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Monday, April 29, 2013

Spring has sprung!

I can't remember ever craving spring so badly in all my life.  This past six months seemed to stretch on for years . . . years of being cooped up in the house with two kids who were not-so-slowly going stir-crazy.  Not to mention I was feeling pretty stir-crazy as well!

All winter long Sophia and Jude both wanted to go outside every day.  Sophia loves the snow, though, while Jude only likes the idea of being out in the snow, and not the reality of it.  So we mostly stayed inside, peering out every morning to see if the snow had magically disappeared overnight.

But now spring is here!  And the kids and I are soaking it in, walking to the park a few times a week and spending hours a day outside.  No amount of outside time is enough for Jude . . . pretty sure that kid would prefer a hammock strung up between trees to his crib inside.

In keeping with the book I have been reading of late "1000 Gifts," I was thinking about what I am grateful for on the car ride home from a friend's house today, and realized it could pretty much be summed up as "SPRING."  But here goes anyway . . .

1.  Light . . . Light in the morning as I run, and light in the evening after we've put the kids to bed.  No more gloom!  This is a biggie, because I can feel each new light-filled day chasing away the last of the winter doldrums.

2.  Warmth . . . I am sooooo thrilled that we don't need to fill up our oil tank again, just in time to pay for my upcoming root canal.  We have even been able to keep our door open a couple times in mid-afternoon to welcome a blast of fresh air into our home.  So thankful for the return to moderate temperatures!  Nothing like running in one layer instead of three.

3.  Picnics . . . The kids and I seem to be making a habit of taking our lunch outside, which has the added bonus of minimizing cleanup.  I just put lunch on a platter, and the kids grab sandwiches and fruit off as they finish what is in hand.  Big outside appetites!

4.  The park . . . Both Jude and Sophia are huge fans of the park.  They both love to walk there, despite Jude always managing to get hurt.  Our first outing we had to turn right back around to come home when Jude fell in a puddle upon our arrival.  The next time he fell and hit just above the bridge of his nose on the slide steps and got black eyes.  A typical almost two-year old boy, he has no sense of self-preservation.  But we love the park, despite any accidents, and I forsee a few walks down the hill this week!

5.  Tiny Crocs on tiny feet . . . Neither John nor I are big fans of Crocs.  We think they look weird, and neither of us have ever worn them.  Never say never, though, because we put our kids in them every year!  Two years ago I bought Sophia her first pair of bubble gum pink Crocs, and started a summer tradition.  Last year she helped pick hers out, a hot pink mary jane pair.  This year Jude is finally getting in on the action, and has the cutest little pair of navy blue Crocs you ever saw!  He looks like a little man in his big boy shorts-tee-and-crocs.  Sigh.

6.  Rhubarb . . . I have black thumbs.  Or whatever the opposite of a green thumb may be.  So last year I finally decided it was time to pull out the haphazard arrangement of whatever bulb flowers those are in the bed next to our house, and put in rhubarb.  From what I have heard, it's pretty indestructible.  Plus it's crazy yummy (strawberry-rhubarb pie, anyone?!), and the combo of useful and indestructible works for me.  Out with the flowers, in with the rhubarb.  And I am now happy to report that the roots planted last fall took, and I already have shoots, or whatever, growing up out of the ground!

7.  Green . . . Grass, leaves, plants, green is everywhere!  Still mixed with brown for the most part, but full-on green is coming.

8.  $2.99 Ben and Jerry's at Shaws . . . Ok, this one has nothing to do with spring, but last week B&J's was $2.99 a pint.  I won't say how much I ate, just that it was a good week to be increasing my running mileage.  Chubby Hubby = best ever!

Hooray for spring, and for so many things to be grateful for that I couldn't possibly list them all.  I'll be back soon with some projects . . . including my first slipcover!

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