This Week at the Mitchells

Just when winter seemed to be spent, new winds ushered in a surge of bone-chilling weather.  I woke up one morning to a reading of -1 and decided we should look into moving south(west).  With temperatures in the single digits for handful of days, we spent a lot of time hiding out and getting antsy.

A main water pipe burst in Nolan's school due to the extremes in weather combined with a technical malfunction.  School was canceled for Wednesday and Thursday.

It was decided that in order to conserve heat, we would close the door to the upstairs and have the boys sleep on the pull out couch in the living room.  Four days of having our main room function as their bedroom and the clutter was getting out of hand.  It aided our demise into insanity.

Sleeping in the living room

Spy googles by Pook 

To stave off boredom and give movement to muscles needing activity, the boys ended up bouncing off of furniture, using the couch cushions to fashion a jungle gym, and making their own cardboard weapons to stage a rebellion.  They accomplished plenty of screen time, created some new projects, and battled a number of fierce brotherly fights.

One of their cushion structures

Auburn's insanity expressed itself in an increased speed in her unloading.  She is known for taking things apart, un-organizing boxes, bags, cupboards, shelves, and unfolding clothes, unrolling toilet paper, emptying packages of baby wipes and tissues.  This week, her penchant for unloading became an occupation which she executed at a frenzied speed.

Auburn Ruth, getting the job done

Even the cats participated in our lunacy.  Normally docile and lethargic, rotating sleeping locations and positions unhurriedly throughout the day, their dispositions and activities changed drastically within a day or two of our forced hibernation, especially when they realized that kid hibernating does not include sleep.  This was a recipe for crazy cats.  It was like they reverted back to kitten-hood.  They played with everything that moved or might possibly move if they swatted at it.  They chases each other back and forth through every room in the downstairs, under and over and up every piece of furniture.

 I was ecstatic when I learned Friday that the problem was resolved at school and could send Nolan back.  We had come down with a bout of cabin fever.  It caused symptoms of restlessness and hyper activity.  The only cure was a return to the world outside and its promised familiar routines.