Having Fun Indoors

The past few weeks have been frigid outside, so we've spent much of our time inside trying to stay warm.  Here are some of the fun things we've been doing to keep ourselves entertained.

The piano has been fixed, tuned, and sounds like it's brand new.  Both kids love to "play" it, but I think mommy and daddy are enjoying it just as much as they are. 

 

Barrett is growing into his toddler-ness, and as a result, frequently throws fits when he doesn't get what he wants.  Usually, he is mad because he wants mommy to hold him, and as much as I love to snuggle with my bubby, I realize that he needs to learn to play on his own.  Lately, I have felt the need to capture some of these tantrums in photos, because his facial expressions are just so funny.  Here is a classic series where he first tests the waters to see if he gets a reaction, then goes into full-on wailing, and then the classic pouty face when he realizes I am not going to submit to his whim. 

 



 

 For Audrey, we've been phasing out naps during the day, so on the weekends, while Barrett is napping, she gets some quiet play time.  She really seems to enjoy the opportunity to play her way, uninterrupted by her brother.  Her way usually involves princesses, fairies, babies and always lots of jewelry and other accessories. 

The Batman car that my brother and Laurenn got Barrett for Christmas gives the kids an opportunity to burn off some energy.  They push each other around on the tile floors.  More recently, they have also found it hilarious to take turns falling off the Bat car, or in Barrett's case, falling under it. 

We have also spent some time watching movies.  Audrey is on a big Mary Poppins kick, so we have probably watched that 3 times in just as many weeks.  Audrey watches the entire thing, completely engrossed.  She also enjoys singing the songs and dancing around like the Chimney Sweeps.  She has a hard time understanding some of the words, because of the accents, so I frequently find myself translating.  ("They are saying 'Step in Time,' not 'Steppie chime.') Barrett likes the idea of it, but his attention span only lasts about 10 minutes. He does really enjoy holding the remote while he's watching though. He can now say "remote" too.