Baby It's Cold Outside

                                         (Our Christmas tree, which is redecorated about four times a day.)
It is most definitely Winter around here. It is completely dark by 4:30. That makes for some long days for the kids.  They are already missing their time to run around outside after school. I hear the door open and close repeatedly every day as they decided to try to brave the cold and play out in the yard for a while. But it opens again not long after when they realize it is cold, gray, and none of their friends are out to play. We need to come up with some good inside activity.
I find the hours of 3:00 to 6:00 to be a challenge. Everyone is home from school. Now it is dark and cold. Walker is up from his nap, ready to terrorize the house, the boys have after school activities and homework, Georgia is always tired by that time because getting her to take a nap has become a battle. I need to make dinner, and I like to attempt to get the house straightened up for when Del gets home. And if there is a trip to the church for activities it is just one more thing. I also like to be able to take a couple of minutes to ask Del about his day if he manages to get home some time within this hour block. This usually gets moved to much later at night, when we can finally have a conversation.
Not to mention I am usually pretty worn out by this point in the day because I have been going for twelve hours straight by 6:00.

 So... it is a jungle in here! It is a busy time of day, when everyone needs my attention.

I must say however, that my evenings are full of people and rituals that I do love in my heart of hearts. What would my home be without all of this frantic activity? And oh how grateful I am to have a warm, snug house to spend these cold days in with my family!

We make do. And I will admit that making do sometimes involves the Wii and a nice round of "Big Game Hunter" played by the one and only, Wally.

Georgia BEGS Wally to play this game.

All the kids, but Georgia especially, are fascinated watching Wally in action on the hunt for big game. They don't even request a turn to play themselves. They are totally content just watching.
Wally told my parents that Georgia loves it when he takes the deer out with a bullet right to the heart!

Georgia chimed in with a big, "YUP!"

No diamonds for this girl, just a big buck with a shot to the heart. That is sure to draw a fine fellow.

                                   (Georgia, on her new bike back during warmer months.)
We have manage to find a few things to entertain ourselves through the dark Winter, and then head to bed early. Kind of depressing.

Will is up to some shenanigan or another quit often. Tonight he requested I take his picture with an orange slice in his mouth. He was very proud.

Then it was Walkers turn with his most favorite thing to put in his mouth. His "Mowl" Walker cannot make the "b" sound unless he is saying "boo!" Everything else comes out with an "m" sound. So "bye, bye," is "My, My," and so on. It is pretty cute.

We had a whirlwind of activity getting out the door for church this morning. We had to be there an hour early for Del to have a meeting, and so I could practice singing in church. As Del tried to get the kids to gather up tithing money Georgia had a breakdown. She did not want to give her money away.

Del tried explaining the giving the Lord ten percent concept, but it was not going over well with this girl. I guess she does not have a testimony of tithing yet at age four. It is a process, right?

I was a little surprised she was so attached to the money. But she is funny when it comes to cash. When Wally got upset because someone had raided his stash of money, he tracked the culprit down, and of course it was Georgia. He informed her she had better stick to her own piggy bank, and not disrupt his.

She came back with " Well, I don't have any money because I don't like to do my jobs. So I have to steal yours."
Great! At this rate, it looks like Georgia will be serving twenty to life, or hanging out in a park with a sign protesting the greedy fat cats!

                                       (Wally and the last backyard campfire of the year, this past Fall.)

So anyway... we made it out the door on time, but not before Wally told me while putting his church clothes on,
"Mom, the thing I want the most is to not wear a tie. But you always want me to look SHARP!"

Wow! Mom's are mean! But I must say, Wally does look sharp in a tie!