What does a snowman look like before fall is over?

Click photo for more.

It was after dark yesterday when we came home from a second photo shoot for Pearl Jane (after which, Jadon wanted a photo shoot of his own, photos to be posted here soon). Karleigh had run off to teach book arts, and when the rest of us got home, the boys and I played in yesterday's snow.

After putting Ethan to bed, Jadon and I made this sweet snowman, with carrot nose and frozen blueberry eyes. Raisins don't stick so well, we discovered, which is what we used the first time we made it; the top fell off the first time. That's a semicolon. Sadly, it toppled over again before Karleigh got home to see it. That's Christian's hat on its head, I've been informed.

I've discovered that to get a three year old to happily get ready for bed, without a "no", or an "I'm not tired," or an, "I want another story," to be heard of, brushing his teeth, going pee, putting on pajamas, all without complaint, is to build a snowman together, and drink hot chocolate afterward. Maybe playing at his cousin's house before all this helps, too. And having a photo shoot with him, too. Maybe the trick is wearing him out with extra wonderful attention, instead of regular old distracted, sometimes annoyed, attention.