Story Stretchers: Snow

Today was one of those perfect days that I was looking so forward to in late fall/early winter. The kind where you hibernate inside because it's too cold/snowy to go anywhere and your house just feels the perfect combination of cozy and inviting to keep you warm and happy. We didn't have cabin fever (this unusual winter has been to thank for that) and there was absolutely nothing on our agenda. It really wasn't that cold or snowy outside either, but given how mild our weather has been, this was one of the colder/snowier days of the season! :)

All of us stayed in jammies all day, except for Will who changed into fleece pants and a t-shirt. No matter the weather, that boy prefers bare feet and short sleeves. He's nuts.

I actually borrowed these books to make us feel some semblance of a winter. Because, despite the pleasant driving/running conditions, we have missed the snow.

Cynthia Rylant's book is enchanting and cozy. She writes about the different kinds of snow... Not in a scientific way, but in the ways that snow makes you feel (peaceful) or in the effect it has on your life (being sent home from school because of an impending storm). This sort of snow on the first page - the kind that comes softly at night - is what we're experiencing right now.

The images of snowflakes were so pretty too.

The second book was one I know would be appreciated by all my teacher friends out there. I'd highly recommend them both to read with your children, but this one I know many teachers and students can relate to. Although not this winter!
The illustrations are different than the Cynthia Rylant book, but equally good. The book starts out with the weatherman forecasting a storm and the children and their dad getting hyped up for a SNOW DAY! They talk about all the things they'll do like "piling on the sofa and snuggling under that old blue blanket" or "sipping hot chocolate from giant snowman mugs". They plan to go out and play in the snow and just generally enjoy a day off of school/work... until they wake up the next morning to see the children outside the window dressed in coats and hats and... backpacks? Uh oh. In there expectation of a snow day, they've neglected to think about the possibility that they may not actually get a cancellation! And so they're rushing around and very late and we comically learn the father's career.

For our "snow day", we watched strong winds blowing huge flakes horizontally... interchanged with patches of beautiful sun that melted whatever just fell. Snow... melt... snow... melt... etc. Finally, later in the evening, the winds calmed (cold front had apparently blown in) and the snow started to fall more steadily and softly straight down.

These Gap pj's, Vic's sweatshirt robe and wool socks have certainly earned their money's worth since I've owned them. My very favorite things to wear for winter sleep/lounging.

Will brought this cute, little snowman home from preschool last Friday. He was one of the many snowmen hanging from the ceiling when I was there for helper day. Love him!

The kids and I worked on some "snow" crafts after breakfast today. (P.S. our weekend breakfasts have been getting embarrassingly late the past few weeks! The kids are letting us sleep later - well, Sophie is... Will's just entertaining himself when he wakes - and I'm not always preparing the night before anymore. It's kind of nice. Often, we just have a lighter, snack-type lunch and then another snack after nap on weekends since breakfast and lunch are so close together.)

The first craft was one I've seen in many places: building snowflakes out of marshmallows and toothpicks.

They each got a dish with the "supplies" and I added to them as needed. I was building a snowflake along with them since I didn't exactly have a plan of how this would work and so they just copied mine with a little assistance.

We made them basically star-shaped like some of the flakes in the Cynthia Rylant book.

The plan was to let them dry out and harden in order to possibly hang them up, but Sophie snuck back and ate all her marshmallows when know one was looking later on. So just Will's and mine are left and we'll see if they're able to be hung tomorrow. (We let him have 12 marshmallow minis after lunch since he didn't get to eat his snowflake. :) )

We also did a peel-away snowflake painting... with masking tape on card stock in the shape of a snowflake and covering the paper with blue paint. This was a big hit too.

After finishing her paper, Sophie decided to paint both her hands. I was actually happy to see this and let her go because, normally, both kids panic when their hands get dirty. I was thrilled she was exploring!

Afterward, she immediately wanted them washed though. ;)

Waiting to dry...

...and voila! Cool!

We tried a snowman snack (idea from Family Fun) and I was going to print off cards for Winter Bingo, but never got around to it.

We ate all our meals later than normal, took a nice nap, read books, watched the Buckeyes beat the Spartans in a close game, lounged, cuddled and played the day away. And it was wonderful.
Here's a peek at how the world looks out our window tonight:

Happy Snow Day!!