Kid Update

Sam and Lydia have been loving the snow this year. Icicles and forts have been the thing to keep them going. Sam wanted to make sure Gabe saw a picture of the fort we carved. (I actually helped him, since I can fit my belly into Brian's cover-alls!)

















In other (indoor) news, we are getting into a nice routine with homeschool...very laid back, but
intentional, nonetheless, with wonderful books, helping around the house, morning worship as a
family, learning letters and beginning math probably next week. I am also trying to make sure the kids and I serve in some way each week. This week I hope to help Sam collect a bag of Legos to give to a group sending them to kids in Africa who don't have these great toys to play with...can you imagine...Sam without LEGOS??
















And here is my little helper. Sophie's favorite thing to hear is "Sophie, do you want to help mama?" Her face lights up, she gets all serious and usually pushes the stool over to wherever I am. Her favorite things to do are help wash the dishes and load the laundry in the washing machine. When she sees me doing one of these things without her, she gives me this look that says, "How can you be doing this without ME?!" and pushes her chair over. I also find it amusing that when we are doing dishes and I get in the way of her play with a large cutting board or pan, she exclaims, "Beep beep! Inaway! Beep Beep!" As if SHE were the reason we are there in the first place. Sophie, you are SO MUCH FUN!!

BRRRRRR

Doug and Marilyn, our friends from California, came to visit last week, and we went out to Lake Michigan on an incredibly cold day. It was beautiful, but freezing. We walked out almost to the end of the pier. All of the railings looked as though a wave had crashed on them and instantly frozen. Kevin and Elinore went out to the snow mountain after dark--and stayed out longer than I would have predicted. The snow these last couple of weeks has been amazing! Hot chocolate and hot tea never tasted better.

Winter Wonderland

Living at the end of a street has its advantages. The snowplows push all the snow to the end of the street, and we have our own snow mountain. Our kids and dog used to love climbing, digging in, and sliding down this "mountain," and now it's fun for the grandkids. Sam and Grandpa spent several hours out there and were very proud of their tunnel.

This is how Elinore does winter. She is getting some much more independent as of late. She is dressing/undressing herself, with the exception of buttons, I even have a problem doing those sometimes...they are so tiny on kids clothes. So on this day she was preparing for a walk down to some friends' house...very insistent on the sunglasses and handbag.