Snow Day Project: Winter Sun-Catcher

We had one of the biggest February snow storms in Chicago history this week. Not as bad as the east coast, but I was quite content with our blanket of snow.

A perfect time to try this project from Family Fun magazine, which I cut out for just such an occasion!

It's a Winter Sun Catcher.
Very easy to do, first you make colored ice cubes. We didn't have ice cube trays, so I got some in the Dollar Spot at Target, and yes, they were heart-shaped.

My kids wanted to watch them freeze. Keeping the freezer door open is not the optimal way to get that done. So we went sledding while we waited.

Then you put the frozen cubes into a round cake pan, with a plastic cup filled with water also set in the pan. Our ice cubes ran a bit, but the almost-finished products looked like this:

Then we popped them out and hung them in front of our house:

I wonder what they'll look like when it starts to thaw...good thing that's not predicted any time soon!

Visiting Camp in the Winter

Every year, the faculty of OSRUI meet up at camp for about 24 hours to begin the process of planning for camp.

It's cold and snowy.

It's a completely different experience than when we're up there in the summer! It's quiet and empty, rather than loud and full of people.

But it makes me realize that in 146 days....camp starts!

It is, however, a little bit hard to imagine right now.

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Haveil Havalim is up over here.

Gift of the Moment....in hiding

The snow has come.

It's cold, it's slippery. My car is covered with ice.

The front entryway is strewn with boots and coats and hats and mittens. The floor is streaked with melted snow and ice, and the dried residue of both.

The babies seem overwhelmed by it. Coats and hats and mittens, boots and blankets. Multiple layers of clothing making them feel slightly stuffed.

The biggest, though, is thrilled by it. Each time he walks outside, he scoops up some snow to make a snowball. He wears his snowpants with pride, his balaklava with delight. It's never too cold, he plays outside and thrills to the weather.

The prompt at Wrapped Emotions is to enjoy the gifts of the moment. This week has been tiring and overwhelming. It's Chanukah, there's the pressure to make each night special. My middle child has started waking up at 5am and demanding breakfast. Loudly.

Finding the gifts has been tricky.

But they're there...hiding in secret.

Yael giggles when she sees me and dances whenever she hears music.
Sam is newly obsessed with the Lion King and now has learned the joy of soundtracks.
David is thrilled by each Chanukah moment and bursts into random bits of Chanukah song.

I have to find these or the days will overwhelm. Deep breaths...

See more Wrapped Emotions participants here....

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Five Places I've Been This Week...

One Less Candle (Save the world, light one less candle???)

Honey as Cough Syrup

Bacon Cookies....ewwwwww (but it is a great blog!)

No Limit Texas Dreidel

Five Things Every Blogger Should Know from Scribbit

from my del.icio.us

Where have you been?