Brrrr!

We experienced quite a cold snap here recently--one morning I looked at our outdoor temperature gauge and it read -4. I don't think it has ever been so cold since we've moved here, and the wind was so chilly. (And then crazily, yesterday the high was 60!)

So, Virginia-style, they had several two-hour delays in the morning and two days of no school (despite no snow). We tried to enjoy the cold anyway, even though on several days I just couldn't bring myself to take the boys outside to play.

 But before the super cold set in, Robbie insisted on setting up a lemonade stand outside. We didn't have any lemonade, but he found some Gatorade and poured it equally into cups and waited patiently outside on our driveway. After texting our neighbors, the Zopps came over and enjoyed several cups (for free--Robbie wasn't trying to make any money).

 We saw an idea in a Curious George book to freeze water balloons.

 We opened them up with our friends, the Petersons--the kids enjoyed holding them and sliding them around on the counter before I made them take them outside.

 Last Saturday, Michael had the fun idea of taking the kids out to a frozen lake to watch the Mennonites ice skate (they do it every year when it's cold enough for the lakes to freeze).

 It was incredibly cold, but the kids had a blast!

 Clara and I also got out on the ice (Clara for just a second, but I was proud of her for doing something scary)--I confess I really don't like feeling like the ground is unsteady beneath me. It was really neat seeing the way the ice formed.