A Week of Indoor Fun

Instead of blogging every night after the kids go to bed, I've been working on my resume, starting job applications, and researching various schools. Nothing is wrong, but I know every time I go a few days without post something people tend to think I'm spiraling into some depressed state. So...

Last week was very cold (freezing temperatures most days) and rainy. Monday was a "snow day" aka "the superintendent chose to err on the side of caution but the weather was just a cold rain".  We spent most of our days last week playing around the house or seeking indoor entertainment.

Play-Doh occupied a fair amount of time since I just replenished our stock. I typically buy 4 containers at a time. They last a few weeks until they dry out or collect cat hair from being rolled all over the rug, furniture, and cat. Then the play dough is trashed. It takes me a few months to remember to buy more. By that point, play dough has once again become the greatest play medium throughout history.

Play food has been the best loved toy for all four kids. They play with them daily. The girls especially like to feed their baby dolls play food. (Notice that clothing is optional, for both the kids and dolls.)

James' finger was especially gross last week after the door slamming-turned-staph infection debacle. To try and keep it clean, I let him play in a sink full of soapy water a lot last week. The nail completely fell off the other day and he's been taking antibiotics for nearly a week. His finger looks (and likely feels) SO much better!

On the days Jackson had school, the trio and I dressed warmly and found indoor fun. The toddlers are finally able to walk most everywhere safely. They stay on sidewalks, hold hands in parking lots, and listen when I tell them to stop.

We went to the library a few times, once for story time and once just to color and read.

Jackson wasn't allowed to play outside at school because of the cold, so I took the kids to the recreation center after school one day last week to burn off energy. Jackson led James and Amelia up to the highest play structures and slide. There is a maze of tunnels close to the ceiling. Maddie attempted to follow her siblings but she came back down crying. After some snuggles Maddie happily played closer to the floor.

The trio and I met friends for a play date at a local mall. We go to this particular mall because the kids love playing in the very large Looney Tunes themed play area. I parked at the entrance closest to the play area. This is what I saw when we walked inside:

I had to find a customer service kiosk to be redirected to the newer, much smaller play area. (The Looney Tunes equipment is permanently gone!) It has less variety of structures, but the kids enjoyed the change of scenery for 45 minutes.

I think they preferred walking around the actual mall more than the play area. We always joke that Amelia is the diva of the group. She stopped at specific store fronts that caught her eye and would say, "I looove it!" or "Pretty boots!" She'll probably be teaching me about fashion in ten years.

The weather is much warmer and drier this week. We spent two hours at the park yesterday, which deserves its own post. I wouldn't mind another decent snowfall that we could actually play in, but I'm also content if spring has decided to arrive.