Making our own Indoor Fun

I posted earlier about all our outdoor fun this winter. Outdoor activities tend to set themselves up; they're there for the doing and they're pretty much the same from year to year, with just the details changing. It's being indoors during the winter that dictates the need for creativity. We did a lot of crazy things in the name of staying sane this year. I'll file them under the title 'Cabin Fever'.

We made it to Christmas in a pretty good frame of mind.
Here's some of the cousins at Christmas.
Everyone looks happy and healthy.

Jacob got a remote-control helicopter for Christmas,
and initially I was like, "Couldn't you have given
him something a little more educational?" But it turns
out this thing was a lifesaver many times. Jacob passed
many hours mastering this - I still can't figure out how
to fly the thing. He also enjoyed torturing the dogs and
scaring Sabine with it.

We had a lot of hot chocolate parties...Sabine really
got the hang of drinking from a mug. All in the name
of chocolate, that's my girl.

Sabine thought she'd take it upon herself to
claim some of her very own computer time.

She also stepped it up a notch in terms of
hiding places and fitting into small spaces.
(that's her behind the shades)

I cleaned out my old make-up and let Jacob
use it for some really creative projects.

Zach and the dogs even started going loopy.

A bakery truck must have crashed in front of our
house because one day I came home to find 50
baguettes laying in our front yard. The dogs discovered
the frozen bread on the front lawn and they spent
the next two weeks dedicated to the goal of
digging it out and eating it. Ginger
succeeded one day and came running into the house
with a full loaf of it sticking horizontally out of
her mouth. It was the first time I ever saw her
stick up for her food when Mango tried to take it away.
Must be some bakery.

Sabine kisses everything with a face. One night at
dinner she discovered the honey bear had a face
and it was all we could do to keep her from climbing
over her plate to get to him for a smooch.

She also spent a lot of time in that hat, at times
pairing it with sunglasses. She rocked that look.
And she knew it.

The most exciting part of my winter was when
the new recycling bin came and we could suddenly
get rid of the piles of plastic I'd been accumulating.
"But look at all the things I can recycle that I couldn't
before!" I said in disbelief as I was setting up this photo.

I was taking photos for an Annie's contest, to win
a basket of goodies. The kids thought it was the
coolest thing that I let them eat right out of the
box - they stuffed their faces in fear of me taking
it away. They may be skinny, but this proves they
can house an entire box of crackers in one sitting.

The little one discovered diaper cream.

Zach invented "the Bull"

This is the first thing that usually happens
when he comes home from work now. The kids
hardly give him a chance to get in the door
before they jump him.

The game, it appears, will continue for
generations to come. Thanks Winter.