From Sledding to Screentime, Football to Faceoffs, Gracias to Groundhogs

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 The plows have made it quite a challenge for us to drive out of our driveway in recent weeks by pushing a sizable pile of snow right where our turning out and backing in radius is.  But, an adult vehicle driver’s pain is a small child’s pleasure!  Luke and Nina have been loving their new sledding hill!  It was all we could do to lure them away from it to go to the “big hills” at the town park this past Sunday as our Sabbath commitment family time activity.

 Once at “the big hill” at the park Mike and I were baffled by parents who prefer to stand atop the hill simply watching their kids – or, even more puzzling, sit in an idling car nearby – rather than enjoy the exhilarating exercise of sliding and scaling alongside the kiddoes.  We not only have fun riding tandem with the kids, but, we love when they allow us a moment of freedom to speed down solo!

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 In fact, it was my desire to sled that prompted a first in our family last Sunday.  Just next to the fairly steep and fast hill that Luke and Daddy were whooping their way down, there was a gentler slope that Nina felt more comfortable on.  After testing it out, I decided that someone else might enjoy his first snowy thrill ride.  You got it:  Jack!  So, I scooped him into protective arms atop the sled and down we went.  He was all smiles at the end of it.   How I wish I had our camera on us.  

Since I didn’t, you’ll just have to imagine this same little bear-bundle (photo above taken on new Year’s Day) with a big, snow-sprayed open mouth grin in Momma’s arms at the base of a hill. 

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We watch little to no television most weeks in our home and depend upon modern day rabbit ears and a converter box when we do.  But, this past weekend, we not only made an exception to our mostly screen-free family rule, but we also actually lugged our clunker TV to the living room.  (Yes, we are an anomaly of an American family and have no TV in our living room.)  Why?  The Steelers!  Oh, how Mike was happily surprised to see his beloved team get into the AFC Championship game.   But, even better for him was watching our NE Patriots lose.  The kids joined him in a chorus of “da-na-nah-na, da-na-nah-na, hey, hey, hey, goodbye” to Grampy on the phone.  A little screentime and a little silly rivalry can be fun now and again!

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Of course, our kids cannot “just” watch TV – and we have no problem with that.  So, while the game was on Sunday, the kids alternated between watching and playing, becoming completely involved in this:

What is it?  Why, hockey!  Can’t you tell.  It’s the Wild West against the Beasts, complete with color pencil sticks, goals

And even a penalty box.

Ah, their obsessions and imaginations.

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And, while we are at the guessing games, what is this?

No, no, no.  It’s not a pile of blankets.  It’s snow… atop a burrow.  A groundhog burrow!

Read  Groundhog Day and the Groundhog Day Book of Facts and Fun from the library one day, leave the borrowed Gregory the Groundhog puppet out, and you never know what adventures the kiddoes will come up with!

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We have so been enjoying reading Gift of Gracias this week – along with enjoying some spontaneous song, star tossing and catching and star stamping activities.  And, we are looking forward to our second annual Lady of Altagracia tea today. 

 

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And to close, random connections I recently learned about while researching for the kids:

Did you know that there are not but 12 days of Christmas (as we have always honored before tossing the tree just after the Ephiphany)?  There are actually 40!  Just like Lent, with The Feast of the Presentation closing it out. And, that connects to Candlemas, the celebration of the Presentation, traditionally on the 2^nd of February, which has a connection to the superstition of Groundhog Day predictions. 

This post is being shared at 7 Quick Takes -- a fun way to recap your week, share random thoughts or simply catch up with cyberspace friends over at Conversion Diary.

By clicking the links myself, I learned abut something I just have to participate in!    What does it mean to be pro-choice?  In our home, the only choice that we willingly make is choosing life!  As some folks know, our little Jack was a surprise.  I cannot tell you how many times in the past six months I have looked at him and marveled at the gift he is.  I also cannot explain how much biting of tongue and reframing of responses I have to do every time someone asks me, "Now, are you going to get one of you fixed?"  Fixed?  What is there to fix?  In my opinion, what needs to be fixed is our current world and the inability in it for many to embrace life!  Hopefully, today's campaign will be a step towards that repair and healing.  Do you agree?  Then, please take a moment to visit - and join -t Today, Ask Them What They Mean by Choice.