day that 
the Lord has made; let us 
rejoice and be glad in it."
Psalm 118:24

Ice, Ice Baby

 I'm a Winter Baby.  

This cold snowy weather doesn't really bother me.  

I am usually as excited as the kids to go out and play in the snow.  

So when Nate and the kids got me tickets to go ice skating for Christmas, I was in heaven.

I got them with the understanding that I was not even to hint that Nate was to go. 

He's tried it. 

He's tried it many times. 

He hates ice skating.  

Growing up with a pond in our backyard, we waited impatiently in the winter waiting for dad to declare the ice safe enough to skate on.  

When Nate and I started dating, of course, I wanted him to enjoy another activity that I love.  

But alas it was not to be. 

Again, he hates ice skating.  

On Saturday, we (the big kids and I) got bundled up and went to an outdoor ice skating rink. 

Above is the before pic we took with their ice skates on in the lobby.  I wanted this picture in case the ice skating thing didn't work out with them and this was going to be the only smiling picture I got. 

Thankfully that wasn't the case at all.  

 We started out a little shaky.  Clinging to the exterior wall with a death grip.  

I reminded Bubba that in the car he had told me, "Mom, I've been roller skating.  Don't be suprised if I am super awesome at ice skating too!"  Such confidence!  

That confidence gets him a long way. 

20 minutes after lacing up the skates he was skating around the rink and trying to jump and skate in circles.  Yes, Super Awesome!

It took about 2 circles near the wall, before the girls got a little brave and started letting go for periods at a time.  A bit shaky at first, they quickly got the hang of it. 

And, yes Mommy skated too! 

I didn't fall once, even though I am sure if I did I wouldn't have bounced up as quickly off the ice as my kids did.  My 33 year old body was sore the next day though.  Skating for 2 hours was about all this gal could take. 

Here they are racing.  Gigi and Bubba. 

We had a blast and the snow was falling so it was the most beautiful picturesque day ever!  

 After two hours, I tried to coax them off the ice with hot chocolate, but they so wanted to stay.  

Eventually I won, and we hopped into the van to get warm and soothe our aching muscles.  

Okay it was just Mommy that had the aching muscles.  

 The rest of the weekend was just as splendid.  

We had a three day weekend so we enjoyed alot of family time and 

yummy meals.  Breakfasts are my favorite on the weekends because everyone pitches in doing some part of the meal.  We crank up the music and jam while scrambling eggs and dicing potatoes for home fries.  Breakfasts are the Best!!!  

On Monday night, I had to take Gigi to piano practice and on our way the snow began to fall once again.  When we left piano a half hour later the flakes coming down were some of the biggest I've ever seen.  When we got home I grabbed a pajama clad lily and hollered at Daddy and kids to come outside and catch the snowflakes on their tongue!  

Embracing the moment!  LOL  

So there we were on the driveway enjoying the snowfall.  

 Today, we were back to a school/work day.  

Daddy headed off to work and the kids got up scrambling to find all the necessities to go to school. 

Over the course of a weekend, how do so many things get lost? 

With everyone excited about the fresh layer of snow, we got ready for school in record time and 

had 15 minutes to go out and play before school.  That never happens!  

My snow shoveling crew, they asked if they could please shovel the sidewalks for me.  

Of course.  I swear I am in the twilight zone.  

Bettendorf Family Museum Fun

Last week we got snow.  Enough snow for a snow day.

We had fun in the snow.  Last year, we barely had any snow and there were so few days we could play in the and build snowmen, but this year we have made up for it. 

I love that the kids are big enough now that I don't have to bundle myself up every time the kids want to go out and jump in the snow.  I can limit my time in the snow to when Lil Miss goes out.   

Lil Miss likes the snow.

Eating it.

Licking it.

Falling in it.

 But heaven forbid her boot fall off and her foot go in the snow.... then we don't like it.

Okay, I wouldn't like it either. 

 I am ready for spring and am hoping that this was our last little snow storm.

So I wanted to post our last snow pics of the season.

 Sunny Snow Days are the best!!!

Dodger is ready for spring too!!  

The day after the snow day the kids had an early out. 

I had already done the "stay at home play in snow thing" with the kids

the day before, so I surprised the kids with a visit to the local Family Museum after school.  

Lil Miss and I are there almost every Monday morning for a toddler music class, but the big kids hadn't been there since it had been all re done so they were in for a big surprise.

They have a whole area called Fox Hollow with a pizza shop, ice cream stand, a barn playhouse and much much more.

View from the second floor of the barn.  I was getting the screaming Lil Miss down who is recently scared of heights.  The rope bridge was too much for her. I wanted to stay up there and play but she wanted on solid ground.

I had my own personal pizza delivered with pepperoni, mushrooms, and green peppers.  My favorite!

Bubba played fireman.

It was a fun, cheap (because we have a membership) and out of the ordinary day. 

I love what they have done to the place.

 

www.familymuseum.org