Saturday, January 15, 2011

winter still

fun dough
It has been cold, so cold, and I'm having trouble coming up with creative ways to keep the kids occupied indoors. They ride bikes and scooters in the basement and play with fun dough in the kitchen. We build forts with blankets and space ships with legos, watch movies, draw pictures, make stuffed animals talk to each other and scatter pieces of board games everywhere in between. And still, we find ourselves with entirely too many hours to fill.
back on the shelf
One thing I do love about these slow winter days, is the extra time to spend with books. Everyone grabs a favorite and we cuddle up under blankets to read. All the books we read over the holidays have been tucked neatly back into bookshelves and new piles are growing around the house. Kate loves just-her-size Beatrix Potter tales but her absolute favorite is Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (she brings it to us exclaiming, "Reaky Book!? Reaky Book!? Chicka! Chicka!"). Kenna chooses animal stories with plenty of pictures or the oddly shaped Disney Princess board book that I can't stand (but I would never turn down a little girl and her fairy tales). Tristan has been reading Farmer Boy with his dad but whenever he can, he gets me to read The Story of the World. Even though he has listened to the audio versions of these history books dozens of times over and often blurts out names or phrases before I get to them, they remain his top choice. He's becoming a really good reader himself but doesn't know it yet or simply doesn't care and would listen to the dictionary if I chose to read that out loud to him.
Shhh...
When the kids are happily occupied with their movies and messes, I fill the time with my own ever-growing pile of books. I have a bad habit lately of starting one after another until it seems I'll never be able to finish any of them (with the exception of the Hunger Games trilogy that I shamelessly devoured in three days). Today I've been engrossed in Decision Points by George Bush (so interesting and laugh-out-loud funny). Our weekly Bible study group is starting a Tim Keller series so I decided to pick up his books that have been on my list for a while, starting with Prodigal God. And since I keep hearing so many great things about it, Paul Miller's, A Praying Life, is in the stack as well. Oh and I was so excited to finally order Ann Voskamp's new book. Read her words here and you'll see why.
What are you reading? And when you're not, how do you fill cold winter days with wiggly kids? We'd love some ideas!

7 comments:

  1. I picked up Mockingjay today and hope to finish it this weekend. I'm mildly confused though because I read books 1 and 2 in 2009 and can't remember exactly what's going on. Decision Points is on my to-read list as well.

    Um...and if you're bored, you should come visit us!

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  2. Bo's Cafe, by John Lynch and Bill Thrall is turning out to be pretty good. I'm 63% of the way through(thank you kindle!!). Have started Decision Points and next is The Rage Against God by Peter Hitchens. If I had those cute, sweet grandkids here with us, we would rotate between playing marbles all over the basement, a trip to the Moon Marble Company and some excursions out into the surrounding Kansas snow!;) ;) ;)

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  3. Paddington Bear and The Birth Order Book (on my new Kindle!! yay!). Just finished Blink of an Eye by Ted Dekker and hoping to start Decision Points soon. Got it for Ev for Christmas, so I sorta have to wait for him to read it first. Also in the queue is Bringing Up Girls. Sorry, no clever ideas for bored kids. I'll keep checking back- I need some!

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  4. I so jealous of you getting to read. The only thing I can manage to read here lately is whatever Elizabeth wants to read. Here lately that has been "Brown Bear" and "Who Stole the Cookies From the Cookie Jar?"

    When I do get a chance to read, it will be the most recent Dan Brown that I started about 6 months ago and still have not broken page 100. Sigh. I need to find some time.

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  5. I just finished Freakanomics and it was fantastic. OK, so it's nonfiction, but a very entertaining nonfiction. Jimmy just finished Thr3e and loved it.

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  6. PS: Drew is now on his 3rd (I think) time through the Jesus Storybook Bible you sent us. He LOVES it - can't get enough. I'm certainly not complaining :)

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  7. We're reading Farmer Boy to the kids too. I've read it countless times, but it never gets old. Kurt mentioned you were reading Decision Points, because he got it for Christmas and I ended up being the first one to read it. I'm addicted to biographies. I don't think I have anything to offer for entertainment. We're doing the exact same thing as you - filling 12 hour days with every activity possible that doesn't require getting out in the cold.

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