02/20/11 - Winter Weather

This is about the time of year when we start getting tired of the rain and cold and look forward to the warm weather which is still many months away.  We revel in every rare hour of sunshine and take full advantage of it.   My birthday happened to be a gloriously sunny day, so we took the opportunity to drive up to Mt. Hood so the girls could play in the snow.   We haven’t had any snowstorms at our elevation that didn’t immediately melt, and Eva’s been dying to build a snowman.

 

It was only a ½ hour drive to the first rest stop that offered sledding.  We had to use their inner tubes instead of the toboggan we’d brought, but the girls had a blast.  Bethany sat on the floor of one inner tube, softly cooing “weeeee!” as we towed her over the snow.   

Amanda held back cautiously as she watched Eva squeal and laugh as she took multiple tube rides down the bunny slope, but finally worked up the courage to try it after lunch.  Dave would push her first, then Eva, and she’d cheer at the bottom of the hill and cry triumphantly, “I won!  I won!”  

 

We brought raisins and a carrot to decorate a snowman, but the girls were content with just making the head.   In the end it looked like a snowman out of “Calvin and Hobbes,” buried up to his neck.    Eva is still asking when we’ll go back, but maybe we won’t have to.  We’ve got snow in the forecast again this week, and it might actually stick this time. 

 

Busybody

Bethany is a busy toddler who runs around non-stop.    She’s very observant and always wants to help, like when she takes the clothes I’m trying to fold and deposits them in the dirty clothes hamper, or puts toys away in the toy chest while her sisters are trying to play with them.  She likes to steal newly washed dishes and silverware out of the dishwasher while I’m emptying it, and pretends to feed her sisters with a bowl and spoon. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She also takes after Amanda with her fascination for playing dress-up.  She wants to try on all the shoes and dresses she sees her big sister wearing, though they’re all too big for her.   I’m doing my best to try and get her weight back up, but she’s not that interested in eating right now, especially with her molars finally trying to come in.  I’m really hoping her appetite will improve when they break through and she can finally chew properly. 

Bunk Beds

With Eva on her way to turning 6 this summer, we finally decided it was time to get bunk beds for the girls’ room.  We chose a set from Ikea where the top bunk is only chest high and the bottom mattress rests on the floor.  That way, with all the climbing and playing they’ll do on it, they won’t be too far off the ground.   It’s already a big hit.   The top bunk has replaced Mommy and Daddy’s bed as the “airplane” when they pretend to go traveling, and the bottom bunk is their castle, cave, or hideout, depending on the scenario. 

 

Lately the game has been to act out entire movies while they’re watching them.   Whether it’s Cinderella, Dumbo, or their current favorite, Balto, they’ll each choose the character they want to be and act out the scenes in detail.  If it’s Balto, they tie themselves to laundry baskets for sleds and pull them along.  If it’s Dumbo, they build a circus tent with chairs and a blanket, and make it collapse on cue.   I even caught Amanda crying behind the closed door of the playroom one day, and Eva explained that she was only pretending to be Cinderella, locked in her room by the wicked stepmother.  I opened the door and sure enough, Amanda was smiling at me, saying, “Can I try on the shoe now?”