Photos

Okay, since the weather stinks and all our activities keep getting cancelled, the kids have spent a lot of time inside the house. The volume level in this place is amazing! You would think with four floors that one could go somewhere without noise, but that is just not the case. So here is one HUGE picture review of how the many hours inside the house have been spent. Here's Margaret after she was denied access to James' treasure box.

But going up to the top of his loft bed made up for it!

Henry has on his "backpack." He needs something to carry in it.

"Oh no! Now my backpack is too heevy!"

Margaret (who gets called 'Market' quite often), is very pleased with herself.

She's just found a dirty kleenex. We are having an infestation of those at our house right now.

Isaac has completed his Senses lapbook.

We usually don't bathe them all at the same time, but sometimes it just happens that way.

Market is really into 'going in things' right now.

James is studying crystals in science right now. He made some paper crystal models.

Isaac has really taken a developmental leap in the phonics area and does several phonics-related activities a day.

Henry likes to line up all the animals so that they can go to the movies together.

Another of his new interests is smelling the glue. I believe his exact words were, "Mmmm. This glue smells good." We may have to watch this habit as he gets older.

Here is Henry making a very special purple octopus.

Since the kids are in martial arts now, we got a punching bag for the basement off the freecycle sister site. They think it is great fun to punch and kick.

We still have the smaller bag from Grandma Phyllis.

Oh! This baby is so cute!

We really do like having a "real" winter and getting snow. But the last few days of drippy, icy, snowy, sleet-filled storms have not been all that great. Last year was so mild that we couldn't really figure out what everyone was always complaining about. Now we understand.

Future Rock Star

Here's Henry singing a mean version of "There ain't no bugs on me" after his bath.

He's got the best hair out of all the kids. So thick and straight.

Snow

Okay, so we don't have as much snow as some places. Or as cold of temperatures. But this is definitely the most snow we have had since we moved here and the longest we have had snow. Usually there is snow on the ground for one or two days. Now it has been over a week.

So she doesn't always wear party dresses...

Sometimes she wears jeans.

The neighbor called Margaret a "tight little package." And she so is.

Look at all the hair she is finally getting!

Those bands that Heidi sent me about six months ago might actually come in handy!

Sunday is play day!

Sunday was a fun day. First we have Margaret in another party dress. You should always look your best to play in the snow. She is still very unsteady on her feet, but she is getting the hang of it.

Thank goodness James and Isaac can get themselves dressed to go outside. If I had to dress four children to leave the house we would never leave.

Check out Margaret's sweet boots (thanks Heidi!).

Now that we are outside, Henry wants to play in the garage.

James wants his photo with the statue...

and making a snow angel in his own way.

A neighbor stopped by with his dog and so Isaac hid out on the deck until the coast was clear.

Here are some photos of the kids going off the ramp from the deck. Mike has big plans for extending the ramp. He plans to change the elevation and the length. In fact, these are his only plans for Monday afternoon. Check back later in the week to see the revised snow ramp.

After the garage got boring, Henry decided to play in the clubhouse.

Here's Margaret on his first day playing in the snow. Where are her mittens? Geez, who is this baby's mother?

Mittens or not, she was still having a good time.

She even tried to crawl a little bit. That didn't last long.

Here's the clubhouse crew.

Obviously after all that time in the snow it was time to return inside and trash the bedroom.

They quickly learned the advantages of jumpng from the top of the loft bed into the crib.