Stir Crazy Adventures!

So after two Snow Days...well, one day playing in the snow & then one day staying inside all day because the snow was covered with a thick layer of ice...anyway, by Wednesday of last week, we were all getting a bit stir-crazy, especially me! The kids were actually having fun playing together & were not bickering too much! But at 8 months pregnant I get really cranky when I am continually having to bend over to pick up toys, cups, spoons, books, blocks, socks, pencils, doo-dads, and miscellanea scattered all over the floor...SO, I was thankful to have an OB appointment to get me out of the house.  Jeff (who was home since there's not much landscaping going on when everything is covered in a thick layer of ice) also suggested that we finally venture out to take the kids to the Lego Store at a mall about 30 minutes away. We had planned to go over Christmas Break, but didn't have a chance. (And apparently we have been promising the kids since back in the summer because on an assignment for school last week Jack had to answer a question about a time he had to wait a long time for something, and this is what he said, "My mom said we could go to a Lego Store last summer, but we still haven't gone." So, there you have it folks, I am a bad mom & apparently I don't follow through very well!)
Anyway, I agreed that an outing to the Lego Store would be the perfect way to fill another Snow Day! So, after my doctor's appointment & a quick lunch at home, we all piled in the truck (we can all fit until the baby comes!) because some roads were still icy & actually our driveway was one of the worst spots! We told the kids that we were taking a Mystery Ride, which is a fun way to make things seem more exciting, but it does add in about four million questions of "Where are we going? Can you please tell me where we are going? Can I have a hint? Can you tell me now? Are we close? Is it ice cream? How about now, please tell me now? Just whisper it...Will we like it? Can we play there? Is the sky blue & how about some World Peace while we're at it?" 
We finally arrived at the huge outlet mall & drove around the expansive parking lot for a few minutes trying to determine the best entrance. The kids were like, "This is IT? We're in a parking lot!"
Yes kids, we thought driving to a random parking lot would be fun...no, we are at a mall!
"You brought us to the mall? THAT's our Mystery Ride?"
I was actually pretty surprised, as they are usually a little more quick to figure things out...especially since they have seriously been asking about the Lego store non-stop for weeks. But we all piled out of the car & headed into the mall...still listening to a three-part chorus of "Can you tell me now? Please, please, pleeeeaassse?"
Thankfully, Drew was just chewing on his fingers & looking around.
Once inside, we quickly figured out where the store was, and we had picked the right mall entrance to park at, yay! As we walked through the mall, the kids were pretty quiet & we joked that Mommy & Daddy were going to do lots of shopping all for us...they were not enthusiastic. But right then, we stopped in front of the Lego Store...the kids looked around & then looked up & I could see the light bulbs flash on in Jack & Sophie's eyes...and finally the big grins..."The LEGO Store! Cool!"
So we went in & started looking around...it was actually a little smaller than we had expected, but I'm thankful that it was not very crowded. Jack was instantly drawn to the walls lined with all sorts of huge building sets...if money were no concern, he would have brought home every one! Sophie busied herself looking for pink legos! Darcy followed Sophie & Drew quickly grew bored of being in the stroller, so we let him out to explore, too. And there we stayed for probably close to two hours...It was a little hairy at times, even in a small store, keeping up with little people going in 4 different directions at once, but there was something for everyone!

 One of the first things the kids found was a make your own Lego person station. You could buy them in packs of 3 people for $10, so each of the older kids got to make a person.

   For each person, you had your choice of a head, top half, bottom half, hair or hat & accessory. There was lots of deliberating & sifting through bins & putting together & taking apart to get the perfect combination!

And here are the results...from L to R...Jack, Sophie & Darcy's Lego people creations.

Drew entertained himself with some Duplo blocks & trucks...

Darcy enjoyed building, too!

Then Drew found the rolling suitcases...score!

In the middle of the store were a bunch of stations where you could explore Lego.com & just tinker with lots of Lego bricks.

Now this was one of the neatest features in the whole store, the Digital Box...you just hold up a boxed Lego set & a little camera mounted above the screen reads the package & "opens" up the box on the screen...

This airport/airplane set is one that Jack got for Christmas & he had a lot of fun watching the jet fly through his head!

Whoa....incoming!

It was very cool the way it animated the whole scene with Lego people & vehicles & everything included in the box.

And each different way you turned the box gave a different view of the contents inside...SO cool!

This was a huge set with a multi-story bridge & moving cars. Fully assembled, it measures almost 4 feet tall in real life!

Another neat feature of the store was the expansive back wall comprised of bin after bin full of all sorts of Legos in various sizes, shapes, colors & textures...since Drew spent a lot of time pushing that rolling suitcase around the store, I spent a lot of time chasing Drew around the store, so I didn't get a photo, but basically imagine a huge Lego salad bar! There are two sizes of cups that you can fill up with individual Legos of your choice.

We filled up a couple of the smaller cups with various parts to add to our collection at home.

It was pretty much time for us to be going, the younger kids were getting antsy, but Jack was busy at the back wall putting together this little car...he put the car in his cup & was ready to go, until Jeff explained to him that the cup cost the same whether it was half full or loaded to the top...so then he quickly crammed as many pieces into the cup as would fit!

Jack & Sophie posing by a giant Lego

All of us, except Daddy, in front of the store with a giant Lego man in the background!

And since we have been home, the Lego fun continues. (Above is one of Darcy's creations!)
Thursday as soon as the kids got home from school, they didn't ask to play Wii or watch TV, everyone wanted to build with Legos!

Sophie was very excited to find this set at the store that included a bricks to make little pink house, a girl, a car, a dog & more! 

Jeff built this little car for Drew to carry around...and disassemble...over & over again!

So far, the only downside I can find to this whole renewed Lego craze... 

...is that there are now about 4,236,987 more little things that I'm constantly having to pick-up off of the floor! 

Snow Days and Other Stories...

So, as I'm sure the whole world is aware, what with 49 out of 50 states having some snow coverage, we have had some rather unusual winter weather conditions here in NC over the past week. The snow started falling in the wee hours of Monday morning and kept on coming all through the day! Watching a steady snowfall like that happily reminded me of our many years in the Windy City!

So here is a little look back at our rather unexpected looooong weekend.  We had some fun & spent the rest of the time attempting to stave off boredom!

Leading up to the snow we had a pretty low-key weekend which was needed & very nice.  Sophie was thrilled that it was her turn to bring home the Kindergarten class Bear for the weekend...

 Meet Bosley!

 Sophie & Bosley built a tower

 Drew playing with his Sing-a-ma-jig...all the kids got them for Christmas & they really are hilarious! (If you don't know what they are Google it!)

 Friday night was Movie Night! Bosley was happy to join in on the fun & snuggles. On the big screen...Alvin & the Chipmunks...we laughed & laughed! 

 Saturday was take-down & clean-up day!

 We took down the Christmas Tree & decorations...

 ...and had to do lots of cleaning up of all the needles left behind!

Bosley was a faithful helper! He didn't break a single ornament...which is more than I can say for the rest of us!

Saturday evening we had a lovely time enjoying dinner & fellowship at the home of some good friends. (Again, no pictures, BOO!) 

Then, Sunday passed with the normal flurry of church activities...

Oh look, here are Sophie & Bosley coloring in Sunday School!

While we were home between church services, there were frequent glances out the window to see if any flakes were yet falling. At church, or anywhere we went, everyone was talking about snow...would we really get it, when would it start, how much, would there be bad ice, will we lose power, will the kids miss school??? Living in the South, often there is lots of talk about snow...and very little actual snow...I generally don't believe it until I see it. Thank goodness, we were already stocked up on milk, eggs & bread because several of the local grocery stores ran completely out...I am not joking! Facebook status updates on Sunday evening were a flurry (pun intended ;-) of crazy grocery store stories, and people talking about wearing their PJs inside out to bed, sleeping with a spoon under their pillows & flushing ice cubes down the toilet...all proven ways to bring on the snow...right!

 Well, wonder of wonders...all the ice cube flushing & inside-out pajama sleeping just may have done something because on Monday morning we woke up to dazzling white...and it just kept coming!

 Finally, we got everyone all layered & suited up & we were ready to head outside! Zoe, too!

Bosley felt right at home in the snow!

 This snow was more of a wet snow than last time & since it was still coming down, it was a little stinging on your face. Pretty much right after I took this photo, Drew said "Up, up!" and I spent the rest of our time outside holding him...or listening to him cry "UP! UP! UP!" if I put him down so I could take a picture of one of the other kids!

 Our wonderful neighbors had some great sleds & this snow was good for sledding, so the bigger kids pretty much sledded the afternoon away!

 Here is Jack in his favorite pose, hand out in front of face so that I cannot take a picture!

 Down the hill!

 Darcy getting ready for a turn...

 ...and she's off! She was so light that she could go really far!

 Darcy dragging her sled back up the hill while Sophie is on the way down.

 Drew wondering why I put him down & getting ready to say "UP!"

 A snowy Sophie

 Sophie took a spin on the neighbor's rope swing...

 Jack had a good run from the neighbor's yard, down the hill & waaaay into our front yard! It's a long walk back though!

While lots of sledding was going on, Jeff was bringing logs up to the house & getting a nice fire going. The temps were also much colder this time & so the little kids only lasted outside an hour or so before wanting to come in to warm up...the older kids probably stayed out 2 hours, but then everyone was ready for heat!

The fire is great for warming up & for drying off clothes that got soaked in the snow!

 I had been busy in the kitchen preparing our first batch of Snow Cream! 

(Click here for the recipe!)   

Drew was a bit timid at first...

Jack dug right in!

Drew realized this was some good stuff!

I mean serious, finger-licking good!

Good to the last drop!

The very last drop!

"More pees"

And because Snow Days call for baking something, I also whipped up a batch of cranberry orange muffins from a mix we received as a Christmas gift (thanks Suzy!) The kids all thought they were DE-licious & all dozen were gone in a flash! Later on, we had a cozy dinner of grilled cheese sandwiches & then all snuggled up to pick up where we left off with "Polly & Diggory" which is how the kids refer to The Magician's Nephew...the first book in the wonderful Chronicles of Narnia series. 

The kids find the predicaments Diggory & Polly have gotten into to be quite funny!

Darcy being Darcy!

I love how the kids are glued to the book instead!

And so went our first Snow Day of 2011...

...and then, we had another!

Monday evening, the "Wintry Mix" (snow, ice. sleet) began to coat all of the snow (and roads) with a thick, slick layer of ice...the result was kids home from school again on Tuesday...and yet again on Wednesday! (And in some areas Thursday, too!) One of the main problems here is that it will often get warm enough in the day to start to melt the snow & ice, but then the temps will drop well below freezing at night & everything turns to ice again making the roads quite hazardous with invisible patches of "black ice." Looking out over our white lawn at night was like looking out over an ice skating rink, the yard glistened like wet glass in the glow of the street lamps. (And I failed to take a single picture!) So for our second snow day, we stayed inside all day...playing games, reading books, building towers...there was some TV watched & some Wii played...and so by Wednesday, we were all getting a little stir-crazy & in desperate need of getting out of the house! But I will save our 3rd Snow Day adventures for another post, as this one is quite long already...see, I'm trying to simulate that stir-crazy feeling...so stay tuned for more Snow Day fun!

(I have thanked the Lord many times that my kids were able to go back to school on Wednesday & allow us to *somewhat* get back to a normal routine! But we had fun while it lasted & I have a feeling we have not seen our last Snow Day this winter! Hopefully not...because in reading many friends' blogs, I have discovered that I am not a very good Snow Day Mom...and need to be more creative & crafty & fun...so I'm armed with all sorts of fun ideas for the next one a'la Jenny & Sarah...thanks girls!)