Where did March go?

Time is passing by faster than I can believe.  A few days into April I figured I had better change my calendar to the next month.  To my surprise the calendar was still on February, and yes I did forget a few things in March (like blogging) - no wonder!  As it is I can't believe April is half way over but thankful its April as I am every year.

This is the time of year that the flowers and sun seem to come back out.  Being outside even just a few minutes to take Oliver to school I felt like a bear coming out of hibernation (minus the starvation factor).  It feels so good out there today!  The sun felt warm on my skin for the first time this year and the grape hyacinth, tulips and daffodils are blooming. 

Spencer is my nature lover and has been since he was an infant.  Its fun to see that he has a difficult time getting into the car because he has to check out the flowers in the front yard first.  As we were climbing into the car today Spencer heard a plane and said, "Mom, someone left their jet outside!" 

I really have been in hibernation myself.  Sometimes I struggle with people; I've never been a real outgoing, people oriented type person.  Sometimes its a stretch for me to even to go ward activities.  No one's done anything to offend me or anything.  I just happen to like people in small doses and smaller groups.  Sometimes I feel like getting away from everyone.  I think someday when I'm rich* (hahaha)  I'll have to build some sort of escape - somewhere I can go lay in the grass or dirt and no one will know because I'm far enough from everyone to just have a little of my own space.  Then I can come back to reality and function again.  In addition to some of those feelings lately, I've been indoor a lot, planning.  I've been almost completely consumed with planning our new kitchen. This has been fun but infuriating at moments too.  Now that its almost figured out, I feel like I can think about other things again.  Though that will probably be short lived until the kitchen is actually put together.

Our to do list:  Clear that we can make the desired changes with the electrician (oh and city permits too), pull out the existing cabinetry,  lay tile, paint walls, have the electrician do his work,  put together and install Ikea cabinets, have a countertop installed (not doing that ourselves), install sink and fixtures, and last cook a batch of cookies in my new, normal size oven!!!  I'm excited and just hope it only takes a few weekends of our own work to accomplish.

I've been talking so much about how to arrange the kitchen, its rubbed off on my children.  Evelyn put in her advice too.  She told me we should change the table by cutting a large hole of out its middle.  We would carefully keep the dinner plates around the remaining circle.  When I asked where we would put the food she said just between each other's plates.  My favorite part of her suggestion was how special birthdays would become.  She said we would put the birthday child's chair in the middle of the hole in the table and sing to them!   Talk about a child that literally likes to be the center of attention!

*Actually as far as waiting for being rich or having money to do things.  I think its overrated.  Do I mean go get a loan that is outrageous to do whatever your heart desires, ha NO, not a chance.  One thing I have learned from observation is that people do those things that are really important to them.  If its important enough, we find a way to get things done.  As I'm witnessing this around myself, I'm learning its true in my life too.  There are things that I think I long for but when I really look at what I want, what's really important to me I already have it or am in progress to make it happen.  That's not to say those things won't change or that there won't ever be new things to aspire too.  There's a lot of relief knowing I'm in charge of my life and its not just happening to me.  

P.S. To all friends whose blogs are by invitation only. I was keeping my list of invitation only blogs on a bookmark that was lost when we upgraded our out of date windows software to a newer version.  So if I haven't commented for a while its because I haven't been able to reach your blogs!   I'm happy to read along with any that reissue the invitation.  Trust me, I read so much more than I write!  Thanks folks!