Shaking the Cabin Fever

Well, winter has finally arrived.  I was really hoping that we would keep our lovely mild winter but alas, this is Manitoba and it is January.  The hubster has been out of town most of this week for work so I've been alone with the kids and since it has been so cold, we have stayed indoors.  I have noticed over the last few weeks that the lack of fresh air and running may be having an effect on the kid's sleeping.  At the beginning of every summer I am always amazed at how well they sleep.  Between the fresh air, walks to the park, and playing in the backyard kiddie pool, by bedtime they are so exhausted that they sleep deeply until the next morning.  Then winter comes.  Last year at this exact time we started encountering sleeping problems with L.  Being cooped up indoors just doesn't exhaust her enough and she starts waking up during the night and early morning.  So today I decided to get a bit creative. 

My monthly addition of Thriving Family came in the mail today.  Inside they had an article called, "7 Cabin Fever Rescues".  I immediately opened it up and started to read.  Although most of the activities were for school aged kids (which was a little disappointing since it's those of us with kids under five that are stuck at home all day during winter) there were a few good ideas that I could use.  One of the ideas was to have a pool party.  The idea is to set up a kiddie pool in the middle of your kitchen and let the kids play.  My neat-freak side immediately perked up and said "no way" but then my practical side said "it's just water".  I am proud to say that my practical side won.  We don't have an inflatable pool so I just got a big bucket, some bubble bath, kitchen utensils, a few toys, and lots of towels.  I sent L to her room to change into her bathing suit while I set it up.  She did not know what was going on but she was ecstatic when she arrived in the kitchen to find that I was letting her play with water.  I should note that my kid LOVES water.  Whether it is in a cup, a sink, a bathtub, pool, or garden hose, if there is water, she will be entertained for hours.  This activity did end with water all over my kitchen floor, but it was worth it to see her have so much fun.  The best part was, when T woke up from his nap he was content to sit in his highchair and watch her. 

All in all, it was a fun afternoon trying something new.  I'm sure she will be asking for more tomorrow :)