When Will Spring Be Here?

It's been too long since I've updated the blog.  But there wasn't much going on because of all the snow we've had this year in February.  This month has been one never-ending snow storm.  Horrible.  

We have had 5 or 6 snow days?  I lost count.  It was fun at first, but we quickly were running out of things to do.  

We put sand in the sensory table and that was fun until the table got pushed over and the sand got all over the rug.

Then we played with dried beans...and that was fun until they ended up all over the rug.

Valentine's Day came and went without much fanfare, again in part because of the weather and freezing cold.  We didn't do anything much to celebrate.  Carlos and I got to prepare 24 Valentines for the boys' classmates at the preschool...That was fun.  Valentines these days are cheap looking.  The boys came home with a bag (each) filled with valentines and lollipops and candy.  Apparently Adi thought handing out valentines was great--Sebastian couldn't have cared less.  A boy after my own heart (although I will admit I loved getting valentines in elementary school).

Adi and I made cookies.

The boys' personalities are really coming out now.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE to hear them interact with each other.  They can tell me stories now and have conversations.  It's great.  I'm starting to enjoy this age, despite the challenges.

They are such goof balls!

Here's the roof of our house before Carlos got out and shoveled it off.  We were supposed to get rain one Saturday, so Carlos left work early on Friday afternoon and came home and shoveled the entire back half of the roof--over the solar panels (which still aren't working!).  Friday evening, I shoveled off the porch roof.  All the snow from the roof was on the porch...so it was even more than you see here.  Carlos and I were both exhausted!  Saturday during the day he shoveled off the front of the house.  All told, we saved $800 by doing it ourselves.  I'm just glad no one fell off the roof.

 Adi did this to himself--I swear!!!  I really did not put that there!

This was one of our many snow days...wiping the glass with tissues so they could watch the snowplow.

One day Adi discovered the Swiffer and thought it was the best thing ever.  We didn't tell him otherwise.  He went to town with it all over the play area.  Yeah!

They WILL NOT hold the binoculars the right way.  They use them backwards and insist this is the way to do it.

We've watched waaaaaay too much TV this winter.  I admit it.  But I can't help it.  The days have been so long and cold and snowy.

 One day we  put stuff in tuperware containers and then added water.  We froze the containers.  The boys had fun chipping away at the ice to rescue the stuff inside.

 Adi is still gung-ho about his army man stuff.

We made playdough and FINALLY found a recipe we love.

Here it is:

Jell-O Playdough (From Parents Magazine March 2015)

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup warm water
2 tbs salt
2 tbs cream of tarter
2 tbs cooking oil
1 3 oz packet of Jell-O

1. Whisk all ingredients together in small saucepan.

2. Cook over med. heat, stirring continuously, until the dough thickens and forms a ball.  (Keep going--I thought I had done something wrong!  But after about 7-8 minutes it started to form clumps and then a ball.)

3. Let cool 30 minutes.

This one was made with raspberry Jell-O and it smelled so good!  It's a good texture and it makes a lot of dough.  We'll make this one again.  In fact, last week, I bought Jell-O in a variety of different colors.  I'd make this rather than buy more "real" Play-Doh.

Adi discovered that Swiffer sticks are great drum sticks!

And that they make fun alien antennas.

Here's a view of the house after clearing the roof and the porch.  Yikes.

 Last weekend we went bowling for a family friend's birthday.  The boys really didn't care about the bowling.  They were more excited about "driving."

Last night Grumpy came, as he usually does on Friday nights.  He brought pizza.  The boys love that Friday night tradition and ask for Grumpy and pizza when they know it's a Friday.

Today the weather was FINALLY nice enough to do a bunch of errands.  We went to Target and Adi got Ninja Turtle and McQueen treats for using the potty.  (The bribery has to end soon...his teeth will be rotted!  But the kid doesn't ask for much...)

After Halloween I bought a pirate scarf/hat, patch, earring, and sword (as a set) for $.50.  I pulled it out this morning.  The boys fought over the sword, but then shared it pretty nicely.  Of course the sword is already broken (the glue is setting as I write this).  But at least it was only $.50.

This is Sebastian saying "ARGGH!"

Thank God February is almost over!