Kate Gosselin's Love Is in the Mix (17 page)

E
ach year,
when the snow starts piling up in Pennsylvania, my kids dress in their millions of layers of sweatshirts, sweatpants, snow pants, hats, coats, gloves, and scarves—oh, and don’t forget the snow boots. I can’t help but think back to the many years that they couldn’t dress themselves. It literally took hours and tons of energy to bundle them up—just to have them come back inside for endless potty breaks!

Now, as it snows, I help lay out complete outfits and boots, let them dress, and send them on their way. I set up clothing drying racks by the door for their wet layers and head upstairs to begin making cookies and hot chocolate with marshmallows. Like many of our other family traditions, this one has become a “set in stone” type, and all eight of my red-cheeky kids ask—in unison—for hot chocolate and cookies upon their return. I love little traditions, like this one. It warms their hands and our hearts!

F
or some reason
, the winters in Pennsylvania felt the longest when my eight children were between the ages of two and five years old—the time prior to their school-age years. We were living in our small house—a house that was too small for us—in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania. With cold weather outside, and not much room inside, the winters quickly made us feel cooped up and stir-crazy.

Always with solutions marinating in my mind, I discovered these fun ideas—things to do at home to fight those winter blues. With a little creativity, you, too, can survive, with any number of kids.

What you need:

1. A box or two of instant chocolate pudding, prepared according to package instructions
   
2. An 18 by 12-inch finger painting pad (24 to 30 sheets)
   
3. Kids who want to get messy
   

Make a box or two of instant chocolate pudding. Sit your kids at the table and hand them a sheet of paper and a dollop of pudding, and let them go crazy—smearing and licking and “painting.” Set paintings aside to dry and don’t be surprised if your kids “lick” their art the next day. Mine did!

What you need:

1. A can of cheap, unscented shaving cream
   
2. Bored kids
   

Surprise your bored kids and sit them at the table (sans tablecloth), and squirt some shaving cream in front of them. Be sure to tell them ahead of time that THIS IS NOT FOOD. Allow them to smear, pile, and create, supervising at all times.

The first time I did this with my kids, my five-year-olds called me “the best mom in the world.” I took that as a sign that they were really enjoying our newest form of indoor entertainment.

What you need:

1. Yarn or string
   
2. Pasta—different varieties that are hollow and can be strung
   
3. Toddlers of any age
   

Give each one a length of yarn or string and an assortment of pasta and have them make necklaces—for themselves or for Mommy or Daddy, too! This is a fun craft to do with toddlers. However, keep in mind that uncooked pasta can be a choking hazard so you must give this project your undivided attention. It is also a great way for the kids to work on developing their fine motor skills and making patterns. Have fun with it!

C
ara and Mady’s “Katie babysitter” brought homemade “play dough” one afternoon when they were two. What a hit it was with them! Remembering that, I figured out the perfect edible version, and we all love it even more. Cleanup is a snap because it doubles as a snack.

Mix all of the ingredients together by hand to form a moist ball of dough.

C
hristmas Day is more and more fun each year!
The excitement and anticipation grow as the kids wake up each morning and say, “I dreamed last night that it was Christmas”—each morning for TWO weeks! On Christmas morning, I allow the kids to come down at 7:30 am. But in an effort to quell a bit of the excitement, I always leave a small gift in a stocking hanging on their bedposts. Once 7:30 am comes, though, the kids barrel down the stairs and head straight for the mantel and their “real” stockings. They open their stocking gifts (yes, I wrap each and every little thing in each stocking) and then we have our traditional sticky buns and hot chocolate breakfast.

The kids eat a sticky bun or two and beg to begin the ripping and tearing.While our Christmas ham cooks (
Ohhh
, the smells of Christmas!), the kids sit in their chosen spots as I hand out eight gifts at a time. We clean up the wrapping after each round and start all over again.