When there is no snow and you want to go sledding...

We haven't missed the snow.  At All.

But sometimes, you just need the wind in your hair.

Sledding provides that for you - hence the mention of snow.

The movers left behind one of their dolly's several weeks ago after the move.  Within minutes of the discovery, the kids started playing with it by wrapping scarves around it and pulling each other around.  A few days later, the movers came back with my sewing machine that had gotten mixed in with another family's belongings.  We offered the dolly back to them but after several failed attempts to remove the scarves, they good-naturedly said the kids could keep it.

Sunday afternoon the kids got it out again.

They made a seat out of a cardboard box and the boys, in an odd act of chivalry, offered to be mules and pull the girls around.

Wheee!  Hold on tight!

These two love to pose.

Things went reasonably well. 

For awhile.

Until one of the mules lost interest and bailed out.

A new mule was found.  She was a bit over-eager and energetic.

The riders started to scream with delight at how fast they were going.

Then the delight turned to fright as SaraGrace realized that perhaps the 'sled' was going out of control as the mules ran amuk.

Kate had no such insight.

Suddenly, Jordan tripped as the happy mule dashed on ahead of him and caused a pile-up.  Jordan only had some skinned palms and although Zoey is lying on the ground, she was just fine.  

The riders decided that they had enjoyed enough thrills for one day so that was the end of the 'sled' for that day.

Today some of them found a board that they were using to 'skateboard' down the slide.

Thankfully, that ended without incident.

Digging out from under the boxes

I still feel pretty unsettled due to boxes lying around and only half of our pictures hung, but I can at least see the floor.

Last week, while I was unpacking, I decided to show the kids what I did as a child after a move that my family made.  I explained to them how my brother and I had made a small city out of the boxes.  It was actually more of a tunnel but we had little 'rooms' and spent hours crawling through them.  Ours were in the basement, so we didn't have to clean them up.  

Sadly, there are few basements in the South, so we no longer have a basement.  I let the kids set up their box city in the living/dining room.  They were far more creative than my brother and I had been.  Soon I heard the obnoxious sound of the pumpkin cutting knives sawing through cardboard.  

Well...whatever.  I didn't stop them.  I had stuff to do.

When I came back, I saw sights like this:

And this...

 The phone was a nice, albiet odd touch.

Chloe included the dog in her 'house.'  She also hung artwork on the walls. 

Don't be gettin' your tinsel in a tangle, ya'll.

Some made signs warning would-be intruders to stay out.

SaraGrace made a mail slot with a handful of 'letters' that she wrote out for everyone (even those who had no mail slots). 

Zoey was bummed because her house lacked the creative flair that some of her siblings have coming out of their pores.  I {think} I convinced her that her house was also very cool.

Jordan was bothered because his house was small due to having to wait endlessly for the pumpkin cutter since his {bossy} sisters hogged it for such a long time.  Jake was just happy to have a box resembling some type of dwelling.

{Sorry for the dreadful iphone pic}  Kate--the family cuddle bug, dragged her blankets, pillows and stuffed animals into her box and snuggled in for a five second nap.

We let them have their box city for about 24 hours until we were driven nearly mad by having to skirt it 26 zillion times a day as we unpacked our belongings.  

They begged to take their city elsewhere, so we let them move it to their rooms.  Do I hear some sad trombones playing in the background?  

Several of them still have their boxes in their rooms and have been sleeping in them.  Ha!

I am just thankful not to be tripping over them anymore.