There should be a rule...

That people living in certain areas of the country that experience cold winters should automatically receive raises from their employers during those months. Why?  Because it is too freaking cold to do ANYTHING outside with children and clearly, staying indoors all winter is going to drive everyone nuts.  However...anything that you do find to do with kids?  Costs $$$$.  Now, I'm not talking millions every weekend.  However, I am talking EVERY weekend.  Or, nearly every weekend.  It gets to be pretty ridiculous.  So far this winter?  We've been to...

SkyZone.  I have to say, I really enjoyed this trip because Josh and I could join in the fun as well.  Although, I will admit that I was insanely nervous the entire time that I was going to pull a muscle, tear an ACL, kill myself.  Don't laugh.  It happened to a friend of ours there.  That place is scary for adults (who happen to not be all that coordinated).

 

And, the Children's Museum (which both kids still really enjoy)...

This crazy bouncy house thing.  I have to say, this place was pretty cool.  It was attached to a mall ( I think that it used to be an old department store - that's how big this place was).  You paid $10.99 for the entire day.  So, we started there and I let the kids bounce for a good hour and a half.  Then, we left and went to Bertuccis for lunch, which was right in the mall. After lunch, in order to let their stomachs settle a bit, I let the kids play a few games.  Somehow, Avery managed to score the jackpot on 2 different games, so between the two of them, they ended up with 1300 freaking tickets!  Awesome.  More junk to add to the house.  But, whatever.  They loved it.  Afterwards, they played on the bouncy houses again.  Until...Alex made a friend.  On one hand, I felt really bad for Avery because she was very quickly left out. But, on the other hand, I didn't feel so bad, as Avery could have just as easily found someone else to play with.  Except?  She won't.  REFUSES!!!!!  She is clearly like her father in this sense and Alex is clearly like his mother.  Anyway...all in all, it was a fun day.

The next weekend, we took both of them to Newport to walk around, which was really nice.  It was chilly, so we didn't walk around for too long.  But, it felt good to just get outdoors. 

We had lunch and then, because we now think that we are arcade experts, we went to the arcade.  But, guess who was the expert this time?  That's right...Mama!  I decided to give PacMan a shot.  I figured, I used to be pretty good at this game, so surely I could win something, right?  Well, as it turns out, you use 4 tokens and you only get ONE chance!  As in, one PacMan and once you die, you die.  So, needless to say, I was defeated the first time around and had to redeem myself the second time around.  And, boy did I!  I made it through the first round and then got the bonus price and ended up with 186 tickets!!!!  It was pretty exciting!

Since then, we've made numerous trips to Target for random, unnecessary things, a trip to indoor mini-golf/more arcade games and another trip back to SkyZone.  Now, some may argue that we should just be forcing them to find things to do at home, which is true.  And, we are going to start that soon.  However, it is just as hard for us parents to be stuck indoors as it is for them, so really?  I don't mind the activities.  I just wish that I got a "cooped up for too long in the winter" bonus to cover them! 

Next up?  Christmas in Houston!!!!