Full day.

I'm about two and half months behind on posting pictures. I finally sat down and went through my camera and iPhone shots, and came up with a list of eight posts. EIGHT. Although it could have been worse — at first I thought this was three separate posts where my kids were wearing the same outfits.

That was before I remembered I am a shopaholic and Audra rarely wears the same outfits twice, much less three times in a two month span.

Whew.

So, here's a bunch of pictures from one day in early September where we apparently went to the farmers' market for frozen yogurt pops, checked out the newly remodeled Union Depot, did some cooking, and cried over the injustices of life.

Audra hates sweets but loves accessories, so she pretty much just stood there and waited until it melted all over her face and arms like makeup.

Calvin's was pina colada or coconut or some sort of tropical goodness. I wanted to steal it. Bad.

Lovies in a line.

Audra's first time "cooking" (i.e. stirring of misc dry ingredients like marshmallows and barley). Still my favorite boredom buster for this age. She's wearing my apron, which is tied around her waist approximately 8,700 times.

 

Calvin got some bug gear for his birthday this year, and he really wanted to capture a butterfly. Well, he did...and he was SO excited. 

Until we told him he should let it go. He was heartbroken. We explained that the butterfly was scared and needed to fly so it could find food and return to its family. Poor buddy was beside himself at the thought of letting his precious butterfly go and kept telling us he didn't want to. But after a few minutes of thinking about it, he came over and said with great sadness "okay, I will let him go." And he did.

Look at those tears! We hugged and talked about how hard it is to do the right thing sometimes. Proud mama for sure.

Baby, it's cold outside.

Cold doesn't begin to cover it, actually. Yesterday I said something on Facebook about -8 not being that bad because, really, cold is cold. But then it was -15 and I changed my mind.

There's cold, and then there's cold. We're currently experiencing the latter. Which is why we really haven't left to house to go anywhere but work, school, and Target for the last several weeks.  And I actually haven't gone to work that much, either, because I've been sick with the cold that will.not.end. accompanied by the most annoying.cough.ever. 

But, hey – at least we're not puking like all of my Facebook friends.

Lord, please protect my family from all the puking. Especially since I'm about to leave them for four days and I don't think Nate will ever let me go anywhere ever again if he has to spend the weekend caring for two puking children on his own. Which would be totally fair of him because I can't think of anything worse. Please and thank you, amen.

So, what do you do when your family is cooped up for weeks due to cold and cold and colds?

Pull out the rocking chair.

And the step stool.

 

Once those get boring, plop them in front of the fridge.
 

When that fails, build a monstrous blanket fort.

Or feed them.

 

 

Trains work (for a few minutes), too.

 So do pigtails.

 

Try the tunnel again.

Bake cookies and make casseroles.

Snuggle.

Then give thanks for a working furnace and pray for spring.

Sleep, eat, repeat.

I'd love to write something interesting and/or entertaining, but we aren't doing anything but sitting around the house looking at each other right now.

Good thing the view is pretty cute.