Sunday, March 11, 2007

SPRUNG AHEAD

Ahhh, the signs of Spring. Pure blissfulness if you ask me.
Yesterday was absolutely, well, ahhhh.
A "balmy" 50something fluctuating throughout the day 3degrees either way. I had the boys outside "playing." Unbeknowst to them, I was showing them ways to tend to their yard.

They were "construction men" and were put in charge of gathering all the "lumber" from the various places in their "lumbar yard." Then proceeded to pile them up in way of sticking them vertically in the remaining snow piles being gently assaulted by the signs of spring.

They were picking up sticks and twigs in the yard.

It was glorious. It was refreshing. To have some windows open yesterday, yes I did,..I love the sound of birds and the smells of the hidden season around the corner. The ooshy gooshing ground beneath your feet. Hidden fantasy of mine is to take off my shoes and walk around in that ooshy gooshy marvel. To delve my toes into the soft foundation that we look at everyday. To set aside for once, the fear of dirty feet, the fear of damaging the therapeutic pedicures, the fear of getting,..gasp,...PINWORMS from the mud. Ewww. Yes, can you TELL I'm a mom?

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Did you remember to set your clocks forward? But of course you did. But did you stop to think about your friends in other states? Say, Phx or NC for example. Or even Florida for that matter. Imagine if you lived in Florida or NC, and your best friend lived in Arizona. That's a 3 hour time difference because Arizona doesn't recognize daily savings time. That means that if NC and AZ share a liking in say, Greys Anatomy,...typically NC would know the outcome of the show prior to Az knowing it. I say this because having formerly lived in Florida, I remember the series finale of FRIENDS. My two friends lived in Az and were in that 3hour difference. So I had the ending prior to them even seeing the start of the show. As much as I wanted to share with them the outcome, I knew I couldn't, and that sucked. Why? Well when the three of us used to live together, for quite a few years, we'd have appetizer night. Typically it was a Wednesday night, or Thursday, and we'd make snacks and camp out in either our living room, or my bedroom. We'd sit and watch DAWSONS CREEK (YIKES!!) and 90210. Quite obviously that was a LOOONnngg time ago, but we'd always sit there afterwards, outside on our balcony or porch and talk about the episode. It was like TVreviewgirlsclub. You know, instead of a "book club?" What amazed me about that nite with the series of friends, was just HOW MUCH I MISSED THEM AND THOSE TIMES. And how fast the time's gone by. Little did we know that within 5years from that point, we'd all be living in different states, and timezones for that matter. We'd have kids, we'd be married, we'd be devoted to the same career as when we used to live together. But, we'd be missing each other. We'd be missing the drivebys (not as bad as that sounds) we'd be missing the carwashKensForsey's sunday. How we'd miss blasting whatever latest tunes that Gwen Stephani had while we primp for the night out dancing. How we'd miss the teasing, and the funny things that always seemed to land in our laps. How we'd miss even the tough times.

The point of all this, is to tell you, just as it's important to "Spring ahead" with your clocks, it too is important to stop and think about your loved ones around you. To breath in the very moments of your children. To spend more time snuggling in bed with your spouse even if you're not a snuggler. Someday you may be laying in that bed alone having lost your spouse after 50+years of marriage. Take a chance, forgive a friend or family member. Forget their wrongdoings. Try to improve your one innermost "issue." Try not to enable yourself to make the same mistakes over again. Improve yourself. Spring yourself ahead in a positive way. Take a chance with that one special person that you may be uncertain about. Dive in and seize not just the day, but every single breath, every moment.

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How did we "spring ahead?"

It started this morning at roughly 3:30ish am. (which means 4:30 btw)
Our gentle Ben has had a fever since Saturday ranging anywhere in the 100's up to 102.4 Could be his teeth, could be an ear infection. He's still in a good mood, he's just UP. It's 8:08am (new time) and he's STILL up. Crawling around just shy of 8months old, trying to get to that one spot in the carpet that is fraying in the Berber.

But the preciousness of this mornings time advancement, was when I returned from sprinkling the front yard with peanuts for our pal, Orangy. He's the cutest biggest (orange, too!) squirrel, and he's not afraid of me. Crustybeef, the snow white to the squirrels. (Cue Snow White songs, please, Disney/Pixar, whatever it is now)

Sooo,..I return inside from that little morning routine, which was quite peaceful due to again the sound of birds, the smells of Spring hidden underneath the remaining snow mounds. Walking into the house, I approached my Ben as he was hanging out in his Swing-still up! He looked at me and started kicking his feet, put a smile on his face with his little swollen gums waiting for the arrival of his two front teeth, and had this look in his glowing eyes that said, "Where have you been all my life." He's my little baby. He's my cuddleben. My gentle Ben. I couldn't have asked for a better close to the chapter of birthing offspring. He's our last, and he's just, well, words can't describe. Even the hard times: the non sleeping, still up soon to be 8month old.

Welcome To Crustybeef~
I wouldn't have wanted to spend my SPRUNG AHEAD day any other way. Plus, it's 8:15am and the older boys are STILL sleeping.
Life is good.~

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

hate it when you make me think this early.....well shit it's not early for me.
Anyway, thanks for mentioneing your OLD friends....what?! No mention of River Raid? Wars? Cabbage Patch kids playhouse? fine, be that way (lol).

Actually, I'm in that same kinda mood. Got up this morning around 4 am and felt like watching a flick so I threw on The Breakfast Club. I don't know, but every time I watch that, I return to Wheaton Central. I'd like to say it was fun, but I was too drunk the last two years.....miracle I even graduated. But the point is, High School was so shallow and turbulent, yet I miss it (to a point) but I'd never wanna go back....ever. How did we maintain sanity? Any misgivings????? Well, my hair would certainly be one, ignoring old friends cuz I was an "upperclassman." Balls......
Damn, now I'm all philisophical......

Anonymous said...

I love reading your blog, you're such a wonderfuly, creative mom!

Anonymous said...

Perhaps your best blog, oldest niece. (There is the oldest niece, next oldest niece and then - ready? - Denise!)

You summarized practically every vernal aspect there is to this time of year.

Speaking of DST, some places in Indiana had to spring their clocks forward TWO hours. They are being moved from the Eastern to Central time zone and have not previously gone by DST. I can't imagine losing TWO hours of shut-eye last night.

It's now time to go out and do some yardwork that I pined for when it 1) snowed, 2) was below zero, and 3) was windy as heck.

UD

Baleboosteh said...

Sounds like you had a nice day with the boys!

Anonymous said...

Elizabeth,
I don't know what your career was or is, but you are a talented writer. The paragraph above was especially poignant because Bill and I used to have "Huggy Days" when we would turn on some music, Frank Sinatra maybe or classical music or an opera (which he grew to love when Michael began performing), get a glass of wine and maybe some bread and cheese and spend the day in our room. We would talk and hug and not answer the phone. I don't know what you know of your Great Uncle Bill, but he really lived life. He took so little notice of petty things and past hurts and each day discovered some new interest. He loved his job at NASA, electronics, math, the White Sox, Illini football, Bears football, college basketball, playing golf, fixing all things broken. He loved hugging his children and grandchildren and never hesitated to reach up to his now grown up tall sons and daughter and hug and kiss them. He was an honest, direct man who taught his family and me to be real and not to "sweat the small stuff." He rose early usually before I did, and would go make the coffee. Even that was a study and he would have me taste four different brews to discover the best. Through his research he determined that Dunkin Donuts had the best coffee and when we would go to Peachtree City to visit Christy, he would buy lots of it. When he had the coffee brewed, he would come down the hallway to our bedroom to peek in and see if I was awake. I swear now each morning I hear the floor creak and look up hoping to see him there. I think he is..