Rainy Day

It's raining! Being such a rarity here, it puts everyone in a festive mood. We don't mind getting wet and the cloudiness reminds me of the snow I miss so much. I'm certainly feeling cuddly and Christmas-y today. The rain does limit us to indoor activities which isn't a problem per se, but my kids are the kind that don't entertain themselves very easily unless they're outside. This means whining....and bickering....and knock down drag out fighting. When things get really bad (as in I'm ready to lock myself in a closet and cry) an episode of Thomas or the Wonder Pets usually gets them calm enough to try again. But I've really been making an effort not to use the TV for my sanity breaks. I've really been trying not to use the TV much at all. And so today, instead of watching the SAME DVD for the hundredth time, I took hold of that holiday spirit that the weather had instilled in me and I asked my children what we should do. Crafts! Cookies! Books! Picnic! they shouted. I'm a self proclaimed control freak and actually allowing my kids to determine the agenda of the afternoon was super difficult for me. I usually suggest the activities (clean, quiet ones)  but I grit my teeth and started looking for glue sticks and construction paper.

K got to pick the first activity. A craft, she said. What kind of craft? I asked. A Christmas craft, she says. I'm not the craftiest person in the world  and trying to throw together an unplanned project for my young children almost had me running for the door. Spontaneity is frightening to me. I like order, a plan, an agenda. At the very least, a thirty minute internet search to come up with an age appropriate, and preferably environmentally  conscious Christmas project. Those big blue eyes peered up at me, waiting to be dazzled by my craftiness. A light bulb went off in my head. Paper chains! I remember making this craft as a child and figured it was simple enough for my two year old son's chubby fingers. We had all the supplies and could "green" it up by cutting up some of K's art to use. I cut the strips, passed out glue sticks and we go to it. When J was more interested in eating the glue than sticking paper together with it, and K insisted that the chain "needed glitter," I figured it was time to move on. I hate glitter. 

J picked next. He wanted to play a game. I picked up travel version of the game Perfection on my last jaunt to Target. It was on sale for 4.99 and I had a coupon for $5.00 making it FREE. Yeah. That's right, FREE. How's that for frugal?Anyway, the premise is to fit all the shapes into their holes before the timer goes off and pops them all out. They never get all the shapes in their places before the timer goes off, but J enjoys screeching with delight when all the shapes pop loudly out of place.

And finally, Mommy's turn to pick. I picked story time. I don't think there's an activity I enjoy more than reading to my children. They snuggle close at my sides, usually clutching their blankets, my eldest sucking away on her thumb. They listen quietly, attentively, occasionally asking a question or pointing to a favorite illustration. Time constraints usually limit us to one or two but today, we read until they didn't want to anymore. The rain was falling outside, the Christmas tree glowed in the corner and the three of us snuggled under our Dearie's Christmas quilt. A perfect afternoon really. A perfect afternoon.