Winter Days

Other than a couple days last week, we have been thrust into the bitter cold of January.  The best thing to do is stay inside and try to keep warm! I don't always make all the kids come outside to help with barn chores in the afternoon because it is cold. The high on Friday was in the teens below zero, nothing works the same in that weather.  My car has remote start but sometimes at that temp it refuses to work and I have to actually walk outside with a key in my hand to start the car so it can warm up.  I know: first world problems! Sometimes it is hard for me to be positive and have a good attitude when it is so cold outside, I have to keep reminding myself of all the things that are good and that I am grateful for. Our house is warm, we have food to eat and we are all generally healthy.

School seems to be going good for the kids, I haven't heard any complaints.  They are pretty good about remembering to do homework, if they have any. However, I do have to get after JJ to do his spelling activities.  All three of them spend a lot of time reading, usually they have to be reminded several times to do any tasks or chores. I'm glad they like to read and I was the same way when I was a kid but sometimes they do need to focus on the task at hand!

The kids got a puzzle from Santa this year and I got it started when we were still on Christmas break. We are getting to the more challenging areas of the puzzle so it has just sat there for a couple weeks.  Now and then someone will sit down and work on it for a little while.

Micah and JJ got big craft/activity kits for Christmas and have been getting lots of good use out of them.  Great entertainment on cold weekends! I even dug out the hot glue gun once and helped them glue some trickier projects.

A friend of Eric's came out to look for pheasants so Eric and Micah found the blaze orange and walked around with him.  They had a fun time getting out and walking.  Turns out, that after driving all the way to the far edge of the field, then walking back toward the farm yard, the pheasants and turkeys were all up by the yard.  Now we know!

It is still close enough to Christmas that all the toys and games and gifts are still interesting. I have stepped over a full farm's worth of tractors and combines in the living room and dining room more times than I can count.  It's great that the boys are getting use out of and having fun with the farm toys but maybe they could do that upstairs in their own room?  Apparently, the rug in the living room is the best "field" in the house.

I have been trying to get some reading done this winter.  I listen to a couple podcasts that always recommend books and it makes me want to read more.  Usually, I go right to the library website to request the books even though I already have a stack of library books on the table waiting for me to get through.  I think I'm worried that if I don't request the book from the library right away, I will forget about it and not have anything to read when I do have time.  Fortunately, if a book is recommended to a large audience it becomes more popular and the wait at the library is long, hopefully long enough that I can get the books I already have read before they notify me that the next one is in!  Winter is a good time to read, I don't feel guilty about spending time inside.