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Springy, Spring, Spring

Well, it's spring break in our parts. Which means, we've had a string of lazy, slow, perfect spring days. It's 75 degrees and sunny out there, absolutely perfect. Beatrix and I have been taking our sweet time getting going in the mornings, lazying about in the most luxurious manner. Enjoying slow cups of hot coffee (for me), oatmeal or eggs, and bacon for us. Boy oh boy, that girl is good company. The kind of company that makes lingering feel oh so just right. You know the kind -- the "let's just hold this moment for a little bit longer" kind of company.

Speaking of good company, Beatrix's birthday is this coming weekend. 4 years. Oh my. How can that be?? I love that her birthday falls on our spring break every year. It's so nice to slow down, soak up the sweetness that she is, and savor the last days before she grows one.more.year.older. I'm loving, loving, loving this age so very much. Family snuggles in her bed as we read aloud the Little House chapter book series has pretty much been one of the greatest highlight of my life so far. Seriously, those moments of us cuddling up, leaning up into each other's arms listening to the adventures of Pa, Ma, and their girls...oh, such good memories to tuck away forever and always. 

Despite the slow start to our days, we have been ever so slightly productive. We've planted lots of lots of herbs in our front yard. One day, our front yard will waft in the aroma of lavendar and roses. I cannot wait! We also have plans to build three more garden beds for a total of five in all. Beatrix has been pretending she is Ms. Rumphius and has been sprinkling all sorts of seeds (from old seed packs) around the yard. Who knows, maybe I'll have better luck with her freestyle planting technique than with my more structured, indoor attempts. We discovered this afternoon, that some of our sunflowers, zinnias, and cosmos are already sprouting! 

Right now, Beatrix has a sneezy, runny nose. I tell ya, knock on wood, this girl is as hardy as they come. She tends to get a sniffle for one or two days a year and it's usually during spring break right before her birthday. So she has been joining us in bed at night and asking me to rock her as she dozes back to sleep. I can't help but wonder how many more opportunties I'll have to hold my baby girl in my arms. She's growing like a weed!  

All for now!  Must get to work at some serious list making and errand running for the next two days. There's a party in the woods to plan!

 

 

Early spring.

I wrote a big ole post last night about spring and about why must it be that children grow up so darn fast. And then poof, it disappeared into the Typepad atmosphere with no apparent reason, whatsoever.

These second versions (it's not the first time I lose a post, oh no...) of lost posts can never replace the first ones, but I'll try to recap and record a little bit of what has been going on in our parts the last couple of weeks.

School work: school fairs, open houses, an interview, and an impromptu workshop in my living room. The little school is keeping me busy. I continue to have on-going conversations with myself about walking the illusive line of following the child's interest while gently exposing her to new experiences. What a dance it is!  

Gardening: I went quite crazy with an opportunity to buy a couple of flats of herbs at wholesale prices only because, I've had dreams of lavender fields for a long time. I live on a quarter of an acre, so I'm not planting a lavender field per se, but we are doing a heck of a lot of landscaping with herbs that like our sunny and dry climate -- lots and lots of laveder, thyme, and oregano are going into our lawn this spring. 

The little one: Six months ago, her favorite book was the pop-up version of The Wheels on the Bus. Last night, we finished our first chapter book. This growing up thing could happen at a slower pace and I'd be just fine with it. Really. Also, she has been using words like 'totally' in her conversations. Ex: Mama, I totally forgot to pick up my trains before I went outside. 

Me: I'm enjoying the spring weather we've been having. Spring is a rare season in Texas. It typically lasts for about 48 hours. But this year, it's lingering and I love it so much. The day starts off in the chilly 30's, warms up to the 50's or 60's by afternoon, and then quickly cools again by evening. We are enjoying the habit of layering up cozily for the day: undershirts, long sleeves, and something wooly on top. Snuggly layers are the best! I am beginning to feel desperate (okay, nearly bitter) about the lack of rain we've had. I am entirely exhausted by this multi-year drought. I can deal with the heat and the cold, but I need water to go along with it. 

I've also been thinking seriously about how the education of Beatrix will unfold as she ages out of her preschool years. She has one more year to go before she turns 5! I know it will be here in the blink of an eye, and I just can't believe how fast early childhood flies by. Unfortunately, I have no conslusive answers to report on the subject. I am counting on the notion that life will evolve slowly and naturally as our needs shift. We'll see.  

 

 

Notes on the first week of spring.

Hello! It's been a few days since I've spent a measurable amount of time at the computer. The weather just calls to me to come on out and play.

A strong thunderstorm passed through our parts a few days ago. We received a huge soaking. Plant life was already growing and blooming like crazy and well now, it's just beyond description. What a difference a year can make? The 50 year drought that we experienced last year definitely helps one to appreciate the beauty of abundance that we are blessed to have these days.

I'm such a spring/bloom geek. I love waking up and discovering what else is new out there. A new bud, a new blossom, a new egg, or maybe a set of secondary leaves, oh, I do love this time of year!  

First week of spring tidbits:

• One of our younger hens began laying eggs on St. Patrick's Day (also Bea's birthday). Her egg is petite and the perfect shade of robin's egg blue. Will I ever tire of checking for eggs every afternoon? I think not. 
• When we moved here six months ago, our ground was barren dirt. Now it entirely green except for a few small troubled spots. 
• This fall, Beatrix and I planted iris bulbs around a tree in our front yard. I came home from school today, to find one that is completely blooming and the others are so close to opening up too! 
• I've got onions, potatoes, peppers, and tomatoes already planted in the garden. I still have a few varieties of peppers and tomato seedlings growing in our utility room. I hope to add them into the garden once they are ready to transfer. 
• I've planted some herbs and perrenials in my garden bed alongside the front of our house. I am especially excited for my tiny 4" lavendar girls to spread their roots and flourish. 
• Sunflowers and zinnia seeds have been planted and should soon begin sprouting. 
• I've seeded our front and backyard with native grasses. I hope it "takes". Wild meadow ~ I so much desire you!
• And last but not least, it's porch season! No mosquitoes yet! 

No photos of plant life in the yard yet, but I do have this little snapshot of dinnertime a few nights ago. It was Bea and I sharing a simple meal of beans and rice. The spring evening sunlight was offering such a lovely soft glow to the dinner table. The windows were up, a breeze was blowing in. She chatted between bites. I listened both to her and to the sounds of our utensils clanking to the bowls. I couldn't help but feel at peace with that moment. 

Oh, and of course, one of the new eggs!

One more -- morning light shining on Bea's kitchen. 

 

Spring Days: In and Out

Our house is across the street from this vacant lot that I like to call a meadow. I escaped here for a few moments yesterday evening to see if anything interesting was growing there. Byron and Beatrix were in the backyard. I could here them clear as day. It was sweet to hear the sounds of our family while removed from the space. I often wonder what we sound like to everyone else around us. We're loud. But cute. Full of life and wonder.

Hello Friends.

Thank you so much for all of your words of encouragement, support, and just love from my last two big posts. I've read and reread each of your comments and they've all left me smiling and full of gratitude for the wonderful little circle of incredible ladies who visit this humble space of mine. I've had much to say in response, but I'm lacking the mental energy to go back there. Do you ever do that? - get a bunch of heavy stuff off of your chest and then find yourself completely exhausted to talk anymore about it? 

Well, I'm sort of at that point right now. 

It does feel good though. To make some important decisions about the direction in which we would like our lives to travel. It's like dusting off the soil of well worked hands at the end of a long day of gardening. And then dreaming of the evening's bath and how good and well deserved it will feel. Love that. 

Speaking of dirty hands. We've been adjusting to this new season. Most people call it spring. But here in Texas, it's more like two weeks until it's blistering hot. There's been lots and lots of time spent outdoors which feels so good and so right. I've been busy planting seeds, getting starter plants in the ground, going a bit berserk with flowering bulbs (which is silly since tulips and daffodils have a shelf life of about 6 hours here). Still, I can't shake my crush I have for them. They are some of my favorite flowers ever! There's a lot left to do. The rush is on, to get things planted before the very real and very hot heat of Texas settles in on us. 

On the chicken front: we are still waiting for the younger girls to start laying. It should be any day now. The big girls (as Beatrix calls them - even though all 8 of the girls are the same size now), are producing well. What beautiful eggs we collected today! 

Today, Beatrix and I walked to the library.

We ohhed and ahhed at these show stopping poppies.

On the way there, we stopped at a little shop that sells handmade items made by the senior citizens of our community. I was looking for a mug for Byron. I found a mug and I also found this little lady too.

I never buy toys spontaneously for Beatrix. Never. But today I did. She's handmade, and even handsewn in some areas. I adore the dress with the stripes and carrots. Oh my. Beatrix named her Clementine. Handmade, bunny, local, crazy cute dress, linen = $8. Sold. 

This is what my dish drying rack looked like after washing dishes mid day today. (In the off chance you are the least bit interested...)Do you see the green mug in the bottom center? That's the one I bought today. $5. Good deal. The blue and white one on the top left comes from the same shop and the same potter. $5 too. 

And this is what Beatrix likes to do now that the windows are almost always up: hang out of it while "talking" to Daddy on the phone. 

At night, and in our quiet time, I've been enjoying reading a bit of this and a bit of that. And it reminds me that I'd like to get to a point in my life where I can relax easily and turn the noise of the modern world off at the end of the day. 

More later. I'm migrating to the couch to enjoy a cup o' hot tea and a blanket (while the nights are still cool enough to enjoy), and a good read before I doze off for the day....