Silly April days

Mother nature can't seem to decide what season we're supposed to be in. It was just yesterday that I was outside with my children, basking in the warm air, going on adventures and picking brightly colored forsythia's for our home. But today, our outside is blanketed with fresh powdery snow. 

My children and I hiked through our back woods. My daughter wanted to play "mystery" and she and her brother had to find clues throughout the forest. My son picked up every small detail that his little feet stumbled upon and said, "look momma! Here's a clue!" My daughter was more imaginative and thought up a scenario that the silly Leprechauns have hidden items for them to find. The already found ones were in a bag that was slung over my shoulder. 

We played and walked as we ventured further and further into the depths of the woods. My daughter took a break and sat on a old downed oak tree. She shimmied her small frame up onto the thick trunk and I sat down beside her. My son was in front of us, kicking leaves around with his feet, trying to find a lost pine cone. My daughter and I talked about what other things the Leprechauns would be leaving in the woods. I said I wasn't sure, but we could continue to search. She replied that she wanted to leave the items behind for another day. She didn't want to find everything and be bored the next time we came back. 

After helping my son find that lost pine cone, I placed the last found items into my carrying case and we headed back out. I walked in between my son and daughter, with our hands tightly intertwined together. We sang some Alvin and the Chipmunk songs as we maneuvered our way over the rocks and under the fallen branches. My daughter sings right on key and always remembers all the correct words, I'm sure she'll do something beautiful with her voice one day. While, my son sings out of key, hums some parts, and adds a few extra words to the song -He inherited those lovely skills from his momma. 

So, with our snow covered grounds and frigid temperatures, today was a lazy day. One of those days where time doesn't click as fast as it normally does and you spend more time talking about the day, instead of participating. But, by the end of it, the snow was patchy with tall grass poking through. Brown branches were now speckled with white. And, the wind was blowing harder and the air was getting colder. 

Nevertheless, remembering our adventures searching for hidden Leprechaun treasures is what kept me warm inside. I hope my daughter and son never lose their imagination and always try to find the fun in everything they do. I hope they continue to always seek adventure and never let grass grow under their feet... So even though today was a lazy snowy day, we still had the fun carried over from our outdoor adventure. And in a few short weeks, the snow will be packed away for the season and more beautiful forsythias and other various flowers will color in the brown tones that were somber during our winter days.