The weather

It has been raining non-stop here for weeks. The weatherman knew what he was talking about for the first time in a long time. Now if only California could harvest some of this water so we could be out of the drought we are in! What a waste. I get so mad seeing the freeway signs lit up with the phrase, "Conserve Water we are in a Drought." It makes me so frustrated, but hey who I am to tell the government how to build their infrastructure. They clearly have it all figured out. *laughs* Okay no more ranting.

The topic. How to entertain a 5 year old when you have to play indoors all weekend long?

Here are the top 10 things that Averie and I do when we are cooped up inside!

1. Playdough is a parents best friend and worst enemy! Best friend cause it is about an hour of entertainment. Worst enemy because it can be a mess.

2. Puzzles, and board games. Averie loves puzzles, and she is slowing learning about board games. I am thinking of buying her Connect Four. I think the concept is easy enough that she would be able to do it. Remember Connect Four?
                                                                
3. Watch TV. Okay this one is a cop out. Use this when you need to get lunch ready or do a couple of things around the house.

4. Dance party! Averie loves dancing and so we can put on a music DVD or CD, and dance forever. Not literally. This is also a great workout. Crossing that run I had planned off my list of things to do.

5. Bath time adventures. Averie would take a bath two, or three times a day if she could. We make it a lot of fun for her. These are a few of the things that she currently uses, and likes. All of these I bought on Amazon and were very reasonably priced.



6. Bake. We don't do a lot of this unless they are easy recipes. We made Boo Boo Banana bread the other day. It was delicious and easy. To clarify I measure and Averie dumps the ingredients into the bowl. Here is the link, http://www.bethenny.com/food/boo-boo-banana-bread/.

7. TAKE A NAP! The yucky weather make for a grumpy baby, but if you are patient and lay with your munchkin you might get an hour. I say an hour, because Averie has grown out of naps. An hour is if I get lucky! Fingers crossed.

8. Read books. I have a reader on my hands, well sort of. She adores books, and has since she was a baby. I love reading to her. We can sit for hours and read and make up our own stories. It is probably one of my favorite things to do on a rainy day.

9. Take a drive. Sometimes being cooped up can make Averie restless and hyper. I like to take her out when she gets like that. I know what your thinking CRAZY LADY. Averie actually just needs a change of scenery. I like to take her to lunch or even Target just to walk around. Have you ever let your kid roam around Target. It is interesting what things catch their attention. Try it if your brave enough.

10. Art and Crafts. Whether it is drawing or painting, and even just using stickers. Crafts is hours of entertainment. There are so many things you can make and mediums to use. Let your imagination take you away.

Well I hope this helps for all the Moms out there. I am sure you all do similar things, but for us Moms on the west coast this weather can be a challenge.