Bubbles & New Beginings

We've been too busy chopping away at the snowbanks over here to be indoors, therefore I've neglected this blog. It felt so good to see the sun so early this morning, and to go off to story hour with no sweatshirts- just jackets- then return home for a walk and lunch on the back steps.

While the baby took her afternoon nap, the other two and I made tracks through the snow left in the backyard. They were attempting to dig out their sandbox with sand shovels and pails. It might be a tedious process but it kept them occupied for hours. They did, however, spend much of the time yelling, "Go away bugs!" at the top of their lungs while I offhandedly wondered what the neighbors were thinking.

The highlight of the afternoon was unearthing buried treasures left out in the yard before the snow settled last fall. A broken shovel, a set of wheels that once was a truck, a sparkly bouncy ball, and an extremely weathered, piece of sidewalk chalk.

After supper this evening, the kids happily marched back outside- each clutching the bubbles they got in their Easter baskets. They plopped themselves down on an overturned diaper box that just happened to be sitting in the backyard (please, please don't ask me why- it makes a good bench, okay?) and proceeded to blow bubbles. Suddenly, Lydia had the bright idea to chase after the bubbles- tossing her bottle of bubbles down on the box where they promptly spilled all over the box, all over Jack, and soon both kids were wailing- Jack was soaked, Lydia's bubbles were gone.

But wait. Not to fear, mom is prepared for these sorts of emergencies. So... off I trucked to locate the mega-size bottle of bubble solution from last summer to refill her bottle and stop her tears. All was well again for a few minutes until I ran inside for something and Jack decided to follow me. He got as far as the door before he dropped his bottle of bubbles on the porch floor- completely spilling the entire contents of his bottle.

And then we decided to call it a day. The kids came inside, I slipped off to class (1 of 2 left to go!) and returned after they were in bed.

I'll take the mud tracked across my kitchen floor, a slimy porch floor where the bubble solution spilled, and three pairs of soaked jeans because it means... spring is here. (Hush. I know snow is still lingering in the forecast, but I'm not thinking about that, okay?)

It might also be fair to say I'm overly tolerant of all of this because today my husband got a job! He'll start as a nurse-tech and then move into an LPN position once he passes his boards. Such a relief, I'm quite certain the kids could have moved an entire muddy snowbank into the kitchen then sat in it while it melted and I wouldn't have minded!

Enjoy the weather. Lift your face to the sun and breathe in the muddy, fresh, "funny good smell" (as Lydia calls it). Throw open your windows and let winter's stale air dissipate. Welcome the new beginings, because it's spring.