Snow Days!

Well, if you live in MO, you know we’ve been having some fun winter weather the past couple of days!  Friday ended up being an early release day for CPS, and Monday was a total snow day because of another storm system that came through (although I’m thinking calling school Monday might have been a bit overly-cautious, but I’m not complaining- I needed the day at home after a training all day Saturday and the Super Bowl party on Saturday!).  Anyway, being a school employee definitely has benefits during the winter, and Laney and I had a couple of extra days at home! 

Friday, I picked her up right before naptime, so we both got to take a nap, then headed outside to play.  Friday morning Laney discovered footprints (or “footprincesses” as she calls them) as we were walking to the van, because Daddy had already been out, so there were his footprints around our van.  So when we headed back out that afternoon to play, she was mostly interested in making footprints in the fresh snow.  But who doesn’t love that?!

Making footprints…

Apparently, making footprints is quite the accomplishment… this is “ta-daaa!”  Love the Gym Bus training with the hands in the air!

 

It was nice and wet snow, so we headed to the backyard to make a snowman… not much snow, so it was a little one!  But she was quite interested in the whole process.  We ran out of attention span before we got to the smile, so we had to just draw one in!  And Isa was mostly interested in knocking the snowman over… but oh well!

Cheese-ing with the snowman!

So, I didn’t take a single picture at the Super Bowl party.  We had our normal MHBC Youth party at the Scott’s house, and it was a great time, but I just didn’t get out the camera.  Was fun to see the Saints (gotta love pulling for the underdogs, plus Chase Daniel is on the team) win.  Was not fun to lose my cell phone, so that’s not cool… hoping it shows up somewhere! 

It was an exhausting weekend, and by the end of it Josh and I (and Laney) were fighting colds.  So I was QUITE relieved when Monday was a snow day!  Laney and I both slept in until after 9, and then enjoyed a lazy day at home!  It was weird kind of snow, because it was just warm enough to keep the roads clear, but it snowed ALL DAY LONG.  A good day to stay warm and inside! :) 

And what better way to spend a day inside than watching Cinderella… dressed up as Cinderella, of course! :)

Later, we had to switch to Snow White dresses, and make some coffee and lemonade in her little kitchen!

She’s very realistic- stirring up the coffee!

And, apparently, Snow White dresses are appropriate for wear anywhere!  I opened the door to see if it was still snowing, and that was the first time she noticed it was snowing.  So she raced right out!

Checking out the “footprincesses” that princess shoes make!  She pretty quickly discovered that princess shoes+snow=seriously cold feet!

So she switched making footprints for eating the snow!

Later, we bundled up and headed outside for some real playing in the snow…

More eating snow… got to work on how to CHOOSE the snow we eat- she was not picky enough for Mommy, and thus ended up with some wood chips on her tongue!  Gross…

 

Climbed right into Isa’s house, which would be where the wood chips came from!  Notice Truman in the doorway- peeking out, NOT interested in actually COMING out! 

After the woodchip incident, she was a little more interested in feeding the snow to Isa…

…who decided that licking the snow was not nearly as interesting as licking Laney’s face!

 

Last time it snowed, Laney discovered throwing snowballs (or “meatballs,” as she calls them).  Nothing like the look of joy as she throws it all of 2 feet ahead of her! 

This weather is right up Miss Isabelle’s alley, being a cold weather dog and all.  She can’t figure out why we don’t just stay outside all day and play with her!  We certainly had fun with her while we were out there, though!

Just love evergreens with snow…

Ok, so I’ve been going on and on about how good Laney has been about her big girl bed.  Should have known that it would come back to bite me!  Monday I put her to bed for her nap around 1:00/1:30.  She sang to herself and talked for awhile, and then it got quiet.  I was watching a movie and doing laundry in the living room, and I heard a few bumps from her room, but I figured it was just her rolling over and hitting the wall.  But then about 3:00, I heard a weird tapping noise.  So, I headed down the hall to peek in on her, just to make sure.  Yeah, this is what I found:

With the addition of her stuck back behind the rocking chair, behind the blinds, looking out at the snow in the front yard!!  The noise I’d heard was the blinds hitting the wall.  Apparently, Miss Laney had been occupying herself in her room for an hour and a half, and knew to keep it pretty quiet so I had no idea!  Notice the shelf on the changing table is empty, after I just carefully arranged all of the bibs, burp rags, and blankets in baskets last week, to be ready for Audrey.  Those were dumped all over the floor, the few toys in her closet were all over the floor (clearly)… and Miss Laney was just having a grand ol’ time!  Nice…

So, anyway, I put on my best stern Mommy voice and we had a lovely chat about staying in bed and sleeping when it’s naptime, and she ended up going to sleep (after some serious crying).  And when she woke up (or when I woke her up at 5, since she got to bed so late and I didn’t want her sleeping too late), we immediately cleaned her room up.  Hopefully that will help with future desires to get out of bed.  And, apparently, I need to hook the baby monitor up again so I can have a better idea of what’s actually going on in there!   I thought we got off a little too easily with the whole big girl bed switch!!  Smart little kid, she knew to keep it quiet!  I get the feeling we’re in for quite a ride in the next few (or 18) years!!