I am not having much success.
As a matter of fact, I think I am liking winter less and less with each passing year, and I blame my kids for that. It's one thing to bundle up myself and brave inclement weather; it's another thing entirely to bundle up myself and Clara and Jonathan. Plus, it seems like one or the other of them always has a cold or something, and we end up spending a lot of time indoors.
Seriously, I am starting to lose my mind.
It definitely doesn't help that Syracuse and north Idaho really have to be some of the world's most overcast places. At least Montana was sunny (if frigid).
So to preserve my sanity and to provide at least a handful of happy childhood memories for my kidlets--memories that don't involve injuries or trips to the hospital, if you know what I mean--I have been trying really hard to get creative about having fun indoors. As a little caveat, I should point out--though this is probably obvious enough--that Jonathan is just happy as can be no matter where he is. The boy has no clue that we are always at home, and as long as he is fed and has faces to look at, he is nothing but joy. His sister, on the other hand, is much more aware that we are stuck inside a lot and still hasn't stopped asking to go to the park. Yesterday she put on her swimming suit over her clothes and started demanding a trip to the lake. I declined. (By way of interpretation, Clara unearthed these awesome goggles yesterday, which were somehow part of a little lesson at nursery. I don't really get it. I think they're kind of weird, but she digs 'em.)
Anyway, we do a lot of the usual stuff, like coloring and dancing and watching a couple of shows on PBS Kids and reading a thousand stories. I read a great idea on my friend's blog about swimming in the bathtub, although I think Jeremy would probably think that wasn't the best idea since it may lead to screaming for a swimsuit for every bath... We shall see.
One absolute lifesaver is the Church's music CD that goes with the Primary 1 manual. If you haven't heard it, it's a bunch of classical music and a few stories with suggestions for actions...like stretching, bending, swaying, walking, tiptoeing, jumping, leaping, running (Clara's favorite) and resting (my favorite). We do this a couple of times a day and it's great for releasing the wiggles. Plus it's only 75 cents and ships for free, so it's kind of a win-win.
I also tried my hand at making play dough this week, and it's been a GREAT distraction. The recipe makes a lot, and I made it all green. For awhile I regretted not separating it into smaller batches and making different colors, until I realized that keeping colors separate is probably not Clara's strong suit.
Anyway, if you're interested, here's the recipe:
2 C water
2 C flour
1 C salt (yes, a whole cup!)
1/2 C cornstarch
2 Tbsp. vegetable powder
1 Tbsp. powdered alum or cream of tartar
Food coloring
Mix all ingredients and heat over low heat until a ball forms. Take out of the pan and knead until smooth.
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So, now that I've shared, it's your turn. What do you do to pass the long and lonely winter days? I am desperate for suggestions. Don't fail me now!
15 comments:
OK. This is the cutest and most bizarre photo yet. Who knows, by the time Clara gets married, cute, if not embarrassing photos of ones childhood, might be back in vogue and this one would certainly rate a spot in such a presentation. Yes Rachel, you are indeed a most fun mom. For the record, I agree with Jeremy that allowing Clara to take a bath in her swim suit might indeed open a soggy can of worms for future cleaning rituals. Proceed with caution!
Break some dried spaghetti pieces in half and stick them in a mound of playdough so it looks like a porcupine. Then let Clara string cheerios on the spaghetti. You can come up with some cool looking creations.
Great ideas, Rock! I am going to invest Darryl's hard-earned 75 cents in that CD. And, I vow to make play doh for Ada too. Thanks for the tips! You don't want to know what we do to pass the time in the winter. It involves a lot of trips to the park, etc. I miss living in a place where there are seasons, but I think the constant bundling would be a nightmare. I do, however, feel your pain in the summertime. It's so sad to see your kid bright red and sweating in her carseat in 115 degree weather! Anyway, thanks for the great ideas. You're such a good mom. :)
I agree with Mom: as soon as I saw that picture, I immediately thought Wedding. Slide. Show. Alas and alack, I have little by way of indoor suggestions. If it were me, I'd probably be making forts every day. That's what we did at BYU when we started getting cabin fever.
i really love that clara.
haha, I thought the same thing as megan and your mother. That pic is the cutest! You are being such a wonderful mommy!!!
Here are a few fun things we've been doing to beat the bed rest blues:
Play a game of toss the socks.
Put fruit loops or other cereals on a string.
Create a life size paper doll. (Use the back or white side of wrapping paper for the doll. and the color side of the wrapping paper as clothing, etc.)
Decorate and make noise makers. Use old TP rolls with foil or tissue and ribbon at the end or put beans, beads (whatever into) tupperware.
Let her help more in the kitchen. FYI, let her cut out biscuits; shake chicken in flour or churros in sugar, etc. Amy loves to shake the bag!
You may think we're crazy but we are ordering a 100 balls from amazon (10 bucks) and they come in a cute storage bag. Anyhow, we've got a blow up kiddie pool from the dollar store. We are making a ball pit for Amy's bday!!!
There's more but I need to get back to bed. BabyGIRL2 will be here in 2-3 weeks!
Have fun!
Those are good ideas. And dress-up is just plain fun anytime!
We do a lot of what you do. Occasionally I try to get out and go sledding just because it takes up time getting ready, getting out there, and then having hot cocoa and warming up when we return. Good luck!
Oh Dear Rachel,
I so enjoy reading your blog. I have a shortcut to you at work and during my break I will sometimes remember to do something fun, like reading your blog. I think Clara is so you. Of course I didn't know you when you were that age, but all the things that happen are normal. I'm sorry you have winteritis. There is a cure, spring. But I am afraid your spring will not come as soon as it does here. Thanks for making me smile everytime I log on.
How about finger painting with pudding (can Clara have pudding? I can't remember what she is allergic to)
Man, I am so behind on my blog stocking. Oh the things that have happened to you. Isn't the hospital fun, they always do it at the best moments too! Tyler knocked the wind out of him yesterday and passed out, nearly scared me to death. That is the fun part of having kids!! I love the swimsuit too! Oh and if you ever figure out how to get rid of the binks let me know. I am dreading that with Kyle but right now I am enjoying every cry that I can plug! Tee hee!!Miss ya!
That is a great picture of Clara! We are also getting cabin fever at this time of year. We are definitely trying out the playdough recipe and buying the CD.
We light lots of cheap candles from IKEA to help endure the long cold winter.
I really enjoy reading your blog and keeping up with the Brysons.
DB
Well here is one idea from a Grandma. I took a little ball and threw it at the ceiling fan to see if it would make my grandson laugh. It did, and now I'm stuck. He wants to do it all day long. (He's 16 months old) You can use a pair of socks. It works great too. When the blades do make contact, it's run, run, run.
Rachel, Rachel, how I love your blog. As you know, my winter is not much like your winter, but we do have the occasional day indoors. Emmy is obsessed with "projects," so we spend most of our time gluing, cutting, and coloring.
I can't believe she got superglue in her eye!! Ahh! This reminds me of a day last year when I let Emmy play in the car. I didn't realize I had a bottle of nail polish in the glove compartment of the car. I went out to check on her, and nail polish was everywhere, including her face and eye. I freaked out, poring water in her eye while she screamed bloody murder. Luckily, it really wasn't in her eye, just around her eye. I had to pull on each individual eyelash to get it all off. Our car still holds the memories of that crazy day.
Good luck!!
clara is too cute. wonderful adventures to the er they are to be cherished!! We build a lot of forts at our house. Just throw blanket over chairs secure with heavy books and ta da you have a fun fort. Throw a buch of books and toys under it and give Clara a flashlight and she will have hours of fun playing and reading in her dark fort.
clara is too cute. wonderful adventures to the er they are to be cherished!! We build a lot of forts at our house. Just throw blanket over chairs secure with heavy books and ta da you have a fun fort. Throw a buch of books and toys under it and give Clara a flashlight and she will have hours of fun playing and reading in her dark fort.
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