Just a BlinkProof Time Flies

It’s a heatwave…a tropical heatwave!

Just Kidding! If we make it to the weekend, without rising above 32 degrees F., Minnesota will have the fourth month on record, since the 1880s, to not have a single day above freezing.

When the air is colder than cold, and the sun is brighter than bright, just upon the mere suggestion to go play outside, you will get a “you have got to be kidding me” look. As seen below.

So we hibernate…(Molly in cave on left and Ryan in space ship on right)

Here is a run down, of some silly indoor things, we do to prevent the winter blues and nature deficit disorder from running rampant in our home.

1. We bring snow into the bath tub, cause baby it’s cold outside!

2. We use a bread loaf pan full of lentils for a sandbox and spoons for shovels

3. We wear our coats indoors to blow bubbles out of the patio door.

5.  We watch TV together. Our current fav is Sid the Science Kid on PBS. Hey at least we are learning about nature!

6. We hibernate some more. Hamper kennels for kids that think they are puppies and act like animals.

7. We exercise with extreme games of make believe, hide-n-seek and follow-the-leader. Jump Up! Get Down! Get Silly!

I look forward to the days of sprinklers in the lawn, freeze-pops on the front step and sweaty games of tag. But for now we are getting above this miserable, below freezing, just enough, to see the fun in it!

How do you beat the winter blues and nature deficit?

Happy New Years Eve!

New Years can often represent a fresh start in a new look, attitude, or plan. Goals are thrown about; some serious, some ridiculous.

I just plain want to have more, freshness. Fresh foods to eat,  laundry to hang, and goodness sakes, I’d love fresh bread, daily…with butter.

Most of all, however, I am bone-breaking, heart-longing for, dying without one thing…Fresh Air!

It is my goal this year to be in nature, for 30 minutes or more, everyday. Yes, thank you for the reminder, I know where I live, snowy Minnesota. I think I want to tackle it anyway. Okay, I’ll let myself off the hook for anything below 0 degrees; those days I’ll just do 2-3 minutes before frost bite kicks in, eating away my very skin.

So nature, here I come again, returning to you for some much needed, bigger-than me, time. Time to see, feel, and hear the work of God all around me. Time for my lungs, heart and every inch of me to say…I am alive and well, take me to see the world (though I am sure many of my adventures will begin and end in my very own yard).

Today, I took the kids on a sled-walk. No need for bicycles or strollers to transport us around. The streets are covered in ice. I am not exaggerating. We traveled the neighborhood with binoculars in tow, searching for snow-birds. Then we played at the park followed by some cocoa, pretzels, and chocolate snowmen.

Ryan's Nature Box

Nature Box

1. Cut a hole in the top lid of a shoe box. We have a flip top kid’s size shoe box for our nature box.
2. Cover box with butcher paper (brown craft paper or a grocery bag). Use a bit of tape and wrap the paper on the box like a gift. Wrap the lid and bottom separately.
3. Adhere a piece of felt under the lid hole. Slit felt with an exacto knife to create a hand passage way into the box.
4. Decorate box with stickers, magazine clippings or drawings. Label with letter stickers or marker.
5. Cover box with clear packing tape or clear contact paper to help the box hold up over time.
6. Bring box outside and start collecting!

Molly on our nature collection tour of the yard. Notice she brought a book.

Ryan shows off his collection of twigs.

Mini Fall Trees

Materials: Branches or twigs, old play-doh, fall colored tissue paper, glue, and brown paper
Directions:
1.    Stick little branches or twigs in a ball of old play-doh.
2.    Glue bits of fall colored tissue on the twigs for leaves.
3.    Wrap the ball in a piece of brown paper.
4.    Tie a piece of string or yarn around the brown paper.

Ryan starts his tree with green play-doh.

Even Molly creates a mini tree glob. I only had to fish play-doh out of her mouth 3 times!

Target had awesome jewel and metallic toned tissue paper.

The mini trees are great for my seasonal hound Ry. He loves decorations but sometimes I just don’t want him playing with the ceramic tiles, glass urns and faux berries. You know? So, Ry decorates his table with his own mini trees Win! Win!

Having an early riser child has its perks. Namely, it gets me out of bed with just enough time to do a photo walk before the sun scorches all the beauty away.

Molly and I went wandering.

She was buckled into a baby backpack still wearing her jammies and I was geared up with my camera and a huge coffee craving.

During wandering maps aren’t crucial and time is of very little importance.

Wandering is fun when I am by myself or at least as by myself as I can be with Molly on my back. I differentiate wandering from exploring or even adventuring. Exploring is gathering information from a new frontier and adventuring requires a certain element of danger.

Wandering is walking on or off the beaten path if and when I want to with ease.  It promotes inner joy and satisfaction in nature which all lead to my ability to hear and meet with God.

Here are a few of my favorites from my wandering photo walk with Molly at Family Camp.

Please visit our flickr set for the complete series if you’d like!

Fern in the ditch on a dirt road.

The water was fine, a bit chilly though!

Old school house door.