First Visit to Chuck E Cheeses

He loved it. Grandma and Grandpa Hood took us for a late DHH birthday present.  All the kids had a good time. 

Hot Wheels with Elsie

Wooden floors at excellent for hotwheels, we've found. He played with Elsa so good for a few hours with the tracks. They had fun together. 

Fence Climing

At Stephens Lake Spray Park. June 2013.

He is really interested in climbing up and over fences these days. 

Right after this photo was taken, DHH put the hat on my head. He said, "you look like you must be from France! Camouflage hat!!"

Then he slid down the fireman pole. 

Train Table/Lincoln Log Land

Daniel built a town from logs and track, including a shed for horses and one for trains. He and his dad started it at 6:30 AM on a Thursday morning and he finished it alone before 8 AM.

Daniel Makes a Bean Machine

He was making fuel, he said.

Weekend in STJ

Daniel went to St James with his sister and had so many things to share about his Saturday. It was warm and pretty, so they were out all day playing on swing set, on four wheeler with aunts, flying a kite, and taking a tractor ride with Poppy. Aunt Jessica did Lincoln logs with him and he rediscovered all the Grandparent toys.

Sunday was rainy, but I think Daniel still had a nice time because he was able to use scissors and glue dyeing an Elsa nap... And those are two of his favorite "toys" these days!

Play Dough Time

Elsa and Daniel have spent a lot of time inside lately because of snow, cold, and my pregnancy exhaustion.

They request play dough time a lot!

 

Sister in a Box

Elsa went into Daniel's room while he was playing trains with his dad and didn't ask to play or join in.  She climbed into the storage box and made herself at home for a nap.

This thrilled Daniel.  Both kids liked her being inside the box, lid closed, with various toys and flashlights inside.  

Both kids also liked Daniel pushing Elsa around the house in her box, too.

Daniel tried the box out and liked it, but he is really too large for it to have as much fun as she did!

A Few Snow Photos

It's been tough to get photos of DHH lately because he scurries around so much.

We got our first deep snow of winter this week. It was a foot deep with higher drifts.

He was active in the snow, busy digging and shoveling off driveway. Usually Elsa was exploring and playing but Daniel was working. She would finish up in 45 minute or less, but DHH wanted to be out for as long as possible, even when it was sleeting pretty hard or when his face was chapped.

He enjoyed sledding and snow men building when it was good snow for either and when it wasn't, he had lots of questions about snow and phase changes of water.

He certainly likes the snow better now than any other year.

It's good news to him to hear that we are getting another 6+ inches this week.

Library Play

Our library is enchanting.

And the children's area got a new dollhouse, which is designed like a treehouse, and so the library is even more enchanting for Daniel now.

Lincoln Log Play

Lincoln logs are a playtime staple in Daniel's room. They were a Christmas gift and he uses them to build sawmills, steel mills, Sodor Steam Works, play houses, real houses, and play forts. He has learned to build them by himself, too. We are really impressed by his design ideas, which today included a human door, dog door, pantry, and closet with a safe in a play house.

Current Hobby: Making Forts

This year Daniel has really enjoyed making tents or forts out of blankets.  

He started to make them himself with only a small amount of help from parents.  If there are many clean blankets out in the living room, you can be assured he will unfold them all and use them to make a fort.

He made this fort by himself.

He used it to hide from his sister and play a Thomas the Train game on my  iPhone.  

 

Rocks.

view full image

"Rocks are the best toys for these two. "

Hot March Days = Water Play!

Daniel knew just what to do when I set out the hose and some containers.  He instantly went to work transferring water from bucket to bucket, and he also had the plan to wash their slide.

Elsa played right beside him, too.  He didn't splash her and let her play with some of the things he was playing with, which is great sharing progress!!!

Focused.

Elsa sticks her tongue out like Daniel used to do.

He really enjoys watching water move from bucket to bucket.  He hauled water in the dump truck to the flower bed, too.

His fine motor skills have improved so much since last August, the last time we used squeeze bottles for water play.  He can pinch the cap out to open it and squeeze the water out so easily now.

They played side by side for nearly 45 minutes.

WITHOUT arguement!