Spring is here...at last

The past few days we've had sunshine and temps over 40. Today it's pushing 50. After the brutal winter we've had, that's a heat wave.

It couldn't have come soon enough; cabin fever was threatening to bring down the walls here.

So this week when the outdoors became inviting again, the kids burst forth with all the pent-up energy of daffodil bulbs that have been hunkering down underground for months.

There was chalk drawing on the driveway, playing catch in the backyard, biking, scootering, and just generally being outside, taking in all the sights and sounds and smells of a warming earth.

They're out there now, on the swingset. It's really too chilly today for a responsible mother to let her kids out without jackets and shoes... but note, I said a responsible mother.

Yes, my kids are out there in shirtsleeves and flip flops. Let 'em. If they get chilly they'll come in for more clothing. Besides, with all the sickness we had this winter, I'm sure their immune systems are tough enough to handle the stress of a slightly chilly spring breeze.

To show how quickly the seasons have changed, here's a little home video creatively titled "Robin in Snow", taken just one week ago. The video quality is less than stellar; a bit shaky, and you have to kind of trust me that it's really a robin in the pear tree, but hey, I never said I was a videographer.



I see that my friend Ana is posting about the arrival of this blessed season, from her home in South Dakota.

Ana, we survived this Long Winter!