Things I Love About Spring

1. Tulips and Irises. They're so cheerful. I especially love the color of the irises. In fact, I love all spring flowers. I like the daffodils as well, and the hyacinths. I'm kind of using the peonies (you can see them sprouting in the front of this picture) as a timeline for when the baby is coming. They usually bloom around the end of May or beginning of June, and I'm scheduled for my c-section June 9th. So as those peonies pop up, it reminds me of all the things I need to do before the baby is born.





































*Above photo courtesy of Amanda Wiatr.

2. That first pedicure of the year. Sandal season has officially begun! Just in time, too, because my feet have been swelling a bit, and flip-flops always fit, no matter what. I love the way my feet feel after a nice spa pedicure.

3. The first frappucino of the year. I know I could order them in the winter but they just don't feel right until a warm spring day. I always order a tall, light caramel frappucino, but I make them add the whipped cream anyway. It's all about the trade-offs.

4. Little boys with worms. Aww. Enough said.

5. The gorgeous trees in my neighborhood that flower with lovely white flowers this time of year. They look just beautiful--see the one in the background of this picture?

6. The smell of spring. I don't have a picture for that, so here's a hyacinth. Oh, maybe I do have a picture for the smell of spring.

7. The fact that Panera has spinach again. They only have it in the spring and summertime, and it's back! I've been really, really craving spinach salads lately, and the BBQ Chopped Chicken Salad is awesome when you substitute spinach for the lettuce.

It must be my anemia, but I have even been having dreams about this salad. I very suddenly got extremely anemic. Apparently the cute little parasite inside of me has sucked my entire store of available iron, leaving me exhausted and paler than death. I went today for my first IV infusion of iron, and had to stop on the way for this salad. I only ever eat the half-size portion, though. I guess desperately craving salad is far better than those red velvet whoopie pies I was craving last month.

8. Speaking of spinach, I love the way my spinach is actually growing this year. Thanks to the chicken wire, the bunnies haven't been able to touch it. I can't wait to taste my own garden grown spinach.

Visiting with Gigi

During my spring break, Nick and I decided to take a day to go and visit my grandmother, who Nick calls Gigi. (G.G.=great grandma) She just had cataract surgery and we figured she could use some cheering up. Nick picked out pretty yellow tulips and cupcakes to bring for her.

I think Nick's favorite part of the visit was romping with Lucy, the Yorkie pup.

My grandma made us lunch and dinner, and we talked and watched Nick run around and try to destroy things. At one point, he kept sneaking into the living room and stealing Hershey's kisses from the candy bowl.  For a two-year-old, he can be pretty surreptitious--Nick would put the candy behind his back so we couldn't see it. He must've gone back seven or eight times before we finally put the candy bowl where he couldn't reach it.

That really brought back memories for me, because I can remember doing the exact same thing. In fact, one time, when I was about 5 or 6, I snuck a whole bunch of chocolate out of that same crystal candy bowl and hid the wrappers under the couch cushions. I was caught and I can remember having to write a silly sentence about 100 times. It was something like: I will not take candy without asking. It seems my son has inherited the tendancy to swipe chocolate whenever it is in the vicinity.

It was a sunny day, so we decided to go outside with Lucy for awhile. Even though it was somewhat chilly outside, Nick wasn't even a little bit cold. Too busy running full speed towards and away from the puppy, he got quite a bit of exercise. You can tell, though, that Gigi was a little chilled.

I really love this time in the spring when you can have the windows open and let in the fresh air. Spring is such a hopeful time, and I have to say that Nick is so much more mellow when he gets to run around and play outdoors.

Nick has quite a few doting grandparents--four grandmas and three grandpas--but there's only one Gigi. Since Nick lost his Grandma Marie in February, she's his only living great grandparent, and very special to him. You'd think he'd get confused with all of the relatives, but we have pictures up all over the house, and Nick can point to them and name everyone. He knew just who I was talking about when I said we were going to visit Gigi. In the car, he asked, "I see Gigi. Puppy, too?"


Yup. Puppy, too.

At times, I felt sorry for the puppy, because Nick was not very gentle with her. But Lucy kept coming back for more, and licking the heck out of my boy. He didn't seem to mind much.

I spent most of my spring break working on a very big freelance writing project, all while potty training Mr. Nick. I also had papers to edit for some friends and a Power Point presentation I was working on for work. Not very relaxing.

So getting to take a rest from the computer and drive up for some adult company was really nice. I think Gigi liked the company, too, though she looked pretty tired by the time we left. It's hard for anyone to get used to the energy of a two-year-old!

Raking Leaves in March (With a Snow Shovel)

Since spring is officially here, of course snow is expected later this week. That's what happens in this part of Illinois. We get teased with lovely weather for a few days, and then get slapped in the face with the remnants of winter. During one of our last "teaser" days of nice weather, Nick and I decided to go out and see what'd happened with the garden. Grandma Toni joined us, too.

Before you say anything, yes, I am indeed aware that my garden was covered with leaves and dead plants. I know that gardeners are supposed to do some work in the fall to clean up. My excuse? Last fall I was in the first trimester of this pregnancy, and I was more than a little nervous about overexerting myself. So we did nothing. We didn't even rake the leaves.

So that's why we were outside on a sunny day in March, raking leaves and turning over the soil. Nick was actually pretty good at helping with this. He loves digging in the dirt, and preparing the soil, at this point, involves nothing more than a bit of digging.

Nick even helped us gather the leaves and put them into the yard waste bags. Would you believe we filled two entire bags just with leaves and old plants from our small raised bed garden? Really.

Oh, and the snow shovel? I couldn't find the rake--later Greg told me he'd thrown it out because it was in bad shape. At first we tried picking up the leaves with our hands, but that was frustrating and not very successful. So I pulled out the snow shovel, and that did the trick fairly well. I also used my funky twisty tool (that green thing with the handle) to turn over the soil. I'll probably supplement the soil a bit with some compost, but it still looks decent. I like raised beds because the soil doesn't get packed down as much.

We already planted some seeds, and they're growing well indoors. Now the garden is mostly ready for planting. I'm thinking the spinach will go in first, sometime soon. This year we're going to put in some chicken wire, because the bunnies around here are ravenous, and they've eaten quite a bit of my produce in the last few years.

I am totally ready for spring to arrive, this time for good! If we get both nice weather and time this weekend, we'll be doing some planting. I ordered a whole bunch of new seeds from the Seed Saver's Exchange, and I can't wait to see how they'll do.

Please don't eat the seeds!

Last week, on one of those random warm days, Nick and I decided that it was time to plant some of our seeds. I'm obviously not going to be as gung ho about my planting as I was last year, but I'm still hoping for some decent produce. My weeding, however, might be significantly reduced, seeing as it takes me a sold minute to get down to the ground. Let's not talk about how long it takes my pregnant body to get up.

Our first step was hydrating the soil pellets in the little greenhouse. Nick enjoyed helping with that, although he spilled as much water on the floor as he got onto the soil pellets. Kids always love when the pellets start to grow--it looks like magic to them.  I bought one of the greenhouses that had 75 little pellets. That should be enough seeds to get me started. I still had plenty of seeds left over from last year, when I ordered from the Seed Saver's Exchange.

I think Nick is just excited to be outside again. I am too, to tell you the truth. It's interesting how we don't go outside at all for four or five months out of the year, and then suddenly it's nice enough to sit on the porch. We did notice something fishy on our front porch, though. . .

Yup, that "Welcome" pole with fall decorations and the scarecrow has been there since September. My mother-in-law got that for us a few years back, and this year we forgot to bring it in. At one point it was covered in snow. I guess it's time to bring it in, since it is now officially SPRING.

Here are the seeds tonight, about a week later. They've pretty much all sprouted and are doing well under the lights. I just bought another ten kinds of seeds from the Seed Saver's Exchange, so we'll see if I'm too late to plant those as well, once they arrive in the mail.

Oh, what did I plant? Is that the question? Sigh. Nick kept trying to eat the seeds. He called the bigger ones "beans" and it was all I could do to keep them away from him. I wasn't paying attention while I was planting, so I couldn't tell you what is what.

I'm never very good at remembering what I planted where. I remember I had the same problem last year. I know that I did 2 rows of tomatoes and peppers and at least 1 row of everything else, including lots of herbs. I think I planted broccoli, too. Nick was distracting me as I was planting, and I lost the paper where I had written down which seeds are which. Oh well. I'll figure it out eventually. I'm just proud of myself for remembering to plant the seeds!

Under the Weather During Beautiful Weather

It's me who has been under the weather--Nick is just fine. I've been sick the last couple of days--since Monday, really, although I made it at work until Tuesday afternoon. It was some sort of horrible stomach or flu bug that finally ran its course. I suppose I picked really good days to be sick, though. The weather was amazing, and I was able to spend a few hours outside with Nick enjoying it. I do believe the fresh air helped me to feel better, although I needed to lie down again after only about 30 minutes outdoors. Check out the tree in the background--I love all of the white blooms.

It's funny, but I think he somehow knew I was sick. Nicholas was really well behaved (for a toddler). When I was lying on the couch Tuesday afternoon, wracked with chills and trying to watch him play, he didn't throw a tantrum. Instead, he played with his toys and brought me books to read to him. Then he snuggled with me on the couch. Nick was pretty good all week, actually, and he didn't wreak too much havoc while I was recuperating. It's funny how that happens--I noticed it with my students at school, too, on Tuesday. I told them I wasn't feeling well, and they didn't give me any trouble and were extra nice. That's one of the reasons I like children. 

 

With the weather here in the 80s, Nick kept announcing "outside!" and pointing towards the door. He wanted to play outside, and I could only stall him for so long. Not that I really wanted to; I was perfectly comfortable sitting in the grass watching him poke things with sticks and run around. My spring flowers are looking really good so far. The tulips and irises (I think they're irises) are blooming, with more buds still to come, and the peonies are just starting to come up. Below you can see Nick giving you the tour. He's learned to say "Pretty," and he keeps pointing at trees and flowers and announcing just that.

I just love perennials. They're nearly impossible to kill, come back no matter what, require very little work, and they can make my house look amazing even if I have no idea what I'm doing. The year I was pregnant with Nick I literally did not touch one thing outside, and I still got compliments on my "gardening" skills. Not too bad.

I love that Nick was able to wear shorts today. I'm also rather proud of the outfits I found him this year. I think I've learned my lessons about buying children's clothing. Now I buy everything online, and most of it is lightly used. I really like the clothes from Gymboree, but I sure can't afford to shop there. So instead I buy the outfits from other people's kids who have grown out of them. This little outfit consists of an ant motif with "work, work, work" on the front. The hat matches, as do the socks and the cargo shorts. I have another onesie that goes with the ensemble, which is called "Botanical Babies," and cost me less than $15, with shipping. I believe that's a wood chip in one hand and half of a plastic Easter egg in the other.

Pointing isn't rude when you are only 1 year old!

At least, I hope it isn't rude, because Nick points at everything all the time. I always try to guess at what he's pointing at and name it for him. He points at people, too. Today, in the Costco, Nick kept pointing to the sample ladies and screaming, "No!" I do believe that's his way of asking for something. Sigh. He doesn't understand the true meaning of the word no. He just knows that people say it a lot to him.

It was pretty funny, though. He got to try cinnamon rolls, tilapia, pita crackers with hummus, crackers with garlic cheese, a chocolate fudge tart, a berry tart, and two kinds of muffins. Nick is getting spoiled with the snacks there; by the time I got to the aisles that didn't have sample ladies, he was pointing at where the samples "should" have been and screaming. Then he got mad and started emptying my purse onto the floor. Good thing I noticed before he got to my wallet. I do believe I lost a few coupons, though.

In the picture above, Nick was pointing a the birds. He loves them, and he follows the birdies with his finger. He will not, however, say bird for me. He's standing in front of the raised bed garden (square foot garden, actually) that I bought three years ago. It's looking pretty beat up, but you can actually see the beginnings of strawberries and catnip sprouting. The strawberries are for us and the catnip is for our cats.

The green that can be seen under all of the dead vegetation means that spring is here! You wouldn't know it from the 30 degree temperatures today, but soon I will be able to break out the sandals and put away the sweaters. I can't wait. Best of all, my spring break begins today. My only hope is that a few days will be warm enough to sit on my screened in porch. Below you can see the view I have. It is lovely and relaxing, and I'm desperately hoping for a 60 degree day.

I hope spring comes back soon. . .

because Nick really wants to go back to the park. These pictures are from warmer days, and, sadly, I couldn't take any "having fun at the park" pictures this weekend.  :(  Instead of playing at the park, like we did last week, we spent the weekend indoors. Poor Nick was sad. It even snowed on Saturday, and the temperatures were freezing! What a way to start spring.

My spring break starts after this week, and I can't wait. I hope this last blast of winter weather runs itself out this week, because I'm hoping to get a lot of work done outside. I'm also planning on taking Nick to the park everyday, because otherwise he is a bear. Today he was crabbier than I've seen him in a long time, and I think that's because he didn't get to run around outside.

Signs of Spring?

I would say that walking to the park with a 1 year old is an exercise in futility. Nick never wants to walk in the direction we want him to go--he will suddenly turn around and start running the other way. Once we got him there, though, he was in toddler heaven. Greg and I sat on the see-saw, and Nick didn't want to let us stop. I think he could have bounced forever. (I, on the other hand, discovered that you can indeed get nauseous from a see-saw.) 

As spring gets closer and warmer weather appears, we've been taking Nick to the park every chance we get. He needs lots of exercise and fresh air, or he turns into a monster. He'll stand by the window, pointing and looking hopefully at us as we sit on our butts on the couch. Nick is right, though. Fresh air is good for all of us.

Yup, we have officially become "those" parents. The ones who would put a child on a leash. Nick is just so fast. Plus, he changes direction quickly and we don't want to lose sight of him. When we try to walk holding his hand, Nick is still so very short (2nd percentile for his age) that we have to hunch way over, so that's not effective either. Thus the baby harness. So far so good. I believe it's a good compromise between carrying Nick or having him in the stroller continuously and letting him run for the hills (literally).

Another sign of spring, for me, unfortunately, is allergies. As things are starting to defrost and the mold count multiplies, my allergies have become intolerable. My usual singulair pill isn't enough to make a dent in the horrible post-nasal drip that curses me at least once a year. Right now I get to choose between being drugged on Sudafed and being so stuffed up I can't breathe through my nose. The worst part is that I'm losing my voice. That might not be a big deal for some people, but I use my voice to control as many as 30 children at a time. My job is very dependent on my voice, and it is very hard to try to squeak and croak my way through a day of teaching. Can you imagine teaching remedial math to 19 fourth graders in an after school program when all you can manage is a croak? I do love spring, but I'm wishing that a fix for these allergies could be found. I want to breathe properly again!