The Anticipation of Spring

Done.  Absolutely, totally over winter.  Do you hear me, Mother Nature?  Enough already.

And it hasn't even been that bad this year.  Definitely more snow than last year, but I don't think it has been so bad, temperature-wise.  I'm still done, though.

I'm tired of the extra ten minutes it takes for the kids to put their coats on, then take them off again when we get into the car.  I'm also tired of the extra ten minutes it takes for the kids to put their coats on AGAIN when we reach our destination.  Seriously, who has time for that?

Don't get me wrong; I'm also not a huge fan of summer.  I don't like the heat, the humidity, the sun, the sweating.  I'm very fair, and I burn after about seven minutes in the sun...even when wearing my SPF 50+.  Ridiculous.  My theory that I am descended from vampires makes a lot more sense after you spend a summer day with me.

But spring...lovely spring.  Blue skies, chirping birds (winter days seem so quiet!), flowers sprouting up from the ground.  It's like a redo on the year, a few months in.  Let's face it, New Year resolutions are probably long forgotten by now, but with the arrival of spring also comes a renewal of motivation that helps jump start whatever goals you were working on.  (Note to self: dig running shoes out of closet...)

Spring is the time to get back outside, to enjoy the fresh air that we avoid in the winter for fear of freezing to death while breathing it in.  It's also a time to clean up; after all the snow melts, you can see all the crap that escapes your recycling bins on windy days, only to get buried in snow or blown down the street by icy winds.  New plans for landscaping are made, barbeques are planned, and drinks are poured on patios (even though sometimes you sit, shivering, under blankets because spring in Ohio is still kind of chilly...but it's SPRING, damn it, and we are not sitting inside!).

Of course, as I sit and write this, I'm already thinking how ironic it is that in just a few months I'll probably be posting "The Anticipation of Fall" because I'll already be over summer.  Don't judge; it's tiring to chase three kids around the neighborhood with spray cans of sunscreen.

But until then, I will indeed look forward to leaving the house with everyone in light jackets that can easily be worn in a five-point-harness car seat.  Right now, that sounds quite heavenly, as I see that there is more snow in our forecast...