while on lockdown with the inmates...

We are on our 3rd snow day now {we will see if another one is called tomorrow} and with all this "free" time stuck inside, it's time to get creative or the inmates {they are kind of cute inmates at least} get restless.  I think we have about exhausted all the "snow" play activities.  I mean we did build an igloo.  Ryan even attempted to bury Avery in the snow over the weekend...

I don't think this is as fun in the snow as it is in the sand, especially if you get snow on your face!  

With double the amount of snow over night...

It's safe to say this white stuff is going to be around for awhile...ugh!

Here's what we have been up to while on lockdown...

A little quiet time looking at the kids' own scrapbooks :).

Creating springtime placemats (I mean what else would you think about doing when there's over a foot of snow on the ground?)

{Avery's includes a little bit of summer too...ahhh sumertime...a distant memory...}

{Evan's}

Okay let me explain  this pile of stuff that's laying {yes it is currently there} at our front door...Evan apparently has a new obsession with getting a baby turtle {yes, it needs to be a baby one}.  Grandmommy  & Granddaddy said they would try to find him one when it gets warmer out.  Well this "stuff" is laying at the door for the time when that baby turtle miraculously arrives at our front door.  He says all the stuff is to decorate the baby turtles cage.  Let's not forget that there is over a foot of snow on the ground and we have a while to go before baby turtles come out...  

We also did some science experiments.

{Some "crazy mud"}

{Of course a volcano}

I swear my kids do get dressed every now and then...however it doesn't seem like is since I started this blog :).

Then why not...let's play with our food...actually Avery wanted me to take a picture of how he stuck 6 veggie sticks in his sandwich for lunch like his birthday cake...which is only 6 days away!

The princess and superheroes playing nicely together...

Finally, a game of chess!  Haha, yes that is an almost 6 year old and 4 year old playing their version of "chess"...quite entertaining, but I don't know how to play it either ;).

In the month of February Avery has been to school ONLY 10 days so far...we already know he's off school for kindergarten roundup on Thursday...so if another snow day is called tomorrow...that will be it, just 10 days.  That's crazy!  I want my routines back!!!

12 inches of snow = igloo building

I think Ryan has been looking forward to this day more than the kids...a day when we would have enough snow to build an igloo!  

First of all, this was what the boys and I created Friday afternoon...apparently this wasn't good enough...for the big boy I should say...

The boys spent most of the day shoveling the snow up and then digging it back out to create their masterpiece!  

It includes 3 tunnels...

You can see who is really doing all the work here.

And the finished igloo!

Ellie refused to get in it at all...probably best...who knows how structurally safe it is :).

Avery thought he was going to be sleeping in it tonight and his only worry was if he was going to need to wear his pjs.

Who needs a sledding hill, when you have your own steps covered in this much snow?!

And we are supposed to get round two of snow on Monday.  Oh boy!

Today also included Avery losing tooth #2...man the way these teeth are falling out the tooth fairy may go broke!

easy moss letter

Here's a quick and easy project to do while you are stuck inside for another snow day...well that is if you have moss laying around.  I have been seeing all these moss letter ideas on Pinterest.  I thought it would be easy enough to do.  The other day at the Dollar Tree {yes probably one of my favorite stores...I am cheap :)} I saw they have packages of moss.  I read somewhere people were finding them at Hobby Lobby for like $5, but I got my bag for a dollar! 

{Some of my other dollar store finds...I got 3 bags of moss, but it only took one}

Instead of buying a wooden letter, I just cut out a large "s" with my Cricut on paper.

Then I traced that letter on some cardboard.

{I doubled up the cardboard to make it stronger and just glued the two pieces together.}

Next, with my trusty hot glue gun {I can't live without that thing} just glue on the moss.

Keep gluing until all the holes are filled up and trim up the edges a bit with scissors.

Finally, I added some dollar store ribbon I had.  That's it!  Super easy!

For a grand total of $2!!

I also bought these bunnies at the Dollar Tree.

And just spray painted them.  

My spring mantel isn't done yet, but it's getting there...

another snow day

By the end of February I am so over snow {actually I only want snow to occur in the month of December} and am looking forward to spring.  So what do you do when you wake up to a "snowpocalypse", snow thunder, and 12 inches of snow?  You try to enjoy it...for the sake of the superheroes and princess :).

This is what it looked like outside our front door...where there should be a road and driveway...

and out our kitchen window...

So you make yourself a 6 cup pot of coffee...all for yourself :)...

and enjoy the day!

{Avery trying to hide from my camera.  This is his first "official" snow day off school!}

We make some snow ice cream!  Avery asked me several times to confirm that there was no pee in it :)...Avery and Ellie enjoyed it.  Evan not so much.

The days following Valentine's day {well I should say the days following Halloween, Christmas, and Easter too} wouldn't be complete without some candy eating.

{Yes, Ellie does have sucker stuck in her hair.  Who got her that large sucker anyways, oh yeah that was me...}

E & E loving on each other again...unlike what happened the other day with the finger incident...

Of course there has to be playtime outside.  I will spare you the details of how getting ready for the snow goes because I already went over it here.

{At first Ellie told me she wasn't going to go outside, but after she saw the amount of snow she wanted to try it out too.}

{They were amazed at how much!}

{It took quite an effort just to walk through it.}

{They were half buried just standing there!}

{They tried sledding, but the snow was too deep for that.}

Finally, back inside for hot chocolate, more playtime, and snuggles.

Hopefully we won't be buried inside for too long, but the steps to our front door are impassible right now...