Frozen

What a coincidence that my kids' favorite new movie is the new Disney "Frozen" movie and that this winter has pretty much looked like a scene from the movie.  It feels like we have been FROZEN all winter.  I really do not remember a winter that has been as cold and icy as this one.  And since this frozen stuff started in early December, it feels like it has been an eternal winter.  Pretty appropriate that there is still ice on the ground from 4 days ago and I am watching snow flurries fall as I post these pictures from our first frozen days in early December!  It was, however, fun to have the winter wonderland then to put us in the Christmas spirit.  But now I am ready to either have actual SNOW (no more ice!) or for spring to come early.  And I have never before wished a winter away because I love winter.  But dozens and dozens of days of sub-freezing high temps with no actual snow to play in is just kind of absurd.  Ha.  My kids sing "Do You Want to Build a Snowman" daily if not hourly ... because they DO want to build a snowman.  

But we have had fun playing in the winter weather we have been blessed with.    This was our first time out on the ice... 

Nothing like sledding on a good old box!  And they wanted so badly to make snow angels.  This is when Annabel said, "this snow is NO fun at all."  

Then we found a warmer coat for James and came out for round two.  

They discovered the stairs were solid ice and made a great bumpy slide ... over and over, laughing each time!

And we upgraded to plastic container lids  ... and the actual containers!

I think this was day 3 of the SAME ice ... and we got Elliot into the fun.

We borrowed actual little sleds from grandmommy.  Whee!!!!

And they were FAST!!

I have some of the funniest videos of them on the sleds and them wiping out on trees, the neighbors car, etc. Those sleds just keep going and going on that solid sheet of ice.  Elliot thought it was pretty fun ... 

for a while, anyway.  Poor bundled up baby had a hard time staying on his feet.

These two win the award for the best snow bunnies.  Madeline LOVES being outside in it, and I have to drag her in.  My kind of girl!

James was the same way.  Never mind his gloves were soaking wet.  He just took them off and kept going and going.  He had a blast sledding.

He also thought the post-snow playing hat hair was hilarious. 

And I think this was 4-5 days after it started, and our driveway was still a solid sheet of ice.  That is what happens when it stays in the single digits for days!

So since we couldn't build a snowman, James decided that he would be a snowman.  "Look, I'm Olaf!"  

And what snow day/week is complete without a warm bubble bath where we all pretended we had beards like Santa!

That was our fun December ice storm ... the first of several we have had this winter.  I think I should be getting a refund on daycare since they have been closed half the time!  But we have enjoyed all of our "togetherness" for the most part.  We'll see what the next few weeks brings...