Snow Cream

All last week I kept hearing about this big snowstorm that we were supposed to get over the weekend. I was pretty skeptical. They have been wrong all winter about the amounts of snow that we were supposed to get the few storms that came through. I figured that we'd maybe see an inch or so. Plus, I'm really over snow and ready for spring and warmer weather, so I was actually okay with not getting anything. Well, wouldn't you know, that they were actually right for once. It snowed a little bit Saturday night, but then started snowing pretty heavily late Sunday afternoon and all night leaving us with between 7-9 inches of snow (it was blowing so it was hard to tell exactly how much we had with all of the drifts). School was cancelled for Monday, and we were able to just be at home. We played outside after lunch and got to sled down some big piles that Calvin had made when he cleared off the lane. We also made a snowman and enjoyed trying to walk through the knee deep drifts on the side of the barn. Last snow storm we had one of my friends made snow cream with her kids, so I looked up a recipe on Pinterest, and we made it. Yes we ate snow, which Calvin thought was disgusting. But I made sure we got it from a place that had no footprints and was at least a foot deep. I wasn't sure what it was going to taste like, but it was delicious!

Getting ready to make snow cream

Coye's turn to stir

Chloe's turn

Aubrey's turn

Finishing mixing

The finished product

Yum!

Even better with lots of sprinkles!

I think he had at least 3 helpings.

American Girl Doll Closets

When I found the pattern for the doll bunk beds that Calvin made the girls for their birthdays, I also found a pattern for a closet (http://ana-white.com/2011/12/plans/star-doll-closet-american-girl-or-18quot-doll) that I thought would be really handy to put all of the clothes and accessories that they have in. They had everything stuffed in some plastic drawers that I had bought for Aubrey, but the drawers were crammed full of stuff and it was hard to find anything. So I printed off the pattern and showed it to Cal - I didn't tell him he had to make them. I just wanted him to see them and think about it. A couple weeks later I happened to be in the shop putting back some folding chairs and saw that he had started building them - two of them, one for each girl. I was so excited! He re-worked the plans a bit by adding a drawer and building three boxes to put the small stuff in. He then stained and varnished it (with help from his mom). They turned out better than I ever imagined they would be, and it is so awesome to be able to hang their doll clothes up and have everything organized. We had to rearrange their room a little bit, because they are big, but it gives them a place to keep all of their things and be able to find everything.

Front

Side

Inside

Boxes for the small stuff

Drawer for pants

Rod to hang the clothes on 

The girls were very excited! (See how big they are in relation to them?!)

In their room and organized (we just have to get one more handle for Aubrey's drawer)

The finished product

Aubrey's Friends Party

Aubrey wanted to have a friends' birthday party this year for her birthday. She was going to invite all of the girls in her class at first, but then decided that she would just have over a couple of her best friends. I was okay with that, having never planned a kids party before. Originally, we were going to have it on her actual birthday, but one of her friends was sick so we moved it to this past Friday (my birthday). They came home with us after school, played, opened presents, ate cake pops, made bracelets and melty bead shapes, and then ate pizza. They left after supper. The girls had a great time playing together, and Aubrey had a great birthday party!

Opening presents

Chloe, Aubrey, and her friends

Another present

Making melty beads

Working together

One more picture before heading to bed - Coye wasn't cooperating. He was more concerned with the bracelet Chloe made for me then smiling for the camera.

At least the girls cooperated

Snow Day!

We finally got some snow on Tuesday that actually amounted to something that we could go out and play in. It snowed all day and when Aubrey got home from school, she quick did her homework and we headed out to play in it. It was so nice out! It was still snowing, there was no wind, and the temperature wasn't extremely cold. We ended up staying outside for almost an hour and a half. We made two snowmen, played on the slide on the playground, did a little bit of sledding, and fed the animals. We had a great time!

Getting ready to go play

The snowman Coye, Chloe, and I made

Chloe and Coye's snowman

The girls did a little sledding - they are getting heavy to pull when they are both on at the same time.

Aubrey worked on making a snowman all by herself.

Coye loved being outside and walking in the snow!

Aubrey and the snowman she made all by herself.

Aubrey's 7th Birthday

Aubrey turned seven on Saturday. It's crazy how fast she is growing up! She grew almost 2 1/2 inches last year and has gotten tall, although she seems to be all leg (I wonder who she gets that from - probably both of us). She is still my sweet, tender-hearted girl who wears her heart on her sleeve and gets her feelings hurt quite easily. She loves school and enjoys learning as much as she likes playing with her friends. She has become an awesome reader and loves to read either by herself or to her brother and sister. She also loves to write and was very excited to write her first "published" story at school last week (her teacher typed the story for them and they illustrated it). She enjoys playing the piano and is excited about finishing her first piano book this week and getting a new one. She and Chloe are great playmates - while they don't get along perfectly all the time, they will usually spend all day Saturday playing together, whether it's dollhouse, American Girl dolls, Barbies, school, or church. She is a great helper and is wonderful with her siblings and the kids I babysit for. I love this little girl so much!

We let her open her presents before supper because she was so excited!

Coye was more excited about the cake balls.

One last picture before opening

Sketch pad and stamper markers from Uncle Nic and Aunt Ingrid

Hello Kitty walkie talkies and American Girl doll shoes from mommy and daddy

Her extra cupcakes from the ones we made for school - we've had a lot of birthday cake this past week!

Blowing out all 7 candles

The cake pops we made for her "friends" party