Winter Doldrums

It's the end of January, we've come down from our holiday excitement, the weather is cold, and there seems to be a long stretch of cold, wintry weather ahead of us before spring comes. We're in the mid-winter slump, and keeping the boys occupied, interested, and their parents sane is the latest challenge in our household!

On days where the boys are at home, we're trying different tricks and activities to help pass the time. It's very difficult on days when the temperature is low and the wind chill makes it nearly impossible to take the boys outside for any extended period of time. On these days, the boys are big bundles of energy and we resort to running races around and around our house. Fortunately, this is still a tactic that results in lots of giggling and tired boys!

I'm also planning month-specific crafts that the boys and I can work on together. B does this at daycare with his classroom, with weekly themes and crafts to go along with it. This week's theme is 'Chinese New Year' and they are creating a dragon to hang in their room as decoration, as well as reading books about the Chinese New Year and the animals associated with each year. Pretty neat!

For January, B and I made snowflakes to hang in our window and today we're going to read books about snowmen and play time in the snow. Even though we've had a pretty dry winter and very little snowfall, I'm sure we'll be making a snowman as a family before the season is through!

B has also been very interested in cooking and baking also. He wants to bake cupcakes all the time and we're having him help us with measuring, mixing, sifting, and (of course) tasting!

Sifting the flour with Daddy

Delicious!

On days when it's just too chilly to go outside, how do you have fun with your children, tire them out, and incorporate some learning? It's a tough challenge!