Snow day

Last week our town got a smidge of snow and school was canceled. I was grateful because we had gotten several inches of snow out here in the boons (I hate driving in snow) AND I got to stay home with my favorite girl! (Cam still had to go in to work.)
Whenever we're home with an entire day on the horizon, I know we'll need to keep the day busy and structured for Clementine. If it were up to her, she would love nothing more than to stay in pjs and watch movies all day. That sounds lovely, but experience has taught me: this isn't a good thing.
Clementine has about a 2-3 minute attention span so any "activity" she does will be quick. Fortunately, she had plenty of good ones to choose from.
She filled up her lady-bug piggy bank,
Play doh, of course,

and made a snow-person/lump.
Clementine LOVES to wash dishes. Something I am so grateful for because our dishwasher broke for about a week. She was an amazing help! Love that girl!
We went for a walk and looked for animal prints in the snow.
And played in the neighborhood rock garden.
Back inside we warmed up and made a "snowball" letter S. My favorite mama to preschoolers blog is No Time for Flashcards. The mama-write is a former teacher and she shows ways to help develop phonemic awareness, sensory skills, fine and gross motor, etc. with your own kids at home. Our collection of letters (this S included) comes from her site.

Then, as I was putting in a load of laundry, I looked out the window and saw this: Clementine outside in the backyard in her underpants. Of course. You wouldn't think this would be comfortable but I could hardly drag this kid back inside. For some reason she loves running out the backdoor in various stages of nudity.
I finally did get her back inside only to find her BACK out there a half hour later again with her pants off (notice now she's rocking her cow shoes).
We concluded the day with yet another idea from No Time for Flashcards: a gallery wall! We hung up various kinds of coloring paper (with Frog Tape so as to not damage the paint underneath). My FAVORITE invention lately is this Color Wonder stuff from Crayola. Those are the markers that will ONLY mark on the special paper. No more colors on the floor or table. I love it!!
Clem colored and drew for quite awhile. We're leaving these up for awhile because she likes to add details here and there as the days pass.
Clem and I had a blast on our surprise day off from school but I have to say, I was exhausted by the time Cam got home!

Yearning for Spring

This winter already seems colder, darker, longer than any other I've experienced. Already, I am desperate for Spring. I'm ready to see those bulbs in bloom, get my veggie starts in the ground. My NW Gardening books have been out the last few weeks as I plan what to do in our front flower beds. I'm ready for Spring.


And so is this girl. She is tired of being cooped up in the house as we wait for the frost to melt. At 8:15 Saturday morning she decided she wasn't going to let a little ice (or temperatures still below freezing) to get in her way. Still in footie PJs she puts on her ladybug boots, puffy winter coat, super snuggly winter hat then she grabbed her "gardening materials" and hit up her favorite digging spot.
Look who else is ready for spring! My white lilac who I hope to see some blooms from this year! Signs are hopeful.
Back to our girl. We have itty bitty blueberry bushes planted here (hope to see some fruit this year!). She loves to sit off to the side mounding up loose soil.



Today there was just the slightest dusting of snow on the ground but the temperatures are actually higher than yesterday (33!!) so, of course, we go for a bike ride!
Clementine has a number of routines as we cruise the neighborhood. She blows kisses to every critter (real or not) in every neighbor's yard. As we pass the ceramic rabbits and donkey, the wooden black bear and plastic flamingo she blows a kiss and says "Bye! See ya later!" Today we ran across someone's new addition--one she didn't recognize. "Who is that?" she asked. "Buddha." I told her. "OK! Bye Buddha! We'll see ya later, ok?" she hollered out.


Her other big time routine is gathering a handful of rock each time we bike past someone w/ gravel in their driveway. We stop at every.single.driveway. for a handful of gravel, which she then collects in her bike basket.
I don't know if there's some kind of master rock gathering plan but it gives her bike ride purpose so she's happy.