Springing Kids Forward

The past few days have been a little rough around here. We had just started walking back to school last week because the mornings were finally warming up and sunny and beautiful. I even allowed Ethan, my 6-year-old, to walk to school alone. We can see the school from our front yard, and our crossing guard is fantastic!

Well, I knew that we would have longer days and more sun, but I forgot how dark it would be in the mornings. Ethan now needs a full-on scientific explanation as to why it’s dark out when he goes to school. Quinn just all-out refuses to get up because the sun “isn’t here yet.”

I enjoy seeing everyone who has been in hibernation the past few months. The carpool line is shorter at school, and I get to converse with all my fellow parent walkers while the kids all run free on the way home.

The boys still seem shell-shocked when I tell them we are going outside to play or when we stop at the park on a whim. For some reason children still want to play outside when it’s cold and dreary. That is something I just can’t bring myself to do for them. But sunny and warm—oh, yeah, this momma will sun it all day long.

You would think that with all of this extra physical activity, fresh air and fabulousness, the boys would be down-and-out exhausted come bedtime. Well, not quite. It could just be my kids, but it’s tough getting them to understand that even though they could still be catching some rays at 7 p.m., it is time to settle down and get cleaned up and get ready for bed.

Not that the boys have EVER been asleep by 8, but that is my absolute wish and need. By 7:30 I’m done, off duty, and in desperate need of peace and quiet. Maybe if I gave them one more hour of all-out crazy running through the streets of the neighborhood before their showers it would ensure instantaneous sleep without issue at night.

There are some downsides to this beautiful favorite time of the year. All you have to do is walk down the main aisle of any store to see what it is. Freakin’ allergies.

Didn’t we all just get over sinus infections and winter colds, flus, stomach viruses, etc.? With spring blooming so fast, there is no downtime for our bodies this year. I’m beyond thankful that my children aren’t affected drastically by pollen, but we still have the mild symptoms the average Georgian gets: watery eyes, sneezing and, of course, snot buildup.

Another downside is that after all this additional playing outside, you end up with sweaty and pollen-dusted kids. Ugh, that means every night becomes a shower night. Not that I had dirty, unwashed children all winter, but they most certainly didn’t need a shower every night.

My kids have a strange reaction to showers and baths. It’s something along the lines of a psychotic break. The lose any and all control, water is everywhere, soap is everywhere, their ears get clogged with shampoo, and they absolutely lose all listening skills, already at minimal working capacity in a dry environment.

Of course, along with spring comes spring break. Those of you who have plans for spring break probably don’t mind this. We have none; therefore, I’m desperately hoping for perfect weather to just let my animals roam wild for hours upon hours. I will have to plan all shopping for the week before because taking both of them to the store is coming closer and closer to driving either them or myself into a padded room.

Because it is a “special break,” I do try to come up with some fun things we don’t just go and do on any other day. The problem with staying home for a “staycation” is that you are home and still end up doing laundry, dishes, cleaning and other things you wouldn’t be burdened with on an out-of-town vacation. I can assure you there will be sleeping in (at least until the “sun is here”), staying up late, going to bed dirty and of course some sun worshipping on my part.

Since spring is such a beautiful time of the year, I feel the best gift and teachings I can give my kids about “springing forward” are to stop and smell the flowers, thoroughly enjoy the beauty and life that spring brings, play until you sweat and then play some more, and appreciate and respect Mother Nature. She can provide so much beauty but can cause much destruction as well. Before we know it, summer will be here, and the pool will be our only outdoor option for relief again.