Block Towers and Indoor Joy

We've had to be pretty creative with the indoor activities lately. This weekend, Henry entertained himself by making block towers. Big ones. He kept saying, "Look, Mommy! I did that! It is big!"

It takes so little to make Henry happy--or sad for that matter. This time, though, he was thrilled with himself and his building prowess.

I try to remember the little times like these, when I'm happily camped out on the couch, cheering on my super-builder as he attempts daring feats of engineering. He didn't want or need my help, just my occasional snapping of a photo to show him how cool he looks. Oh, and a sympathy hug when the tower fell.

This is just before Nick did a Ninja kick and destroyed the tower. But all was well. They rebuilt the tower again and played nicely. Henry is a good sport, at least some of the time.

As I kissed Henry's fuzzy little head tonight and scratched Nick's back (he loves my fingernails), I thought about how much I love these little guys, even when they drive me insane. I noticed that Nick smells more like a little boy now (not gross, he had a bath, just boy-like). Henry still has that fresh baby smell that I love so much. He puts his arms around my neck and I never want to forget how that feels.

Snow Day Saturday!

What can one do with two small children on a snowy Saturday? Plenty, I guess. Here's our take on my day with the boys and how Henry, Nick, and I occupied ourselves during a snowstorm. (Note: this post is actually about last Saturday, when temps were warmer and keeping my kids outside for hours was reasonable. Today we stayed inside.)

I fortified them first with some snowman french toast. This was devoured eagerly by both boys, especially since I added a "snow layer" of whipped cream to dip the french toast pieces.

When you're going out into a snowstorm (intentionally), it makes sense to have a pretty hearty breakfast.

There was a lot of shoveling to do, and I definitely needed some help, though I wasn't sure about the likely success of trying to shovel with two small children.

Nick is getting quite adept with that little shovel!

First of all, I put the boys to work. I wanted to get the sidewalk and driveway clean for Grandma Toni's arrival, so I got out the kiddie shovels and told Nick to get busy. Not too shabby for a preschooler, right?

Henry wasn't quite as much help. He mostly just complained about the cold, took his mittens on and off, and kicked snow around. Henry was happiest when we buried him in snow.

To be fair, Henry did pick up a shovel and give it a try, but his stamina and attention span weren't quite there. Nick was actually helpful, though I had to keep nagging him to keep shoveling and get out of the snow piles. He liked being buried, too.

They did a nice job, I think, though I probably did at least 60% of the work.

After our shoveling extravaganza, we decided to have a snowball fight. Hey, I had promised, despite the fact that I didn't realize it'd take me an hour and a half to shovel and then by the time I was done shoveling, the front of the driveway was already covered with snow again.

The only problem is that anytime one of my sons was actually hit with any snowballs, however lightly, screaming and crying ensued. I let them hit me for awhile, since I don't mind a snowball injury.

So I came up with a compromise game: throw snowballs at the side of our house. Much less complicated, and they could leave marks.

They got pretty good at this, though I'll admit I aimed quite a few of those snowballs myself. Thank goodness it was a warmer winter day, so we didn't get too cold.

Oh, and yes, Nick actually did put a snowball in the freezer. I found it the other day and it made me laugh. We also had hot chocolate with whipped cream (we were out of marshmallows). Yum. 

There's nothing like homemade hot chocolate, made on the stove with Ghiardelli dark chocolate and real milk. Yum. 

I might be sick of winter and snow, but last Saturday had some pretty good wintertime memories, too. 

Happy 40th Birthday Greg!

My husband turned the big 4-0 today, so the boys and I went to Costco to buy him a few of his favorite things. We found two nice bottles of wine, and a huge mousse cake. I also made him a card tonight for him to find when he gets home from work. Poor guy had to watch the kids all day and then go to work until very late. To make matters more complicated, the boys were not, ahem, on their best behavior today. He deserves a custom-made card.

The boys helped me pick out the pictures and even the things to say. They made sure I mentioned the art books and the lamb burgers (our dinner last night). My husband is a man of many talents and much love. His patience grows day by day, as tested by his wife and sons.

This is the back of the card, and yes, Henry really was dancing on the cocktail table while I was making this card. This stuff is too funny to make up.

Do you doubt the dancing prowess of Henry? Check this one out. This dance is for Greg, the best daddy ever!

Greg's real present will be a mountain bike, along with helmet and accouterments, that will be a combination gift after the thaw (Birthday, V-Day, etc.). Proving, once more, that Greg looks great for 40, even in biking shorts (I bet. I have never seen such a thing in person, though I'll ensure he gets some as part of his new outfit.) This was Greg's greatest wish for a present, along with some time to ride alone. I can understand that, since my greatest joy lately has been a half-hour of shopping alone. I know Greg's actual birthday wasn't too exciting, but I'm hoping he's a little cheered by the cake and wine I left for him.

Happy Birthday to a wonderful husband and father. Forty looks great on you!  :)

An Art Show Featuring the Magnificent Nicholas

Lately Nick has been learning how to draw from his daddy. He's been picking up some pretty good techniques.

Today's post is basically an art show from a five-year-old.   :)

This is a picture of Daddy. Not too, bad, considering that Greg's hair was pretty grey at the time.

Today Nicholas had to draw a Valentine's Day picture for his teacher to display. Can you recognize anything in the picture?

Do you recognize people, penguins, hearts, and flowers? Nick also wrote his name and the word LOVE.

This snowman is named after Nick's Uncle Andy. Not sure why he has a unibrow and a skateboard. 

Nick had to make a Letter C collage. He did okay with the scissors, I think. 

Daddy showed Nick how to draw buildings. I think he liked it.

We'll end this eclectic art show with one of Nick's favorite subjects: penguins.

Wintertime Dance Party!

With our, ahem, lovely weather this January, I've had to be pretty creative to get the boys some exercise. Tonight, for example, I fed them popcorn, knowing this would mean they'd have to vacuum for an hour. Most nights, though, we dance.

What do we dance to? See, now, I'm the mommy, so I get to pick, at least some of the time. I'm pretty eclectic in my musical tastes, so we dance to everything from Jazz to 80s music to top 40 hits. I also love classic rock and 90s music. It is funny how I can remember all of the words to nearly every song from the 1990s but I've blocked most of those years from my memory. Henry's penguin likes to dance to 90s music on the Sirius station, too.

Now, please know that Henry does indeed have clothing that fits him. For some reason, he insisted on wearing Nick's t-shirt and pajama pants. I have to pick my battles.

My mom said Nick looked like Snuffalupagus in this one. It was pretty cute.

The one song both boys really enjoyed was one I remember from middle school. "Ice, Ice, Baby" by Vanilla Ice. Sigh. My kids would pick the one song that I know all the words to that gets stuck in my head to dance to and then beg me to find on youtube.

Henry was really getting into his moves. Nick was trying to breakdance, I think. "Do you like my moves, Mommy?" What could I say but, "Yes, honey, good job." Then the penguins started in dancing. . . and the chanting started.

My kids crack me up. The song is also strangely appropriate, judging by the amount of snow and ice we've had outside lately. 

That's Greg's winter hat Henry's hanging out in--he loves the fuzz on the inside.

Bunk Beds! Bunk Beds with Star Wars Sheets!

Henry and Nicholas went absolutely crazy with joy when we came home this evening to find that Daddy had put together their new bunk beds.

Look what Grandma Toni got for us! Bunk Beds with Star Wars sheets!

Today we had to get out of the house. Greg insisted on at least seven hours to himself so that he could figure out this huge project. He did a great job!

Yay for Grandma Toni! And Yay for Daddy's hard work today!

After a whole day spent away from home, it was amazing to come home to a completely new room for the boys.

Yes, I'm aware Nick is wearing his pajama top backwards and inside out. He said he likes it better that way. 

Grandma Toni gives the best presents! Note the matching Star Wars sheets, comforters, and rug to match.

Henry and Nick were so excited I couldn't get them to stand still. Henry loves the Darth Vader Rug best.

So the question remains. . . will the boys sleep in their own beds now that Darth Vader watches over them and their awesome new beds?

Henry actually turned his pillow to the other side so he could see Darth Vader's head.

Or will they be too excited to sleep?

Not even a snowstorm could stop us from attending the Chocolate Festival!

It's no secret in this house--we all love chocolate. We even prefer the dark, less sweet varieties. So we certainly weren't going to miss the Naperville Chocolate Festival this year. The boys had a great time in 2013, and Nick loved him some chocolate back in 2011. The fact that it was snowing rather heavily and that Greg had to work did not deter me from my goal of successfully navigating the festival and having some great treats.

I don't know if it is because my kids are getting older (and better-behaved, relatively speaking), or if I'm just becoming less anxious, but I actually enjoyed myself for 95% of this trip. I interspersed fun for me activities with stuff that was fun for the kids, and I know they had a great time, because they didn't want to leave. We started out with the Kids in the Kitchen room, where we made chocolate snowmen out of marshmallows and chocolate chips.

Check out that concentration!

Nick sat in his chair, listened to the directions, and followed them. For me, this was a HUGE win. I don't care what his snowman looked like, I just care that he was paying attention. I had to help Henry with his snowman, because he ate the Rolo for his head. We improvised with more chocolate chips.

Henry tried to follow the directions, but kept getting distracted by the food and trying to eat it.

We got to dip yummy pretzels into melted chocolate and sprinkles as well, and this was lots of fun, though my shirt has a big brown chocolate stain that will probably never go away. Ahh, well. All in the interest of fun.

After our dessert-making in the Kids in the Kitchen room, we paid a visit to the Children's Entertainment Room.

Henry loved this exhibit from the Dupage Children's Museum. 

The boys stayed here, making the shape of their hands pop out the other side, for quite some time. 

The bouncy house was, needless to say, a huge hit for the boys.

Nick preferred going up the stairs and down the slide, repeatedly. 

Henry got in and proceeded to bounce. And bounce. And bounce. He wasn't getting out of the bouncy house, not for all the tea in China.

The teenagers running the bouncy house asked me, "How do we get him out of there?" I had no ideas, short of dragging his two-year-old butt out by force. They looked horrified at the idea, but eventually acquiesced. Otherwise Henry would still be in there, bouncing happily.

The kids also loved the basketball station, though neither of them could throw the balls far enough to even be close to the hoop.

90% of my pictures are this blurry. Sigh. That's why I had to take 672 pictures on just this one day.

Henry had quite the stamina, though, and just kept trying, over and over and over.

Perseverance is one thing my younger son does not lack.

More about our chocolate-themed adventure tomorrow. It seems that below zero temperatures have led to school being canceled once again.