Things You Can Do In Minnesota In the Winter

Heading out!

It's been a little warmer here--that is, it's not been in the teens or single digits--and it's been sunny.   Still, the 10,000 lakes and then some that we have here in the North Star State are good and frozen over.  So this morning, we took the bambini over to Lake Calhoun so they could walk on top of a (frozen) lake.  Joe was all set to go ice fishing, especially when he saw a pair of guys drilling holes into the ice to do just that, but settled for being toted about on a sled and playing on the playground, too.  We were also entertained by two people kite skiing.  Clara was calling their crescent-shaped kites moons: "Look, the moon fell down!"  (She had the crescent shape down well before some of your more garden variety shapes, remember Brigade?)  After we'd marched around the lake, we went to My Burger for lunch, where Ted asked Joe if you could walk on the lake in the summer.  Joe said no.  When asked why, he said it was too deep.  Close enough.  But, he added, you can walk in the lake, because there is sand, which is like the floor.  We had fun this morning, but we're kinda lookin' forward to seeing the floor again.

Out, on the lake!

What are you lookin' at?

Snow Bird, in profile

Watching the moon

Bambini and Mommy, in shades

Birdie Medical Bulletin

Birdie Brigade, our standard bearer, our mascot, Our Birdie, is under the weather.  Julie and Ted were both up in the night multiple times unbeknownst to the other until the morning, tending to a bellowing Birdie.  She said her tummy hurt.  A trip to the pediatrician this morning revealed that while her tummy may have been hurting, so too was her throat because that is what strep throat does, don't you know.  She looked rather forlorn this morning.  She would say, "Pick me up," which comes out sounding like--and may in fact be--"Pick-y up."  When she wasn't being held, she was sitting in the chair in the living room looking at books and staring off into space.  Poor Birdie.  She's on the mend now though, one dose of antibiotics in, with a nap chaser.

A Real Reader, Reads

Reading, teacher style

We have been meaning to report that one morning last week, something happened like it weren't no thing, like it was an every day thing.  But really, it was the first time it happened, so it was kind of a big deal: Joe read to Clara.  !!!!!  No one asked him to read to her so it was sort of even more of a trip to notice them sitting on the couch, Joe with on of his pre-reader books open, at first, teacher style (i.e. facing out, upside down for him), and Clara sitting attentively beside him.  Later he turned the book back so it faced him.  It's kinda hard to read the words upside down, especially probably when you've just learned how to read.  He was reading the books we have hat Aunt Kate turned us on to that come in packs of four and are about a worm, a monkey, or a pig and his dad.  (There packs that feature other animals we think, but those are the animals in the packs we have.)  This week, he read to her from his Cars readers.  Holy bonkers, Fans.  Holy bonkers!  He's like a real-real READER!--!!!!!

And back right side up

Snowy Sunday Sleeping Arrangements

This past Sunday afternoon, as the snow flew outside, Birdie napped and Ted, on the sofa, had dozed off, too.  Julie was reading on the other end of the sofa.  Joe was pattering about taping a plastic Target bag to the table, cutting scraps of paper up, putting some of said scraps in to said Target bag, hauling the sofa cushions against one would rest his or her back (stripped off in a fit of discomfort by a crowded Julie) about.  He asked Julie if he could do something she can no longer remember, but she does remember saying he could not right at that moment.  He hauled himself off under the dining room table, curled up on top of a sofa cushion, and was out like a light.

Que Sera Sera

Skipping back to Saturday, Brigade (catching up from the hiatus you know), even a star feels a little dull sometimes, and by the time the Birds had arrived back home from Little Gym, Birdie was not feelin' the shine.  Truth be told, she might as well have had bunny rabbits in her ears all morning--that's about how well she was listening.  The Birds went upstairs on some errand and then, THEN, Brigade, Julie had the temerity to go down the stairs first.  Birdie was upset and was rather insistent upon what might be called The Do Over.  Julie is not down with The Do Over.  She was down the stairs by the time Clara had begun to pitch a fit about the prospect of going second, and was not about to go upstairs and do.  It.  Over.  Sometimes you're first, sometimes you're second.  Such is life.  C'est la vie.  Que sera sera.  Thus began a tantrum* lasting at least 40 minutes, consisting mainly of Birdie wailing from the top of the steps that she didn't want to [go second] and she didn't want Mommy to go first.  Noted.  Que sera sera.

*Our viewers will also see a dazzling close up of one of the stairs that Julie went down first.