February 8

Our only goal for the morning was a trip to the library to return some books and pick up some that were on reserve.

It didn't happen.

This happened, though:

That's "Super Eli" wearing Caleb's night vision goggles.

There was also lots of screaming, some crying, plenty of mess-making, and a lot of frustration. It was not our best morning. I started trying to get the kids ready to go to the library at 8:30. By 11, I finally had everyone in the van, and Eli was not having the car seat buckling. At that point, I knew it was a lost cause. But I had the kids in the van, so we were not going back into the house. 

I drove them to the library, talking the whole time about behavior and consequences. I'm sure I sounded like Charlie Brown's teacher to them.

"Whomp whomp whomp, whomp whomp."

At the library, I stopped at the curb and dropped the books in the outdoor drop bin. Sadly, we have no curbside pickup or drive through at our library, so the books on reserve had to wait. 

Then we drove to the brand new drive-through Starbucks (praise Jesus) and I got myself a drink. The children are much more manageable when buckled into car seats, and I wasn't ready to go home yet, so I asked them where they wanted to drive to.

"McDonalds!"

"The Arch!"

"FLORIDA!!!"

We settled on a road they'd never been on before, instead. At each major intersection, I asked them to choose left, right, or straight, and we explored. 

Eventually, we ended up at a place I've been wanting to visit since May or June. In the summer, it is a gorgeous field of yellow wildflowers. In the winter, it is tall grasses, carved with deer paths. Since I was planning on a quick library visit, the kids only had light jackets on - not appropriate for the 33-degree weather. Still, I let the kids out and they ran through the grasses, followed the deer paths, and explored to their hearts' content. It was a little thing, but it was just what they needed. Their little noses and cheeks grew ruddy, and my heart was content. 

It was a "reset" button for our morning.

Eli was watching the birds, instead of the camera.

Caleb and Daisy were off exploring.

They found a spot where deer must have bedded down, and they pretended it was a trampoline.

Back at home, I finished up some bird seed ornaments the kids and I made a few days ago. We are going to give them to my mom to take to work for her patients. February is Heart Health month, and since Mom is an RN who works with patients with cardiac issues, hearts matter to her.

As I went to put the little ones down for naps, we noticed something odd: 

snowflakes

Yesterday, we were at the zoo, wishing we had short sleeves on. Today, snowflakes. Gotta love the midwest! After I put Eli down, we went out to catch snowflakes on our tongues. 

This girl. She looks so grown-up with her hair in a ponytail!

I can't resist the black and white for these.

I get great satisfaction out of all of these images of the children with their tongues sticking way out. All three were tongue tied, and each had a procedure done to revise that tongue tie. We worked hard to achieve those long tongues!

Cold, but handsome. Those eyes are why I married his Daddy.

Sweet Lu, with a dirty face, scraggly hair, and her favorite sweater from Auntie Grace.

I think she caught one!