A 2MomsView of Spring
by Mimi & MegHere in the Midwest (especially the northern parts), Spring can be a fickle fellow. One minute it's warm, then it's raining, next the wind jumps to 65 mph and then it's snowing. Great right? Always an adventure here and it never fails to amaze us how even in the midst of all this crazy weather things will start to grow.
Mimi
Spring is springing up all over!Speaking of grow...last week my oldest childs feet grew a half a shoe size! Shoes that were fine one day and POOF suddenly the next day his big toe is poking through!
It's this time of year we transition into a new weight of clothing for the spring (some shorts, some t-shirts and gym shoes) and we notice just how MUCH they have grown. I put away coats and boots and wonder if the sizes will coincide with the seasons for the my next child? I notice as I get weepy over all the things they have outgrown and panic as I realize that the oldest has nothing but the second is in GREAT shape for shirts. Grumblings from my husband who also notices this child-related sign of spring because the amount of money it costs to keep re-clothing them gets larger in correlation to their age. Of course drawers get emptied out and closets get raided. And because of this, it's a good year to clear out these outgrown t-shirts from their drawers and baby tees from their baby bins (a topic for another day) and getting quilts made out of them. Like this fantastic example here by www.toocooltshirtquilts.com, which is themed. Spring will spring some space in their closets with this little project.
(photo credit Too Cool Tshirt Quilts)
Nostalgically, I notice that they no longer willingly and curiously want to help me do all the things I normally do in Spring. The teenager does not desire to assist in cleaning out the garage and the pre-teen could care less that his closet looks like a bomb exploded in there! I miss those times and cherish my memories of little hands and curious faces as we completed a Spring cleaning task together. Now I assign duties and offer payment. Which is fine because it's good to learn how to be self-reliant.
But I digress, that is definitely another topic for another day.
There are other signs of Spring at our house too, ones that don't make me wonder if did all the things I should have when they were younger. Since my oldest has been a pre-teen we have decided that during our "Springbreak" or some weekend during April we take an ADVENTURE. It usually is small in nature and involves eating outdoors somehow, but it's just us. We go someplace we have never been (and sometimes will never go again), we eat something we have never eaten before and we take pictures and TALK about anything and EVERYTHING. And yes they actually talk to me, you know why, because there is no electronics and we are out in the middle of nowhere (I know good planning). This has quickly become my favorite because the hopes and dreams come out. No filter from how others think and no limits because it's ADVENTURE day! It's like a mini-glimpse of things to come. They are relaxed and full of themselves from discovery of the world around us.
Spring actually came to my very OVER-stuffed closet. I threw out (to charity of course) FOUR garbage bags full to the brim with clothes, shoes, purses, baby bags (I KNOW!) and belts. I finally was serious of the questions you are supposed to ask yourself when cleaning out your closet
- Have I worn it in the past year?
- Does it fit?
- Is it in fashion now?
- Will I ever (truthfully) wear this again?
Wow, what a freeing thing to rid myself of all that stuff that I didn't even know that I had anymore! So while it is still chilly outside, Spring is definitely in full bloom inside my house!
Meg
Spring in our house has brought on the allergies, coughs, colds and any other kind of illness you can think of! Between trips to the doctor with the 4 year old and breathing treatments with the 2 year old, I have been cleaning one little corner of this house at a time.
This being my first year as a stay at home mom I am finding myself struggling to balance the needs of my kids to go to the park with my needs to clean the heck out of our entire, tiny little house. I've decided to take on one project each day and pat myself on the back if I manage to get that finished ;)
On top of cleaning, we have the oldest ones birthday and I always feel the need to do WAY too much to celebrate! I have the insane obsession with baking the cake myself and I end up dragging my husband into the intricate decorating process that leaves me sleepless for night before hand, and up till 1 a.m. the night before the party. This year my 4 year old asked for a Lego Superhero birthday and my head nearly exploded. As an avid adult Lego fan I had been waiting for this my whole life (maybe that's an exaggeration, but I was excited!). It is all always worth it in the end to see how excited they get when they see their cakes. Most of my friends make fun of me for stressing out over these things, but I love doing it for them and I always love a good challenge :)
I think the thing that has struck me (or should I say both of us) the most this Spring is how fragile life is. Of course the lesson or idea is something we all already know but this Spring Mimi and I have both been slapped in the face with story after story of struggles and losses that families around us have had to handle.
One of the most poignant and distressing stories is a family is a local family in which 2 of their 4 children have been diagnosed with a rare disease called Batten disease. This is a "rare genetic illness that has ruthlessly robbed them of their speech, balance, and mobility. At this time, LINCL-Batten disease is always terminal, usually between the ages of eight and 12." (quoted from www.noahshope.com) And this Spring their son just 1 week shy of his 12th birthday lost his battle.
Many, many people have decided to show support of this family by tying red ribbons around their trees. I am humbled and amazed to see how many ribbons are down each of our streets. Most of us didn't know them personally but yet we all feel the need to show this family that they are not alone. When I see the ribbons it reminds me to hug my babies a few extra times, to leave the mess on the counter and go play superhero games, and to be truly grateful for my family, my friends, and my community. We don't know how many more tomorrows we are going to get and this Spring I am truly making an effort to be the best mom/wife/friend I can be.
This being my first year as a stay at home mom I am finding myself struggling to balance the needs of my kids to go to the park with my needs to clean the heck out of our entire, tiny little house. I've decided to take on one project each day and pat myself on the back if I manage to get that finished ;)
On top of cleaning, we have the oldest ones birthday and I always feel the need to do WAY too much to celebrate! I have the insane obsession with baking the cake myself and I end up dragging my husband into the intricate decorating process that leaves me sleepless for night before hand, and up till 1 a.m. the night before the party. This year my 4 year old asked for a Lego Superhero birthday and my head nearly exploded. As an avid adult Lego fan I had been waiting for this my whole life (maybe that's an exaggeration, but I was excited!). It is all always worth it in the end to see how excited they get when they see their cakes. Most of my friends make fun of me for stressing out over these things, but I love doing it for them and I always love a good challenge :)
I think the thing that has struck me (or should I say both of us) the most this Spring is how fragile life is. Of course the lesson or idea is something we all already know but this Spring Mimi and I have both been slapped in the face with story after story of struggles and losses that families around us have had to handle.
One of the most poignant and distressing stories is a family is a local family in which 2 of their 4 children have been diagnosed with a rare disease called Batten disease. This is a "rare genetic illness that has ruthlessly robbed them of their speech, balance, and mobility. At this time, LINCL-Batten disease is always terminal, usually between the ages of eight and 12." (quoted from www.noahshope.com) And this Spring their son just 1 week shy of his 12th birthday lost his battle.
(For more information about their battle with Batten and how you can help please click here.)
Many, many people have decided to show support of this family by tying red ribbons around their trees. I am humbled and amazed to see how many ribbons are down each of our streets. Most of us didn't know them personally but yet we all feel the need to show this family that they are not alone. When I see the ribbons it reminds me to hug my babies a few extra times, to leave the mess on the counter and go play superhero games, and to be truly grateful for my family, my friends, and my community. We don't know how many more tomorrows we are going to get and this Spring I am truly making an effort to be the best mom/wife/friend I can be.
Carpe Diem people (Latin for "seize the day")!!
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