March Madness

Well, I exagerate.  It's not nearly as busy as last March.  But after nearly 14 years of this motherhood gig, I am finally noticing a pattern.

March is where it all starts.  March is when I awaken in the middle of the night suddenly remembering 4 events I forgot to load on the calendar, two birthday gifts I forgot to pick up, one outfit that needed ironing for some ceremony or performance, and all of the chores outside that I've neglected all winter.

March is where it all starts.  The crocus bulbs remind me spring is coming, and the daffodil bulbs follow closely behind them.  Its the iris that I wait for though, with their showy blossoms in unimaginable color combinations.  The black, skeletal trees suddenly burst with a sweet green-ness that will darken throughout the summer.  I need to start walking again, so that I can observe and enjoy this magical transformation.

March is where it all starts.  When I have to prepare the garden beds, get my seeds in the ground, shop for seedlings, and hope that this year will be better.  Empty canning jars are piling up in my pantry, waiting to be filled again with this year's produce.

March is where it all starts.  I am starting a small flock of chickens this spring and hope to have my own fresh eggs by mid-summer.  My baby chicks arrive in just over a week and I love the feeling of anticipation.

March is also the "beginning of the end."  Swim season wraps up with championship meets, and we start planning for the end of the school year.  That means TAKS testing, final exams, middle school graduation, choir parties, 8th grade dance, three girl scout overnights, the father/daughter prom, middle school swim team, club swim team banquet, a triathlon, a couple of birthdays, and all the planning, cooking, purchasing, taxiing, packing and volunteer work that accompany all those activities.

I've learned something over the years.....  yes, it's crazy, but it's a good kind of crazy.  And we will all survive even if I forget to iron that shirt, don't have time to spray the weeds, or have to postpone a birthday celebration.

I've learned to take a moment.  Enjoy my growing children and revel in the activities they attempt, rather than resent the demands these create.  Celebrate both my husband's birthday and another year of being married to him.  Take time for a walk in the woods near my house and see the astonishing array of flora quietly announcing spring.  Put my hands in the earth and feel it turning.  Shed the shell of my winter cocoon and dive into the fresh spring air.

Hello, March!