Snow Day!

Yesterday we finally got to go play in the snow! We've had nearly a foot, and we tried to play out in it other days, but it has just been too cold. So, yesterday it was 28 F and we were so happy for that! We bundled up (which took nearly forty minutes) and headed out with our sled. Here's how the kiddies got around:

They had such a good time sledding and playing at the park there.

You can't tell here, but that is one good lookin' dude. We did a little sightseeing at the park. The river is frozen (or at least has a top layer frozen)and you can tell an animal had walked out on it. Also, I think those are geese or some kind of bird out on it. Another river that we cross on our way to church had the same creatures resting on it too. Why would anyone want to sit their bums on ice? Anyway, it is so beautiful here!

Truly though, here are the most beautiful sights I personally saw all day:

Now these next few pics are really unbelievable. I don't know that my camera did them justice. Because truthfully I didn't believe it myself until I was walking on it.We went to Silver Beach at Lake Michigan. It was incredible. Where there is usually sand and a lot of beach in the summer is now frozen waves. Yes, you can see where they crested and in between is about six or seven inches of snow so you don't know how far down your foot is gonna go. Then you have to stumble your way over another wave. And they are slippery, icy waves. Let me back up. Before you get to the waves you can find frozen sand.

Then you walk over the waves. (Just thought of this: we literally walked on water yesterday!)

Here's M climbing on one and a close up of the ice.

Then after forty or fifty yards of this you get to a cliff of frozen water. We think that's where the shelf of the lake is, like where it gets really deep-because you climb up on this cliff and look down into a slushy nearly frozen lake. It was really neat.

 That's looking left at the "cliff" while standing on it. Mind you that is like six or seven feet of frozen water! And then you look down and see a very slow moving slushy lake. (This really was dangerous, because if you  took one wrong step you could easily slip right into that icy water.) Mr. J got some good pics on his phone that maybe he'll post of fb.

 And we didn't walk out to this but the pier looked really cool too. This is the best my camera could do:

This really was a neat sight to see. I love exploring and being here! I thought I would hate the cold, and there are certainly aspects of it that I could do without (adding ten minutes to our routines to put on gear just to go anywhere, for example). But I truly have enjoyed it. Especially after a beautiful day out with my wonderful family. We laughed and played together and that just does a body, and a family, good! Now, just in case you forgot:

Tooth Fairy

M lost her first tooth today! It was a big event right before bed. We were reading a story and she said "*gasp* it came out! Mom, it came out!" Then we had to call some loved ones and text some loved ones and she was so excited it was very hard for her to go to sleep! We had a long discussion about the tooth fairy. Basically I made her answer all her questions about the tooth fairy since she knows she's not real. I figured she might as well pretend her exactly the way she wants! Anyway, she really looks like a kindergartener now! So grown up!

Flour Power

A friend of mine has a cute and informative blog that I follow called http://weplay2learn.blogspot.com/. If I knew how to make that a link I really would. Anyway, she has great ideas for activities for toddlers. So when I am stumped as to what to play I grab an idea from her. This particular day I decided to let the kids play in flour. I guess because I am a gluten for punishment. It is so messy. We have done this before because both of my children love sensory bins. Of any kind. But typically I have done it outside. Neither J nor M are usually content to just play with the flour/rice/beans/baking soda and vinegar/and whatever else I may have used in the past. They always want to do MORE with it, so that's why we do it outside. Alas, it is too cold to be outside so J and P had to do their activity indoors. P is a little too young to really play and draw pictures.

I have been working with J on his letters, but he had no interest in practicing writing letters. He played with the little cookie cutters and medicine cups I gave him at first.

But that wasn't enough. He had to have cars! Everything we do must involve vehicles!

Then: "I gotta feel it on my feet, Mom!"

(Notice the ratio to flour on him vs flour left in the pan...) My darling boy...

On a side note: I absolutely hate that M has a boy chasing her at school. There is more than one, really, but this one is actively pursuing my SIX year old. The other day he told her she was beautiful-a truthful statement for sure-but completely inappropriate in KINDERGARTEN. She was all giggly when she told me about it. I know it is all innocent and Mr. J and I try not to make a big deal out of it, but do remind her that right now she is just friends with boys and it will stay that way until she is 25... Anyway, the boy is really sweet and they are friends at school and his parents always help me with the school parties , and it is good she has friends. Here they are waiting for school to start in the morning:

Addition

Here is the new addition to our family. She is such a doll and so far fits in quite well.

Taking this bottom pic was pretty funny. She knew what to do when she saw me pull out my phone for a pic. She smiled really big, but only for about a nano second before she started walking toward me- I think to see the picture. So then I got M and J to stand with her-that's why M has her arm around her-she's holding her in place!

So Cool!

Since J's favorite word is "cool" we heard it a lot when we saw this! I made Mr. J pull over so we could get pics! (Incidentally, there was a Mater about a mile or two before we saw this and we didn't stop, so when I saw Lightning McQueen I knew I couldn't pass it up.)

Whoever painted this car did a fantastic job and the kids and I loved it!

New Year

For New Year's Eve, we knew we wanted to party. So we made invitations,

and decorations.

That evening we ate well and did sparklers:

 (sorry for the poor pics)

Then we had a toast and we all said one thing we want to accomplish this year.

We even used Grandmama's fancy "china" as M calls it.
Happy New Year!

Just Cuz...