tempting spring

Spring is on my mind. I wish that I could say that "Spring is in the air", but I just can't (at least not for now).

The children and I ventured out to the park on two separate occasions this week simply with the agenda to take in some fresh air, stretch our legs and keep an eye out for signs of spring.

After bundling up in winter jackets, hats and mittens, we took that familiar route that leads us to the backside of Northwest Park. Although we hadn't traveled the route since last Fall (by foot), our feet switched on their "auto pilot" and trotted us directly this wide open space and to all of it's possibilities of free play.

Along the way, Sophia and Nicolas collected things like acorns, mallard duck feathers and shiny rocks. Now I would expect to see these tokens from nature during the Fall, but nowhere did we see any signs of spring. No buds. No crocuses blooming. If you count melted snow (aka mud) then perhaps we did see one cause for hopel.

After an afternoon of exploring the woods- the older pair call this their "fort" and tell me that they have hidden jewels in the trunk of a certain tree- we headed back home to the much-welcomed warmth of our cozy living room.

We would wait.

I have however taken a proactive approach to helping bring SPRING into our lives in several ways. Some ways are quite superficial. Others are simply sentimental. But nevertheless, these are some of the good attempts that we've made in order to tempt Spring...

**Sewing a new table runner with a "picnic/buffet" theme. (I know, I know. It is bold and is a blast-from-the-past print, but it has really brightened up our dining area).

**Blue Hyacinths for the mantle.

**Watching the Sound of Music with my children.

**A new pair of bright blue stud earrings.

**Beginning (okay, devouring!!) what could be my favorite read of the year so far- Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. If images of heirloom lettuces, living "off the land", raising a flock of free-range chickens and turkeys and bi-weekly visists to farmer's markets excite you as much as they do me, then this book is for you.

**Throwing open my windows every morning for at least an hour (only after my heat has been turned off).

**Doing a bit of "spring cleaning" (Okay, who am I kidding? I do this type of cleaning throughout the Fall, Winter and Summer, but I'm sure that cleaning in the name of "Spring" is still a worthwhile effort).

**Switching over our book crate from winter-themed books, to Spring-themed books. One of my favorites is The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes (I posted about this book here last Spring).

**Focusing on Good Friday and Easter and how these celebrations remind us of how the hope of mankind has been changed by what Christ did for us.



Has Spring reached you yet? How are you tempting Spring?