Beating the Cold Snap Blues

For those who read this blog that don't live in the interior of Alaska it has been really cold up here; not just cold, but cold for a really long time. It has been three weeks since I've had the boys out to play, and the last time we did that was when we flew down to ER to visit with Ahma and Grandpa. We haven't been outside because it's been below -20F for weeks, and a lot of that time the temperature was at -30 or lower. I have a personal cutoff for going outside at -20. It's really hard to keep cheeks warm at those temperatures, and #1 has the lingering frostbite to prove it.

So, we've been cooped up inside all this time and I've been challenged to find lots of things for the kiddos to do. Here are some of the activities to stave off cabin fever:

 

I pulled my van out of the garage and then "painted" tracks on the floor with water and let them ride their bikes.  #1 enjoyed pushing #3 in the stroller, and he enjoyed it right back!

 

 #3 watching, from a safe distance!, his brothers zoom around on their bikes.

The house was really cold this morning so I thought it best to play near the stove.  We rarely get these rugs out, so the boys were entertained for quite some time.

 

Yesterday I pulled out the large electric train and each kiddo took a turn using the controller.

I've been trying to get of my comfort zone and getting the paints out more.  Here the kids are making ornaments.  I cut out shapes from cardboard and they chose their colors.  

 

 Here they are finished.  I plan on stringing them and letting the kids put them on the tree.  It's been ages since we've had ornaments, and I figure no one will care if these break!  Headache free tree decorations.

 

 We bought a small magnetic dry erase board and hung it on the wall.  Something else for the boys to do when the lack of cooperation and cabin fever start to close in on us.  Here are a couple other painting projects. The apple and dinosaur are cheap wood cutouts from the craft store and after they were painted I glued on a magnet.  The snowflakes and tree are painted on cardboard with painters tape to make the shapes!

 

 Each of the boys playing with their computer.  #1 has a couple really cool games on his that uses the mouse to guide a spaceship through the air and a monkey through a maze!

A fort!  We don't have many boxes, so I made this with one box, the rocking chair, a play tent, and the babies JumperRoo.  Had to get creative!

How Do You Beat The Winter Blues?

How does one survive endless days of -20F (or lower, today was -35) with a (almost) 4 year old (yikes!), and 2.5 year old, and a six month old? You let them wreak havoc on your house and pray no one gets hurts or nothing gets broken! My kiddos love running in the house, especially around our pantry, it makes a great track. #1 has become really good at saying, "excuse me" to the little one instead of pushing him out of the way.  They do this at least once a day and somehow (yet thankfully) it never gets old.  Luckily I don't have to worry about #2 getting shoved down the stairs anymore!

#2 running around the pantry

 

We also take goofy pictures.  #1 has recently discovered he can make his face do funny things.  It sure does make for frustrating, uh, I mean interesting fun pictures!

 



Yes, I even let them jump off the couch.  For some reason a pile of pillows and blankets provides quite a bit of fun.  From jumping off the couch, to running and crashing onto them.  It burns a lot of the cabin fever off as well!

#1 in mid jump, and #2 just beginning his.  Lots of laughter!

 

The kiddos have also enjoyed playing "flashlight game" where they get flashlights and run around the house finding the items I say.  Lots of up/downstairs stuff.  Hallway bowling; although this doesn't last long.  #1 and #2 don't let the other actually bowl, they think it's funny to knock down the cups before any bowling can ensue.  And of course play dates with friends and story time at the library.

 

Here's a few extra pictures for the road!

 





 My big ham!  7 months in 2 days, 22lbs, 28inches!  And a happy pleasant boy!

 

Big brother helping to entertain the littlest one.  When he's not being to rough, he's been really helpful.  He is always telling me, "Mom, I love my baby brother!"  I'm glad he sees him as an asset!

 

Brothers getting along and posing for a sweet pic.  #3 really adores his brothers.  He watches them with an eagles eye.  He is both, soaking up everything they are doing, and at the same time watching out for danger!

What our winter looks like so far.  We have more snow then Anchorage.  However, with the cold temperatures we have an inversion, where cold air is trapped under a warm air pocket, so the valley (where we live) is super cold with really really really bad air quality.  So right now it's smelly and smokey outside with no end in sight. 

Young Children's Eyesight

So this is to expand upon what I've discovered about young children's eyesight and the importance of taking them into an eye doctor for a routine checkup early on. 

Here is a link to a post I wrote earlier this year about my sweet little #2 and his/our journey of toddlers wearing glasses.  Go here to see what I wrote.

I'll add to it that he's become much better at wearing them, and does so 90% of the time.  I think he is finally seeing a difference and realizes he sees better with them on.  A lot of the time he'll go get them for us.  Oh, and he can even put them on himself now!  #2 will wear his patch without much arguing.  And really, once I get his glasses on over the patch he gives up and carries on with his day.  Allowing him to set the timer has helped.

I follow another blog and here is her experience with getting her son eye glasses: here  There are also a lot of great comments, read those as well.  Other mothers share their experience and advice on the subject.

I will reiterate how important it is to get your little ones eyes checked.  There is a short window to correct it, and once it's gone, it is gone forever. 

It's Warmer?!?!?!

Our winter has been up and down so far and it's only the second month.  We had a week of really cold weather, -30F to be exact, yikes!  I had the wood stove going so we stayed toasty warm inside.  By the end of this week we were all going stir crazy and things were getting desperate.  To mix things up a bit I threw together a scavenger hunt, the boys drug pillows and blankets out to jump on, and we even went bowling in the house.   I also complied a list of things we could do in a pinch, because well, cabin fever is going to strike often.

And as luck would have it, yesterday it warmed up to 24F and the kids got sick.  Gah!  Today it was a modest 7F so I got us all (excluding Colin who was napping) outside for an hour.  It really cleared my head and even helped calm their coughs.  Here's to hoping they are feeling even better in the morning.  On Tuesday I fly with the three boys by myself down to ER to visit my parents.  Husband has been working a lot lately and I'm looking forward to the extra set of helping hands and maybe even a nap!

Sorry Ya'll

Sorry ya'll (or really Cousin Sharon),

I'm have to add those stupid character questions when adding comments.  I've suddenly been hit with spam for xanax and other weird things since lifting it.  Hopefully this won't affect anyone.  I like reading your comments and knowing that someone other then me looks at the blog!

Winter is Here

The boys on the first walk of the year (disclosure, this was a few weeks ago)

 

Winter has begun in the cold, cold, so very cold, north, and it did so brutally.  Last week we woke up to -17F.  WHAT?  Being in the interior is crazy.  Luckily it's warmed back up to a toasty 10F.  I try to get the boys out once a day if the temperature is above -20F, however the sharp drop in temperatures didn't allow me to slowly acclimate so I've slacked off so far this winter.  Today I did get the kiddos outside for a 20 minute walk and it was so nice.  I hate being couped up in the house.  That being said, getting a almost 4 year old, 2.5 year old, 6 month old, and myself dressed and out the door takes a lot of work; I hope it doesn't stop me in the months to come!

 

#3 continues to be a really good sport.  He has really enjoyed going on walks, even though the means being bundled up.  I've added a neck warmer that I crocheted to his winter wardrobe to (hopefully) keep his little cheeks from getting frost bit.  #2 likes pulling his sled around, but he wants to hold my hand ALL THE TIME.  I hoping he's just getting used to being in a snowsuit and walking in the snow.  #1 is having a BLAST!  Today on our walk he rolled in the snow for quite a while.  He's even stopped being freaked out when snow gets on his face.

 

We have been keeping warm with the wood stove.  I've decided to try another fuel saving measure this year, not warming up the house using fuel before we get up.  Brrrrrrrr is all I have to say about that!  I think we'll save a bunch of fuel, but waking up to the house being 60 is pretty chilly!  Our rooms are still heated through the night though, I'm not that crazy.  We'll see in the next couple of months if it's worth it or not, but I can't imagine in not. 

 

Happy Winter to everyone!

Just Around the Cornor

My first born is almost four.  I can hardly believe it.  I know it's two months away, but still, four years is A LOT closer then 3, or 3 1/2.  Yikes.  It's somewhat unbelievable that sleepless nights were that long ago, or that he was just learning to crawl, and then we were excited he started to walk.  Let's not forget the teeth and the solid food!  And then I fast forward to the present, and well no wonder it doesn't seem like four years because I did it all over 2 1/2 years ago, and am doing it again right now!  I guess that's the thing with having three kids in 3 1/2 years, once you get one out of a stage, there is another one following closely.

There are perks though to having an almost four year old. His temper has really "mellowed," well as much as boys can :) He keeps his hands to himself a lot more now. He also is making good choices more then bad. He loves saying I love you, giving hugs and kisses. He still likes to snuggle. He helps his brothers.  His speech is getting better everyday.  But I have a running joke with the speech therapist that I'm really pulling for an "r"!

 

And here is my 2 1/2 year following in the footsteps of his older brother.  Unfortunately for my ears, his terrible twos are manifesting in whining, not in temper tantrums.  I think I prefer the yelling!  His speech is also delayed, however it's due more to his stubbornness and not due to hearing issues like his older brother.  Just the last couple of weeks he has begun to repeat most of what I, and his older brother, say.  He now says two colors: bue (blue) and wewwow (yellow), and currently trying to remember eeen (green)!  He is super busy and a daredevil.  The newest adventure is jumping down the stairs.  He's going to kill me!  He thinks he can keep up with #1.

 



 

My baby!!!  He will be six months old next week. NOOOOOOOO.  I swear with #1 every new milestone was exciting because he was the first.  With #2 is was a little less novel, but he did everything so fast.  With this one I don't want him to grow up!!!!  I can't believe he could be eating solid food already.  That he can roll over and do pushups.  That he is getting his first tooth.  That he will be crawling at some point.  It just can't be!  I want to bottle him up and never let him out.  He LOVES his brothers and is such a good sport with them.  He doesn't even mind if they stand on him, it's great.  He is just precious.  And soon enough he'll be moving at the speed of light like the others and then I'll be nostalgic for those sleepless nights all over again.

A Hunting He Will Go!



This first pic isn't the best of Husband, but, if you can zoom in you'll see #1 sporting his favorite look, a wink topped off with a thumbs up!  Husband went hunting a couple of times in September but could never find that elusive moose.  Total bummer because we really needed one this year.  The boys helped Daddy get packed up and were rewarded by receiving a ride on the 4-wheeler.  #1 has been eyeing the trailer and I thought, what the he**, let's put his helmet on and let him ride.  He had a great time and we all earned a little brownie points!

 



Here is #1 giving Daddy a nice send off.  All packed and ready to go!

Below is my food cache for the winter.  I froze five bags of raspberries, seven of lowbush cranberries, and 10 or so of blueberries.  The raspberries were picked just up the road where we live (must pick more next year) and about half the cranberries are from our "front yard."  I convinced Husband to pick blueberries out at moose camp and he came through!  I'm so excited to have freshly frozen local berries for muffins and pancakes for those cold dark winter days that are coming. 

Two Boys in a Room

Way back in April we finally bit the bullet and put both boys in the same room (#1 and #2, #3 wasn't here yet!).  This decision was not made lightly.  We had thought about it for awhile, but then as luck would have it we were sort of thrust into it by two separate events.  The first was our domestic water pipes going out the day after Thanksgiving.  To accommodate all the exposed holes in our walls we moved #1 up into our bedroom (oh yeah, I must write about this) and #2 into #1's room.  #2's room became what I affectionately called our hoarders room because all things in our house went their to collect dust, disappear, then die a lonely death.  The sleeping arrangements stayed as such all the way until April.  I had politely, gently, subtly, and then not so subtly pointed out that I was 37 weeks pregnant and that soon we would have a third child (second event), who would be sleeping in our room and that it was time to get things moving to get #1 out of our room.  I didn't want #1 to feel as if the baby was replacing him and the cause for him being moved out, and we were quickly loosing time!  Husband quickly patched up the one room.  I made a cute calendar to countdown to this momentous occasion.  As it turned out, it was more for me then them.  Husband and I both dreaded them sharing a room.  We imagined endless nights of them laughing, playing, hitting, kicking, yelling, etc, etc, and that they would never get enough sleep and be grumpy and miserable, therefore making us miserable.  Thankfully, this couldn't have been farther from the truth and was in fact an easy transition.  The first night they laughed and played for an hour; the second, 30 minutes.  After that smooth sailing. 

Now fast forward five months to the present.  It's still going well.  However #2 decided it was a good idea to start screaming, crying, and jumping in his crib when it was time for lights out.  This prompted #1 to scream, cry, and pitch a fit at #2 to stop, "#2 be quiet, go to sleep."  They would do this for five minutes then silence.  It SUCKED.  It was loud and it bothered me to no end.  I felt bad that #1 was bothered by #2's racket.  I also felt bad for #2 because getting yelled at when you're sad sucks.  Finally I started to tell #1 that instead of yelling to calmly tell #2 that it'll be okay and to go to sleep.  Now I just simply remind him of this every night, and voila, no more yelling, and no more crying on #2's part, I'm SOOOO smart!  Now when I close the door I hear kindness, "#2 it's alright, mom will be back in the morning, go to sleep.  It's okay, go to sleep." Thank goodness!

I Love...

...being a mother of three wonderful, energetic, sweet loving boys!  These kiddos can bring a smile to my face even when I'm in the grips of overwhelming frustration.  My boys are full of energy.  I get them outside as much as possible.  This usually means 1-2 hours in the morning, and another bout after naps/quiet time in afternoon, usually a walk if the baby is awake.  These kids run in the house, rough house, jump off furniture, and use me as a jungle gym.  I wake up frequently with bruises without a clue as to where they came from.  These boys play rough and loud!  If only I earned a penny every time I said "Keep your hands to yourself" "You play gotcha with your dad, not your brother" "Stop squishing him."  And in a year I'll have one more to "reprimand!"

These boys are so sweet and loving.  Every time I'm at my wits end and I feel as though I am raising the next degenerates of society, #1 will come up to me out of the blue and say "I lub you Mom."  How can your heart not melt and make you realize you must be doing something right?!  #1 comes up to me frequently throughout the day unprompted to tell me loves me, gives a kiss, or a hug.  He does this with both his little brothers as well.  #2 loves giving #3 kisses and hugs.  It's pretty amazing.  And just today #1 on our play date went up to a little girl, shook her hand and said "Nice to meet you!!!"  Incredible!

All this being said, they are a handful, and I am fearing winter already.  I say already like it's somewhere in the far future, but in reality it's freezing at night and snow will be flying within the next two weeks.  We are going to have definite cabin fever.

Which brings me to this:  Any of you moms of multiple, wild, aggressive boys have any suggestions?!  How do you teach boys to be calm?  Or does this just come with age?  And does this mean I'll sound like a broken record for years to come?!