Bedroom Makeover 2

Samantha's bedroom makeover was completed a couple of weeks ago. Like Robert, she got a new rug and the furniture was rearranged in accordance with her wishes.

We've been working on developing a routine of keeping the room clean and organized. It's rough-going because the girl changes outfits seven times a day and leaves the previous outfit lying on the floor.

We may be imagining this, but there seems to be less getting up in the middle of the night following the room makeovers. 

We are getting our second round of snow this evening and the kids have already inquired about sledding tomorrow. But the day is pretty packed with social obligations, so sledding may not be on the agenda.

Awesome!

We are hanging around the house, recovering and sipping hot chocolate after our first sledding experience.

Today was a snow day from school (and work, for Bob). After spending the morning puttering around the house, we went out in the car to complete some errands.  On the way out of town, we noticed children sledding down one of the hills at the high school. Sammy and Robert, of course, wanted to give it a try but Bob was hesitant due to the crowd of people and out of concern for the kids' safety.

Robert and Sammy have been in a sled before. Bob has pulled them around behind his bicycle and, when they were about 2 years old, we pulled them by hand and let them cruise down a mild bunny slope.  They've never been let loose on anything with an incline. 

During one of our stops in the car, I mentioned to a buddy that we "might" go sledding but probably not because of safety concerns. My buddy called my bluff, reminding me that I wanted to raise the kids to be outdoorsy and that driving them around in a car all afternoon was the opposite of outdoorsy. He was right, of course, and after a quick stop for lunch we raced home to get the sleds.

During that same stop, by the way, Sam invited herself over to my friend's house for dinner---I think. She's such a social being.

My safety concerns were misplaced. The three of us stood at the hill for a few minutes watching the traffic patterns and I issued some basic rules which the kids agreed to. Then off they went up the hill with their sleds.

After maybe three seconds of quiet contemplation at the top of the hill, they launched themselves toward the bottom. Robert instantly demonstrated control over the sled by shifting his hips back and forth. Within 5 seconds, all I could hear was the two of them shouting "This is Awesome!"

On his very first run, Robert made it to the end of the snow and kept on going into the parking lot adjacent to the hill. That's him in the sled on the right, below.

They had the biggest smiles on their faces after that first run, and I knew immediately that coming to the hill and giving the kids this experience was the right thing to do for them. That's what parenting is supposed to be, right…giving kids experiences to learn from.

Sammy did not display the same level of steering control as Robert, but she did manage to find her way to some snow mounds that the older kids constructed as jumps. She hit the jumps a couple of times and caught some air. Robert, meanwhile, was studying the hill to find the fastest route. No kidding: you could see him trying different paths to go faster or practice turning. He may have a future in bobsledding.

We stayed at the hill for about 40 minutes. 40 minutes in 10 degree weather with a wind chill is enough for a kid. No injuries, No accidents. A couple of wipeouts that produced loud laughter. A lot of fun and the perfect way to spend a snow day.

Birthday Party

A picture from dad's birthday party last night. The lighting in the dining room is not flattering to our eyes.

Mother Nature dumped about a foot of snow on us yesterday and overnight. It's hard to tell the exact amount because the wind is blowing it all-around. It's enough to close the schools, however, so we are enjoying a snow day today.

Bedroom Makeover

Robert's bedroom received a makeover for 2014, courtesy of Donna. It started with the need to add some sort of cabinet to hold his ever-expanding fleet of cars, planes and other toys. Then we started discussing a rug to deaden some of the noise, an idea that Robert liked.

It also seemed like a good time to move his homework desk into his room and out of the den. If you look carefully (click on the image to see a larger version), you'll see that he has arranged his desk with a lamp, toy telephone, scotch tape dispenser, ruler and pencil sharpener. He's very organized.

We let the kids pick their own rugs at the big box store yesterday. Robert was fond of the red carpet, even though up-close it looks a lot like a giant towel.

The new shelf unit sits next to his dresser. The plan was for the shelf unit to hold his toys, lots of toys. But before Donna could stock the shelves, Robert made his own arrangement.

At first glance, you'd think that an adult arranged the items in this fashion. It looks like a display at Pottery Barn Kids, doesn't it? But Robert did that on his own, and it seems a shame to disturb it for the time being. 

Robert is enjoying his "new," big-boy room.  He and dad hung out in the room and watched movies while Donna and Sammy attended a birthday party this afternoon.

Sammy's room gets its makeover this evening.

New Year's Snow

Last night's "blizzard" brought about 7 inches of snow to our community. Not a lot by most standards, but enough to cause people to lose their minds and panic. They shut the major parkways overnight, something we cannot remember happening in the past. Thankfully, school hasn't re-opened yet, so we didn't have to worry about a snow day. Of course, the kids think the snow is wonderful. 

After a hearty breakfast, we went outside to shovel and build an igloo.

Maybe we'll work on the second floor and roof tomorrow.

Robert made a snow angel.

After about 90 minutes, we retreated inside to get the snow out of our gloves and necks and eat some lunch.

Happy New Year!