Indoor activities

It's cold, it's snowy, it's dark, and we're trapped inside with two young girls.  These are the activities / games that occupy our kids together, for a little while at least. 

- puzzles
- playing pictionary on the DoodlePro
- going shopping, which is very cute.  They put on their shoes, grab canvas bags, and stuff them with items from the house.  Occasionally they check out with the cash register.  I love when Lola says "I shopping!"
- reading books, and sometimes reading them to each other
- chasing each other in loops around the house
- racing with push toys around the house
- stomping with boots and bats around the house
- pretend cooking in the kiddie kitchen
- rolling balls back and forth
- throwing balls up or down the stairs and squealing as the balls bounce everywhere
- ripping off the couch cushions and blankets to make forts
- ripping off the couch cushions to make big jumping mats
- being leapfrog monsters (like normal frogs, except they tickle creatures who are not also leapfrog monsters).  Lola practices this one solo too and we'll occasionally hear her go "ribbit, ribbit" as she leapfrogs through a room.
- coloring

For a while we included play-doh in this list, but now our carpet is stained with blue, pink, and red spots ... no more play-doh for us.  We also watched our first movie together as a five-person-family on the most recent snow day.  Lola was entranced for 45 minutes and then she ran around like a crazy kid, which was our signal to stop watching the TV.  Raina will have to watch the end of Enchanted some other time!

I often wonder, as I watch my children occasionally descend into screaming pits of despair, how in the world did large families survive in close, cramped quarters with little heat, little entertainment, lots of work, and no way to escape each other?!  I really question this when I'm home alone with sick kids and their grumpiness levels are off the charts.  But, really, a little perspective is all I need, because I have a very lucky situation.  I just throw another idea off this list to the kids and then I rejoice that they claim it and go play together again.  Awesome.

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