end of winter distractions

All the snow was melted. The birds were tweeting. Things looked so hopeful. And I thought surely, surely, we are done with snow for the year.

Alas, I was quite wrong. Yesterday we got around 6 inches of snow. SIX. And it will be cold for the rest of the week into next, ie, this snow isnt going anywhere.

Sigh. Back out with the boots, mittens, etc.

In the meanwhile we have needed distractions, not just from this snow but the long winter in general. So here are some things we have been doing around here to try and forget about the wet cold stuff that won't go away.

About two weeks ago when we got a big snow I was feeling kinda bad for the birds around our house. So we tried to make some food for them. I have heard of the whole peanut butter on pinecones covered with bird seed thing but we had no bird seed or pinecones. Instead I used dried out pita (ew) and had the kids spread on peanut butter, then we covered with sunflower seeds I collected from a giant sunflower growing in the the community garden last fall.

The birds didn't seem to mind. Although the squirrels were the real winners, making off with the bread within a day. Random crafts like this are key to fighting off cabin fever.





  Another winner has been my own personal creation "the exercise game". I wrote a bunch of fun activities, and some for mama too, on some slips of paper. Each person takes a turn choosing a card, then they can either do it themselves (marching down the hall like a soldier is a favorite) or give it to someone else (downard dog for 1 minute). We usually warm up doing "animal yoga" stretching our legs like kangaroos (warrior's pose) meowing and arching our backs like a cat, arching our heads up to the ceiling like a snake, and of course, downward dog. Running around the house flapping your arms like a chicken and such for half an hour really does help take the edge off. And it is a much WARMER way to get exercise than trying to play in the snow (and avoids the whole bundling up routine).

Finally there is crafty-ness. Yesterday, during the aforementioned snowy day, I pretty much spent the day crafting for the kids. (No I am not reading you a book, I am TRYING TO MAKE YOU A DOLL DARNIT.) Not always the most fun for the kids but I am sick and it was a crabby day.

Here are the results:

First, per little man's request, I made a queen for his castle. He already had a baby and a king and as he said "my castle NEEDS a queen mama" Her name is Annabelle. He spent the next hour playing that is was her birthday, or that the knights were all saving her from a dragon, or that she was having a baby. (HA)

Next I created the 8 inch doll that I meant to make for little miss "poochy head" as her brother has taken to calling her. When dada and I were walking around the shee-shee mall (the one with Louis Vuitton and a Tiffany's) we walked around this amazing baby store. In it was this 8 inch doll in a little carrying bed. It cost $80. I was like, dude, I could totally make that. So yesterday afternoon I did. It was really quite simple and I am super happy with the results, as is little miss. She has been carrying her around all morning, even chasing dragons with her brother.

So, those are my wintry distractions to share. Spring is supposedly here already. I guess it will be real all too soon and days will be spent in the sun, chasing at the park and getting mud stains out of clothing. For now, a day of crafting and projects and silly games, well, its not really that bad.