You've GOT to be kidding me!

I woke up this morning to find 6+" of new snow on the ground! UGGH! Lately, my spirits have been on high..well..at the very least, close to high...This is a direct effect of the pending spring...The backyard, although still snow covered in many areas, was beginning to show life with random patches of what I think is grass. Even the dog had an extra spring in her step as she waddled around the yard in hopes of getting off to a full-fledged run. Although the yard has looked a bit war-torn with potholes of deep snow dispersed among softer slushier areas mixed in with many dead and falling twigs left over from a pretty wild wind storm last week. We all here were more than willing to take part in any clean-up necessary to get our yard back..our space..our sense of freedom..but not as of today. No...today's blanket, or should I say quilt of snow has quickly dashed all of our dreams of lazy days lounging on the deck while the dog ran around senselessly chasing away any available squirrells. Gone are the hopes of the sun beating down upon our faces, eyes squinting, thirst-quenched from the heat it gives off... Back are the harsh realities of pulling out the snowblower..again..dealing with the sharp back pains from shoveling the heavy wet snow...Dashed away is any resemblance of healthy foliage green of any sort... The idea of snow in late March really douses the emotions in depression.. For it is difficult to even motivate one's mind and body or gravitate our thoughts towardany fresh and blooming thoughts..How does one now create the hope that yes..Spring is just around the corner! Well who's corner are we talking about and where is it? It certainly isn't here in New Hampshire...I guess I'll just have to suck it up, dust myself off and learn to accept the bad with the good as this is all a part of choosing to live in the Northeast....it does have it good points too..but it is just hard to find or remember them while I stare out the window at a white..cold..wet..covered life!

The Day After...

Well Easter is now behind us. For those of you with little ones, I am certain yesterday was both exciting and exhausting. Now that my kids are way beyond the idea of the Easter bunny..these holidays get a bit lost..It is sad yet somehow refreshing at the same time. No worries of having to find that Easter basket with this years most popular characters..no more major candy shopping and no more of having to get up at the crack of anything to see where the Easter bunny left the baskets.. While this all sounds too good to be true..at the same time it's all very sad. There are less than a handful of great parent moments each year and the big holidays used to be those times..No matter how bad the rest of the year went it was always a great feeling knowing that the kids were grateful and excited about the Easter Bunny, Santa..the Tooth Fairy etc. Now...nothing..This novelty has been quickly replaced with the whining and nagging of the kids about having to go anywhere there might be relatives at. My 'holidays' are now spent figuring out what the kids may or may not complain about when it comes to the meal associated with each holiday. 'Do we HAVE to have that?'...'lets just get Chinese food'..etc., etc. Most of my holidays are now spent carting the kids to their friends or girlfriends house..or having to pick them up and bring them here...The whole concept of a holiday..a time for family, good food and a welcome rest from the usual day to day grind has been lost forever! Easter Sunday has been replaced with just a Sunday..Christmas is now a day for the kids to get all the grub they know they are getting and the whole prep for it is over in less than 5 minutes! The kids could care less about the Tooth Fairy..but the idea of getting money for teeth is still high on their priority list of belief!! I could go on and on about all of this but I guess..in a nut shell is to slow down and enjoy those special moments with the kids because when you blink your eyes..it will all be gone! Here's hoping that many of you parents were able to enjoy the stained hands from coloring those eggs..were able to enjoy running to the market at the last possible moment to get carrots to insure that the 'Bunny" wouldn't pass your house by...enjoy for the next few weeks..finding those jelly beans that have rolled under the couch..and for the most fortunate...I hope you will remember to enjoy the fact that your little one imprinted a chocolate handprint on your Easter best right before you were leaving for church..and that hopefully you were the envy of the town as you proudly wore those macaroni earrings your little one made for you to wear on Easter!!! Peace to all.

Eddie & Sammie on Halloween

Eddie & Sammie on Halloween, originally uploaded by rachel.grande.

The other half of my heart is here! My beautiful kids!