This is a sad picture of our backyard right now. Doesn't it look tired, muddy, and wintery? Yes. Yes. and Yes. The flood of the past few weeks is draining but has left muddy spots; the trampoline has been jumped on so much it's falling apart; the jungle gym is going on 7 years and looks the part, and our flower bed is flowerless and holds only a garden NEBRASKA gnome. I looked out the back door and sighed a heavy sigh wishing lush grass, bright flowers, and a green garden would appear without the work. Our backyard is ready for a change -- bring on the Spring! The problem is - our Spring in Houston is so short. It rushes past me, always. I think it'll be here just a little bit longer. So, I wanted to make a list of what I was looking forward to. Maybe I'll appreciate it more. See if you agree with my "What I love about Spring" list:
1. Buying new flowers. Last year the whole family went on the spontaneous, after church, flower-finding mission, so I think there was probably some frustration. But I love picking out new colorful plants. I'm a bit flower-dumb though so I never consider how high they may grow or in what kind of shade they will work best in. I just love matching colors.
2. That first sunburn. Now, I don't mean the kind you got in college, or the kind I got in college when I didn't really know what sunscreen was and floated down the Guadalupe for Spring Break in my lily-white Nebraska winter skin only to be met with pain, days of aloe, and hiding peeled skin. Instead, I mean the kind we brave mom's get when we play outside with the kids in our shorty shorts and tank tops way before shorty short season arrives only to have that tinge of pink later in the evening. I love those days. I always feel like I exercised.
3. Flip-flops every day. Even though they are terrible things for my back. And just a little history about me: I was anti-flip-flops until 2003. Something about things between my toes and dirty feet. I have since come around.
4. Planning the summer. I love to get the calendar out and plan, plan, plan. Looking forward to trips and events is a big part of my life.
5. Picking out Easter dresses for the girls. Again, something to do with my love of matching up colors. Poor Elijah, his outfit is picked based on the secondary color of the girls' dresses. I have learned over the years that he refuses to wear pink (even a manly brown with a pink stripe. Party pooper.)
6. Opening windows - and since we sleep upstairs, this means keeping our bedroom window open all night. It's a very short time-frame that we get to do this. But, it's lovely.
7. Sitting outside at restaurants. And yes, we do this even in winter and the heat of summer, but on the perfect Spring day, no one complains about being too cold or too humid.
8. If all bodes well, no bugs yet. And to saddle up with this -- Being outside All Of The Time. Our back porch becomes an extension of our house. Forget cleaning the kitchen table after dinner because our meals are outside. Love that the hose can do the work for me.
9. Baseball. For most of the Fall school year the TV is on very little, except for those Saturday and Sunday football games. Come Spring and Summer, I allow the Astros to join us for some of our meals, and I don't care how bad they are. And Elijah is playing Spring ball for the first time ever so binging bats, dusty stands, bored girls, lots of snacks, and lots of practices (apparently) will fill our days.
Now I'm excited. Bring on the Spring.
No comments:
Post a Comment