Spring Snow!

Here it is the end of March and we're getting snow! A fair bit too, there have been at least three snowfalls, and I'm looking out now on maybe 2 inches! I don't know what it'll do to our harvest this year, but the plum blossoms in the snow are beautiful.

We've had quite a bit of snow this year but it wasn't very cold, so recently I'd been thinking that I didn't quite get my "winter fix" this year and that it'd be nice to have one more snow. Of course, it's too late in the season for snow ....

So – What Will Happen Next Year ...

Easter always been very important to Sydney – maybe more so than Christmas. We have spent hours each year after Easter 'hunting for Easter eggs'. She talks about it almost all year long.

Alas, this year Sydney caught Mommy hiding Easter eggs at Nai-Nai's house. After nap Sydney was quite depressed and asked "Mommy, why didn't the Easter bunny come?" I quickly explained that the Easter bunny was very busy this year and so had dropped off the eggs and asked me to hide them.

After we got home we realized that only Grandma Barb's eggs were hidden, and not the Easter Bunny's. So Daddy quickly (and apparently more secretively) hid these eggs. Later that same day Sydney discovered that the Easter Bunny had come to our house after all. She spent the next 2 hours gleefully hunting for eggs all around the house.

That night at dinner she said, "Mom, next year I'll make you a bunny out fit with ears and ..." She did not finish her statement. She apparently is not sure she wants to acknowledge what she saw.

[Editor's note: Mommy felt very *very* bad about "getting caught" --- observing loss of innocence is bad enough without feeling responsible. I hope it was somewhat restorative to see Sydney's joy during egg hunt part 2.]

They Learn by Example

We've been using this parenting method that emphasizes giving choices: instead of "turn off the TV" it's "do you want to turn off the TV now or in two minutes?" (Sanity note: both options should be acceptable to the parent!)

On the drive to school recently, Sydney was pretending that the cars behind us were "Googly Monsters". I don't know what a Googly Monster is, but apparently they're something that you hide from. She declared that the blanket on the next seat over formed a cave, and a ledge or something also offered protection.

She exorted her toys and animals in a loud, urgent voice:

Everybody! It's your choice, go into the cave or go up here!