Spring is here?

The spring breeze is unlike any other breeze I've felt before. The fragrance of fresh hyacinth brings back memories of my first Spring in the United States, when S was in my womb. I bought my first bulb' red tulips from Beardshear Hall, and brought it back to the apartment, and placed it next to my mattress. Seeing it everyday somehow lifted my spirits. I suppose, subconsciously, all these years, spring has a profound meaning for me, hence why it's my favorite season.

"I think I'm changing my mind about fall," S said today, as we sat on the back porch, enjoying the extra ice weather after bouts of snow, sleet, and ice for the past weeks.

Her favorite season was fall, but today, she's changing her mind.

At first, I didn't let them play outside, but when I looked at the current temperature on our local TV station channel, 61 F seemed a very enticing temperature. i told them they could do their math outside, but then Baby Z fell asleep, so it was put on hold. Lunch time came, and Baby Z had awaken just a few minutes before, so I told them we could all have lunch on the back porch. They bounded downstairs with glee.

You could see how a little fresh air put them in better spirits. As we sat on the pink picnic cloth they had laid out on the back porch, and ate our lunch that consisted of spicy french fried sambal, baked chicken, and stir fry vegetables with rice, I told them of how I used to have little picnics like that with them when we were in Iowa. Our apartment in Iowa had a fenced in front yard, which provided me with ample privacy for gardening and just hanging out. When spring came, I would rejoice, pack our lunches, and lug the three kids outside, sometimes to the playground, sometimes to the front yard and sometimes to the shared yard out the patio door. I loved that life. I sensed that they loved hearing about it too.

Baby Z had his first spring experience, well maybe not his first, since he was born around springtime, but at least the first experience he is able to enjoy. We sat him in his chair, S fed him his lunch, under the warm sun, caressed by the spring breeze. He seemed to enjoy it immensely, laughing, smiling, and blinking at the sudden brightness. I have a feeling he enjoys being outside, regardless of the weather. Once when we took him out when it was frigid, he smiled and grinned at the biting cold. I already have three kids who do NOT like to put on their coats when they go outside, when the temperature requires it. Am I raising another one? Alas, I think all kids hate to put their coats on regardless of how low the temperature is outside.

Now, if we can only speed up finishing the K12 curriculum so we can enjoy more spring weather, or should I say, if only we could have more days with weather such as today...ahhh....