When The Snow Melts

“When is my birthday?” Luke asked for the upteenth time.

We’ve been through this. I did the math and told him, “4 months.” But his 3 year old mind just doesn’t quite yet conceptualize units of time. So we went to the calendar.

“See this square? This is one day.” Then I flicked through page after page of what seemed to have a bazillion little squares on them and announced, “and here’s your birthday!”

His cherubic face fell. Because that ‘s a long time!

“Okay. It’ll be your birthday when the snow melts.”

My cherub lit up and scurried over to the window. And right there in front of the house were patches of grass!

“It’s melting!! I see grass!!”

Now each morning, he comes into our bedroom at dawn’s early light (or earlier), pulls open the blinds and hunts for signs of spring. “It’s almost here!!”

And it is almost here. (Spring, not his birthday. That’s not until June.) Yesterday we played in the backyard without snow boots or gloves! I forgot how much fun it is to jump on the trampoline. The swings were dry and the metal slide was toasty in the sunshine. The kids rediscovered the tree house and Luke has passed the tree house initiation rite. (My tree house rule is, if you can climb up there and climb back down again all by yourself, you’re allowed up.)

These dark days of a hot cocoa/furnace induced hibernation are coming to an end! Paul put the net back on the trampoline Saturday. Could it really be time to open the back door and skittadle my young gazelles out of the basement? Go! Be free! Adventure, fresh air and a 14 foot tramp await! All you need is a sweatshirt and your imagination! We even saw the first signs of our tulips breaking the soil.

So what if the groundhog doesn’t see his shadow, and spring is indeed early. No more snow. What do I tell Luke when he still has weeks to go until his long anticipated 4th birthday?

I guess anticipation is half the fun!