Thursday, January 12, 2012

Its beginning to look a lot like winter!

Well, at least indoors it is looking like winter! We have had the strangest weather this year. We have probably worn our coats 5 times, and today it was about 60 degrees! We have also had snows on these warmer days that look like blizzards, then leave a little dusting, melt, turn to ice at night, and leave the world a muddy wonderland. I am not complaining though. I HATE winter and cold. But I do love snow. So we decorated our nature table with wool snow, imagining it to be someplace in Alaska. I love the fairies, and their little cups of cocoa with whipped cream. I like how cozy and cold they look, and then I like walking outside into sunny, warm mud. Yet I still have this fascination with winter...
We made winter sensory trays out of those cheap dollar store baking pans, and all kinds of wintry items I had laying around the house. I was lucky enough to happen upon some really cute woodland, winter house kits made of foam (that made our entire table sparkle with stray glitter) for $2 on clearance at Michaels. Cotton balls, marbles, pom poms beads and other tacky glitter accessories made for hours of play for two little girls and their new obsession: Lalaloopsy dollies.
And because my adoable baby, is an even more adorable toddler (and unfortunately even more trouble) I made him a little wintry basket too. I included a felt tree, a wooden tree, pine needles, Christmas balls (made of plastic) a nut, a snowman in a bean pot, a pinecone, gnome, deer, sled, mitten, cupcake cup of cotton balls and a non-baby friendly glass jar of pebbles. He really likes pulling everything out and throwing it all over the floor. And can I just say that the jar of pebbles was a TERRIBLE IDEA. First he threw the jar and broke it, and then he put the pebbles in his mouth. He is in fact a BOY and failing the Montessori training. Hahaha. He did like the snowman best:
See?
He says cheese. And it is very cute when he does. It isn't cute when he gets into the ashes from the woodstove and covers himself with them. Then when he feels sufficiently camoflauged with the ashes, he throws them all over the floor. I think I just need to be a better house keeper and empty the ashes in the morning... and sweep the stove area 10 times a day. Or get my 4-year old to sweep it. She is obsessed with sweeping the ashes which turns the kitchen into a cloud of dust. And sometimes when she sweeps we play Cinderella and the wicked step mother. Can you guess who I get to play? :)

2 comments:

Annie Hatke Schap said...

I left a comment on the last post, but didn't know if you'd see it since I'm kind of playing blog catch-up and am posting out of date. :(

Glad you're all healthy again! Happy New Year!

Clare said...

Haha, thanks! Happy New Year to you too! :)