Winter Months Indoors

The winter months can seem so mundane here.  I often feel like our life is on repeat.  Get up at 5am.  Get self & kids ready.  Daycare drop-offs.  Go to work.  Come home.  Scurry to make supper for hangry kids.  Do dishes.  Help with homework.  Give baths.  Have snack.  Kids to bed.  Pick up house.  Crash.  Start over.  With cold weather and little daylight in the evenings, we are often unmotivated to get anything extra done during the week. 

We spend so much time downstairs during the winter months playing, watching TV & hanging out.  Here's a few pictures as proof.

Tiger gear for everyone in these pictures.

Most recently, Vera's favorite pass time has been playing school.  She likes to read to her class and teach them lessons.  When she does so, she talks at the top of her voice, and often isn't so kind to her "students."  She likes to play office, and she also likes to help me in the kitchen.

We were without plans on a Saturday evening, and after several uneventful weekends in a row, I promised Vera we'd do something fun.  We met the Thobe family very last-minute for an evening of bowling.  It turned out to be a really fun evening!

Tweedledee and Tweedledum.  Pete & Repeat.  Mutt & Jeff. 
I often say that I can't imagine who Annie would be if she didn't have someone to copy.  She really is Vince's sidekick, copycat and nemesis.  Just tonight he was so happy that she was leaving with Adam so he could play tractors by himself without her interference.

Annie's definitely in the midst of Terrible Twos.  She cries on a dime when something doesn't work out just her way.  When we cannot find her, she's often up to some sort of mischief, usually emptying a box of wipes or playing in my nightstand.  She's pretty good at matter-of-factually telling us no when we ask her to do something.  More than once at nap time, I've caught her in her bed removing all of her clothes, including her diaper (albeit dirty) to avoid sleeping.  Recently, I've heard her correctly count to about 8, and she knows a few of her colors.  (Yes, Patty is still awesome!)  She's been fairly successful at potty training, though she's not 100% there just yet.  

Surprisingly, all of the kids have enjoyed Barbies this winter and have spent hours playing and pretending.  It was a good decision to have them put away for a year or so.  Now they are new and exciting again.

This is about the same age that Vera started to constantly play dress-up. 

Vince is always asking to color or play Bingo Dotters.  I must admit that his creativity and coloring skills are pretty impressive, left-handed and all.

He is always wanting to help me.  I shortened the mop handle and let him do his thing.  He was so happy.

Here we are playing beauty shop.  Vince is busy styling my hair.

Maybe Annie needed a styling more than I?

He was so cute measuring.  He diligently tried to read the numbers as he measured objects.  This boy is nobody's dummy.  I cannot believe his abilities.

Aubrey came to play for an afternoon, and she received plenty of attention from the Pearson Trio.

We visited the Arts Evening at school in early March.  Here Vera is posing with her watercolor owl.  (Upper right)  Her siblings enjoyed running a muck in the hallways and cafeteria that evening.