Spring has Sprung!

This week feels like Spring has truly hit in this neck of the woods. And, on the sunny days, which (thankfully!!!) are more and more lately, it feels wondrous! We've had a very wet end of winter, so the sunshine and blue skies we're used to around here are pure bliss, and we're appreciating them all over again. I've realized that I've been putting my camera away every day, instead of setting it out and leaving it out to grab at will, and that has contributed to me feeling very uninspired, in so many ways. Turns out I'm actually somewhat attached to my un-hobby of photography. So, this week I've been leaving it out, and Voila! I have fun, newsy, normal-ish post material. I know you've all been missing that horribly, ha. With spring, comes us venturing into the great outdoors. Currently that's happening just around the house. The kids go out first thing in the morning, and I have to wrangle them in to do school inside. And then the minute school is done they head back out until dinnertime. And then the minute dinner is done, they head back out until bedtime. On this rather coldish day, they begged and pleaded to not do school because it was sunshiny outside, so we compromised and did school outside instead. I can see this happening more and more as the weather gets warmer, because we all enjoyed it muchly. We're wrapping up our first year of home school, and I'm curriculum shopping for our second year. I had no idea that would be so much fun. Somewhat overwhelming at times, but all in all just loads and loads of fun. And, it's way easier this year for sure than it was last year, because I have some idea of what we like and don't like.

Chores never go away... :-)

New Keens from Grammy and Poppa, one size bigger for each kid. I am SO impressed with these shoes. They've been worn every day, through mud, creeks, dust, you name it for the whole year, and are still in great shape-after a spin in the washing machine the purple ones (Debris' last-year pair were purple) actually look brand-new. On this particular day we got the delivery of new Keens, Kiki was in the backyard playing in the mud. She came inside, took her old muddy Keens off, put on her new Keens, and marched right back out to the mud. :-)

Watching my perennials have their first little green pokes coming up from the ground... each one is a cause for great celebration in my world, because I never trust them to revive until I can see it happening.

The kids have been practicing their campfire building technique... they're sure that this year will be the year Dad lets THEM build the campfires while camping. We'll see about that. I think Dad will have a very hard time giving up that task.

Some days are still winter sock days... those stormy, rainy spring days, where the wind cuts right through you, and if you're unfortunate enough to be out running when it hits, it feels as though you have nails flying into your face.

But more and more we're wearing spring socks. :-) The baking never stops... I'm discovering that it's what I do instinctively when I feel the need of comfort. I had no idea of this about myself. Did you know that you can freeze egg whites? I love recipes now that call for separated eggs, because I build up a collection of frozen whites in my freezer, and when I've got 8 of them, I can make the most delicious hazelnut cake from my favorite cookbook. My favorite Brioche recipe calls for two egg yolks... and one white for the glossing of the finished product. So, the Hazelnut cake habit and the Brioche habit are feeding each other, and this makes me uber happy.

And, I've traded my dried up winter de-icer puddles by the front door for dust throughout the house. Every day, we sweep up at least this much dust. That being said, it's happy dust... from kids running in and out, and leaving doors open, and having that sweet precious smell of outside play in their hair when you sniff their heads while you take a break from doing dishes to hug them and tell them to climb in the shower at the end of the day. So, really, who can be mad about that?!

Signing off, the Winter girl who remembers every Spring that she loves Spring too.