Pinterestishness

I do not have an account, I do not plan to pin things.  I just look there for fun things to make with the littles around here.  Since I care minimally about the quality of the finished product, we do all kinds of random things that look fun.  I have an interesting thought process that those of you without boys would not have: there are these fantastic-seeming things that people use to bring order to books, toys, crafts, you name it in their homes.  I am going to say that these people either do not live in their homes or they do not have boys in their homes.

Example: People have decided to use rain gutters for bookshelves.  I thought it seemed totally nifty until I spent the day watching my boys turn over chairs, little tables and the like to make a "fort with things to climb on".  Let me tell you that those nifty rain gutter things would not be used for books around here... it would be our own indoor climbing wall.  A robe belt is a lasso, the doll stroller is a racing cart, blankets are sleds, and so the list goes.  They would love little more than to have free reign on the glue gun sans the motherly supervision.

So, from the land of random uses for things... I'll be passing on the nifty ideas for today.

Frosty, Frosty, Frosty!!!

Jonathan and Caleb - A Musical Tribute to Frosty and Some Other Stuff

Christmas Download

All of the Christmas fun... the leftover photos from my phone:

Drinking hot cocoa in little mugs

 Gingerbread House Construction

Caleb's Construction involved LOTS of snacking

 Caleb's Creature Creation

 Jonathan came running into the kitchen, "here is Santa Claus!"

 Jonathan and the dragon, "Flick Fluke".

 Cousin Nic and Caleb.  While eating with them, Caleb starting eyeing Nic's food.  Nic so kindly shared his meal with Caleb, the sampler.

Weather Reporting at the Science Center with Sofie

Sledding

I love the snow.  Snow is somewhat magical.  We enjoyed a wonderful time sledding in my hometown, Jamie's hometown and here after a New Year's snowfall.

 James and the littlest

 Grammie and Jman.  And if you're wondering if almost seventy year old Grammie went down the hill - without question.

 Amy, ready to push Doug and Sofie

 Racing!

 Sofie and Jonathan

 Jamie and Amy

Drew and Caleb

A Visit to Both

We saw my family and Jamie's family over the Christmas break.  My family always celebrates with the same dinner (spaghetti), same gift opening traditions and the peppermint stick ice cream to top it off.  Before the littles joined the family, we played a Christmas game.  Now, by the time they are in bed, the game has to wait for another day.  The traditions are something the boys have come to love and look forward to... fun for me that they like spaghetti dinner, too.

 The gathering at Jamie's family was a bit smaller than the usual crew this year as two siblings and families were missing.  The kids still had a grand time playing and making themselves right at home and Grandma and Grandpa's house.  They had a wonderful time with their cousins who are still so kind as to play four and six year old games.

Celebrating in Our Style

We pick a day near Christmas or on Christmas, depending on the year, to celebrate Christmas with just our little family of four.  Pancakes in all sorts of fun colors, gifts, the Christmas Story, playtime, dinner with "the really good meat" (as Jonathan and Caleb refer to it), church (if it's Christmas Eve), and ice cream.  This year the ice cream was the homemade variety as we had a birthday ice cream maker to try out.

 James and Jonathan put together the wooden catapult that was Jonathan's gift.

 Caleb and I built a fort with their fort kits (that I, shockingly, made.  With a little help from my dear friend, Amy)

 Christmas dinner... photos on a timer.  Always a trick for me.

We just aren't all that photogenic.  There are only four of us, but surely one of us isn't looking, is blinking or somewhat strangling another member of the family in an attempt to look "together".  I'll take the last photo... everyone is looking and somewhat smiling.