sunshine at last

I have to start by saying that this has been the coldest, wettest winter I've experienced in my 10 years on the Gulf Coast of Florida. Generally our winters are fairly mild with a few days below freezing. This year, however we've had weeks below freezing with a small break in the temperature only to return to below freezing yet again.

From a gardeners standpoint it's been incredibly depressing and from the standpoint of a mother with rambunctious children - it's been equally depressing!

So today with the sun shining fiercely and the temperature in the upper 60s if not lower 70s my young family and I ventured outside for some much needed vitamin D therapy!

We I started out the morning by weeding and de-rooting the front garden where we I intend to plant Maddie's birthday garden. As I turned the soil, incorporating the decaying mulch and the compost I purchased recently - visions of all the veggies I will add to her flower bed spurred me on. After about 2 hours of hard work the bed is just about ready to receive flowers and bulbs and some seeds as well.

While I labored in the dirt Maddie and Wyatt laid out blankets and towels in the yard and did some sunbathing. They played a few games and slowly the amount of "stuff" that accumulated became ridiculous!

The mailman was welcomed by Apollo who tried to sound impressive, but his wagging tail gave him away. Moments later the day's mail lay strewn across the yard and at one point when we were all taking a break a small whirling dirvish appeared and contributed to the craziness.

The sun felt so good - I think I had forgotten how nice it felt to be warmed by the sun!

As the weed pile grew and the flower bed looked nicer I noticed a discombobulated looking toad who I'd no doubt roused from hibernation in the dirt. She (he?) was promptly named princess and subjected to all the niceties due to princess toads. Maddie and Wyatt carried it around until I decided it was looking dehydrated and then they proceeded to submerge the poor thing in a bowl of freezing water. She woke up and hopped out of the bowl -only to be placed back into it time and time again. I finally declared that it was time for her to go back to the garden and buried her to save her!

It's been a nice morning - other than thinking a hawk had carried off cocoa (she eventually rematerialized from under the storage building).

I'm trying to start living more simply again - and focusing more on writing and loving on my kids. All the rest can wait -my kids need me more!