Hiding Out

We live in Minnesota. The weather this "spring" has been nothing short of awful. I would like to think that after 28 years I have acquired some pretty decent cold weather coping mechanisms but lately it has been hard to remember that incessant whining doesn't make the snow melt faster or the sun shine brighter or the temperatures rise above 35. There are some days where I fear for the safety of the local weatherman {which may or may not have something to do with the fact that said weatherman sports a ridiculously unnatural tan while standing in two feet of snow and forecasting highs in the single digits.}

Minnesota nice is long gone.

This extended winter has been particularly difficult for the boys. They are getting squirrely and my "indoor fun" ideas are getting slim. Last Sunday, Tyler and I spent the morning combating the "spring is never coming"  blues by building a fort. We started by hanging sheets from a clothesline type contraption that we tacked to the wall and tied to the banister but after envisioning the drywall being ripped down and my husband having a coronary I decided we better just stick with the tried and true kitchen table version.

We filled our fort with blankets and books and snacks. I grabbed a lantern from the basement and pillows from the bedroom and the boys and I snuggled in. This arrangement lasted approximately 6 minutes before Matty dumped a box of Wheat Thins onto Tyler's "spot" and the fun was immediately over. Tyler bolted and as soon as the crackers were gone, Matty did as well.

Ditched by my own kids. I was bummed for a split second before I realized the opportunity that had just been handed to me. A space, albeit small, that they refused to enter? I can’t even pee alone so this was unheard of. The fact that the floor was made of laminate and I was surrounded by snack remnants made absolutely zero difference to me. It was dark and relatively quiet and for a short time I got to pretend that there were no diapers to be changed or sippy cups to be filled. I sat there quietly unnoticed, watching as Matty struggled {and succeeded} to get on his toy car without the help of mom.

I watched as Tyler snatched the car and Matty moved on to bigger and better things {walking!} 

I smiled as I snacked on stale crackers and watched Ryan wipe noses {he's a pretty darn good dad.}

But it wasn't long before I was spotted.

 {The look of a man whose wife hides out in a tent all afternoon}

The thrill of the fort was over much too soon {although don't judge the time of day by our clothing because we never got out of our pajamas.}

The remainder of the afternoon looked a lot like this...

Everybody loves a good inside snow day. But by mid-April? It definitely loses its luster!