Cabin Fever?

Arm wrestling with BIG brother!

I can't possibly pull any harder!!!

"Are you getting cabin fever yet?"  This is a common question we've been asked.  The answer is yes, sometimes, especially when it drops to around 40 below. However, if it's only 20 below or even 10 above freezing there is so much to do.

A few evenings ago Daddy and the kids were deep in arm wrestling matches.  The living room resounded with peals of laughter and squeals of delight as everyone took turns, almost beating Daddy.  Then the littlest one entered in the game with a tight grasp on big brother's fingers. He strained to win.  He tried his best.  Who needs T.V. when you have 5 children anyway?  It's the best entertainment!

Playing with indoor mud...

Squeezing the liquid goo

Tipping the gooey slime all over the counter!

 All the mud in Alaska is frozen right now.  That didn't stop our boys from making their own on the kitchen counter!  Last week they dug through the snow to find the frozen gravel pile.  The gravel is frozen, but so dry that it falls apart easily.  They spent a good hour digging a hole with all their sisters and playing with the rocks.  Another of their favorite outdoor activities besides sledding and building snow forts, is jumping on heavily snow laden branches.  They straddle them like horses and boy do they ride!  They can also stand upright and bounce until they drop.  The children blaze trails through the woods, always on the lookout for moose.  The twigs break off easily as they're frozen stiff.

Fixing the infamous four wheeler

Our oldest son's  latest endeavor has been the continual fixing of his beloved four wheeler.  A couple of spark plugs, several hours of work, a couple of gasoline spills later, and the thing fired right up!  He took it for a spin in the snow and then was able to tow out an old rusted skidoo that was left in the brush by the previous owners.  We're always finding some new treasure, or should I say junk left in the bushes and trees.  This endeavor is proving to be quite useful!