BARTLETT, IL - With Christmas behind them and winter break still going, kids and parents around the country are going a little stir crazy. So when the Dahlen children in suburban Chicago saw a few inches of morning snow on the ground, they were ecstatic, and immediately began begging their mom to let them play outside.

"Honestly, I was thrilled to give them something to do," said Brianne Dahlen. "I just had to get them bundled up."

The mother of five spent a half-hour locating snow pants, hats, and gloves for each of the young children, and another half-hour stuffing the kids into their winter gear and wrapping them with scarves.

As the excited siblings finally sprinted outside to frolic in the fresh snow, Dahlen sank into her chair, thankful for a moment of peace. However, in just a few minutes, the kids stormed back into the house tattling about snowballs to the face and whining about the cold.

Their mom watched with frustration as the children peeled their layers in a heap by the patio door and demanded hot chocolate.

She grudgingly obliged their cocoa request, giving each child a mug that was immediately spilled.