"Oh the weather outside is frightful . . .

But the toys are soooo delightful."

After an unseasonably warm November, cold December has hit us hard.  Instead of playing on the swingset or riding bikes, we're suddenly inside and trying to find a way to keep two active little boys busy.  We've read books, cut out paper snowflakes, baked cranberry bread and, of course, watched football.

Luckily, great-grandma and great-grandpa have also delighted the boys with a few packages in the mail.  Remember how thrilling it is when you are a kid and there is something in the mailbox with YOUR name on it?  It's even better when it's got your name on it and it's a set of "hawkie-tawkies" as Matthew calls these.

Cameron received an electric set with ONE HUNDRED projects in it.  After David taught him how to follow the instructions, he went to town and is now saying things like, "Mommy?  Could you hand me that toggle switch?"  I have no doubt that he'll finish the one hundred projects many times over before the end of winter.

And we've started a new tradition.  Each night we set up a course in our hallway and play a few rounds of Fun Golf.  Cameron and I are on the "Circus Seals" team and Daddy and Matthew have chosen the moniker "Da Magnificents."  Cameron keeps score and it sounds something like this.  "OK, that took me five strokes.  So that means we get . . . six thousand points.  And Matthew took fifteen strokes, so he gets zero."  We've also scored "infinity" several times and, in case you didn't know, you win Fun Golf by getting the most points.

Once in a while, if we're feeling really crazy, we bundle up and actually go outside.  But only if we are feeling really stir crazy and we make a nice big batch of Matthew-safe hot cocoa first!