Keeping Busy in the Cold

It has been pretty cold in St. Louis so we've been trying to keep busy with indoor activities lately.  We recently met some friends at a coffee shop.  There was a kids' section with a train table.  Jack and Patrick had fun playing with the two trains they had, but next time we will bring some of our own.

We also got to visit one of our favorite indoor places, the Magic House.

Patrick loved turning on and off the lights.

Jack got to climb up the beanstalk.  How appropriate!

Patrick loved this little slide.

The boys had a blast watching the trains.

Jack does not like getting his picture taken these days.  I usually have to bribe him.  Without a bribe, this is what I generally get:

So, I told Jack and his friend, Nick, that they could jump off the couch and I would take their picture.  Great idea, I know.

"Really?"

They put the pillows from both couches and the living room chairs on the living room couch so they could hide from the camera.

Last Tuesday, we got a bit of snow and Jack's preschool was cancelled.  While Patrick napped, Jack and I went outside and shovelled and played in the snow.

Then I pulled him around on our sled.  Our front yard is not hilly, so this wasn't the greatest.

The next day, I asked my cousin Rachel, who was still on break from college in sunny CA, if she would take Jack sledding (I didn't want to take both Jack and Patrick sledding).  She eagerly said yes.  It was super-cold that day, but they went sledding and Jack had a blast! 

He got to use an inner tube sled that he said was really fast.

Afterwards his cheek were pretty rosy, but he was so happy!

Later that week, we met some friends at an indoor playground at a mall.  Maybe that's where Patrick picked up the cold he had last weekend.

Last weekend, Jack practiced playing his new "string guitar" from Uncle David and Aunt Melanie.

A father-son duet.

Well, today is another snow day so I will hopefully have more snow pictures to post soon.  Jack and I will go out to play when Patrick goes down for his morning nap.  Enjoy the snow today (if you have it)!