Ethan and Ryan spent the morning playing a game which involved using empty cream cheese boxes as communicators. They opened up both ends of the boxes and put them on their arms. At one point, Ryan couldn't find his box. I emptied the butter out it's box and offered him that one, but it didn't have the right constellation of pictures, so I searched the house and eventually found the missing cream cheese box in the recycle bin.
Carrie and her kids came over for playtime and cookie-making in the afternoon. Ethan was still wearing the cream cheese box when Carrie got here. She asked him "So, what's that on your arm? A ray-gun?" Ethan just rolled his eyes and very slowly and clearly told her "It's a Cream. Cheese. Box." He cracks me up. Carrie and Esther cracked up too. Quinten (Carrie's oldest) looked puzzled and said, "What's so funny?" We told him, but I don't think he thought it was funny.
The Ethan, Quinten, Chloe, and Ryan immediately headed out into the backyard, despite the 20-degree weather. They jumped on the trampoline and played with foam swords. Carma elected to stay in the warm house and color and help bake cookies. She really liked making the batter, but wasn't too into cutting out cookies shapes. Instead she climbed up to my shoulders and did back flips. The older kids came in to help decorate and eat cookies.
It was a really relaxing fun day. I love having friends come over.
