Cabin fever swept over my place this last weekend, and I think we all got it.  Mostly I blame the wind.  You could look out the window and see sunshine, but 50 degree temperatures and 40mph winds were not inviting.  That doesn't mean my kids didn't ask to do something outside about 6 to 10 times an hour.  Now, I grant you if you use the sliding scale the weather was not all that bad...it is just that I am a self-professed California baby when it comes to weather:  I like it about 70-75 with sunshine and a light breeze.  I remember growing up in North Dakota when you'd celebrate a 40 degree day with shirts off and a round of golf.

Anyhow, I didn't feel much like lizard hunting, which is what my son wanted to do.



My daughter wanted to go to the park, nothing more specific.  (She is pictured above running our newsroom)  It should be noted that I am pretty good at getting my kids out when the weather is right.  Unlike Ethan she tires of computerized entertainment quickly.  My kids have an interesting bi-play going these days.  When Ethan would ask about lizard hunting, Campbell would pepper him with questions like: "What are you going to do if you capture one, do you know how to feed it or what it likes to eat?  You don't it to die do you, wouldn't its mother miss it?"  And when Campbell wanted to go to the park: "What are we going to do there, it is cold and I would stay in the car."  It is amusing for a little while, but after about 10 hours of it I was really hoping they could find something inside to entertain themselves.

But there was a moment Saturday night just before bed when everything seemed to fit.  Flipping through channels we stumbled across Return of the Jedi on Spike TV.  Everyone huddled close and we watched the Ewok's unlikely victory over the Empire on the moon of Endor.  It is patently ridiculous that the Empire lost this battle, somehow didn't know the teddy bears were in the woods and can't defeat them.  And above it all the Emperor is hammering Luke about his confidence the rebellion is finished.  That is what I was thinking about as the kids simply enjoyed the rebel's romp to victory.  It made most of the cabin fever worth it.