Parent to Parent
Hang In There, Spring Is Coming!
Thump. I hear a bump upstairs. Sounds like someone getting out of bed.
"Oh, no," I think, "here he comes."
That's a terrible thing to think about your own child, but I know I'm not the only one who wishes the afternoon nap could last just a few more minutes. I'm lucky to get a break at all, especially after a morning like today. The nap was a pleasant surprise though, a necessary respite from a tumultuous morning. And it's not over yet. I have to brave the cold and take the boys out in public once again. So I dig deep to find another scrap of patience, and hope it's enough to get us home and safely in bed, dignity intact.
Because tomorrow is another day, and Spring is coming.
The days often seem longer in winter, when we spend more time together indoors. I look at the calendar, see March and think, "Hang in there, Spring is coming!" I can't wait to get my boys back in the habit of just Being Outside, rather than Going Outside, only to rush back in after fifteen minutes in the freezing cold.
But we have hope for an early spring. Remember Punxsutawney Phil? On Groundhog Day he did NOT see his shadow, he did NOT go back into his hole, and so I watch the weather daily for signs of that early spring he predicted for me. I anxiously await the annual melting of snow, and the mud and the mess tracked indoors. Yes, this is what Spring Cleaning is all about.
So what else is March good for, besides Saint Patrick's Day? Well, we have Daylight Savings Time, bumped up from its usual third Sunday in April to March 11th this year. Coming home from work after a long day, with the sun still shining, makes you feel like going out for a walk or a bike ride with your family. Now you can get back in the saddle a whole month early.
My favorite spring pick-me-up is a great, big Flower and Garden Show. While some cities have them in late February, check your local calendar; you may not have missed it. Here in the Midwest, March is big Flower and Garden Show time. Ah yes, there's nothing like an exhibition hall full of gardens in bloom to chase away cabin fever. You don't even have to have a green thumb to reap the benefits. And there are plenty of experts around tossing out free advice for the careful listener.
If you happen to have a green thumb, or at least try to, then the new seed catalogs will be coming your way soon. Our friends down South will be grateful for the extra hour of daylight as they prepare to get their planting started this month, while the rest of us are still dreaming of our summer gardens yet to be.
For the outdoor sports enthusiast still waiting for the perfect weather, there's always shopping for new equipment. You can waste away a dreary Sunday afternoon looking for the best deals on new tennis rackets, baseball bats and soccer balls on the internet. Or, if you need to get out of the house (don't we all!), one of those super-mega sports stores is sure to have the newest gear on display, where you can actually touch it.
I find March is also a good month for planning: plan your garden, research and sign up for summer camps, plan your spring/summer wardrobe purchases (what do the kids need for camp?), plan your next vacation. Plan for the end of winter!
Yes, folks, Spring is almost here. I can see the grass in spots of melted snow, and it is green!
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