I would venture to bet, there are few people that get more irritated than I at weather commentary. Generally, I love my many social media avenues, but not when it's cold, or hot, or raining, or snowing, or cloudy, or sunny, or "just perfect". Even before I could see people's thoughts in writing, it bothered me that it ever came up as a topic of discussion. We live in the Midwest! We ALWAYS have four seasons. Each season has it extremes. We know this. For as long as people have lived, we've known this. If you really want to enrage me with this topic, just say something to the effect of, "It's Kansas City, if you don't like the weather, just wait 15 minutes." This can be said for Indianapolis, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Des Moines, Omaha, Oklahoma City, Denver, Topeka, Wichita, Chicago, etc. We are not unique. It's not funny. Nor clever. Nor true.
That being said. I hate the snow. I love Summer. And I am about to complete this post based mostly around the topic of Spring weather. In particular, this Spring's weather. Because it has been somewhat unique this year. And assuming the copious amounts of snow throughout March and into April was just a fluke sort of thing, I kind of want to remember "The Spring of 2013". Despite my previous rant, I do love to hear my parents speak of particularly memorable seasons. Like the Summer of 1980. My mother had just given birth to her first born, late that May. She talks of remembering that they had to drag their mattress down from the upstairs bedroom, into the living room, because the 2nd floor could not stay cool. She remembers keeping her first born dressed in nothing but a diaper, with the occasional onesie. I love envisioning my mother and father as new, young, inexperienced parents. Battling through the horrid Summer, with their newborn. I respect them for it. When discussed properly, in specifics, weather can be a truly interesting, and memorable topic.
I don't realize, until the Spring, how truly lazy I have gotten over the Winter months. How much more I watch TV. How little I organize in the house. How rarely I take the kids on outings. Then, as the sun rises earlier, and sets later, productivity begins to increase. The boys are outside daily. We are taking walks. Going to the park. Enjoying outdoor, Kansas City offerings, such as a kite festival, or dog day event at the Nelson. I am inspired to take my boys to a baseball game. Sign Brock up for soccer. Our weekend walks to Starbucks have returned. Little by little, my days become filled with completing projects around the house. Playing more. Cooking more. Cleaning more. Hours that didn't exist in the Winter months are appearing out of thin air. Out of beautiful, sun-filled, breezy air.
These past two weekends have been perfect. I have squeezed into them, every fun, educational, entertaining, relaxing, productive moment possible. The kite festival, where Curtis and Brock made their own, stupid little paper kites, but ran around with them smiling and laughing, as if they were as lovely and functional as the real deal. Where the three boys chowed down on Kettle Corn, and Curtis nearly got blown away while running with a big kite. George had never seen a kite, perhaps Curtis hadn't either. This weekend, Curtis and Brock helped me purchase flowers for our yard. We then had a nice lunch at Salty Iguana, just me and my two oldest. Brock picked out his own orange Gerbera daisy and carried it throughout the rest of out trip to the gardening store, and held onto it until he personally placed it in the pot on the front porch. Setting it down after instructing me to not allow anyone to touch it, only to run inside to fill his own watering can, that he picked out weeks ago from the $1 item isle at Target. Brock stayed outside with me for the entire day. Curtis missed most of the actual gardening, as he took his usual 3+ hour afternoon siesta. George thought he was being helpful by playing in the dirt.
This Sunday, we had dinner at my sister Leah's, the boys running themselves ragged as Url chased them through the yard. My brother, Timothy, in town from school. Last Sunday, we had dinner at the O'Laughlin's. Where, upon Michael's entering the kitchen, Brock exclaimed with a gasp. "Michael, you look nice today." Mimi scrambling to get dinner on the table in time for me to eat before leaving for work that evening. On a walk, that same day, we ran into my old Blazer team mate, Lauren. She too, was out enjoying the day, walking her little pup, Theo. She continued on with us to the park. On the way, the ever inquisitive and observant Brock asked her, "Where do you live?" She replied, "On the street directly behind you. Well, 2 streets behind." A few moments pass. And Brock simply asks, "But why do you live ON the street?" Haha, yes Lauren, do tell.
While Matt was doing yardwork last weekend, he found a worm. He gave this worm to Brock, who promptly placed "Wormie" in his bug home. Since that day, Brock has been preoccupied with discovering worms. He and his brothers are tirelessly, outside, in the dirt, wearing their galoshes, searching for worms. He named his 2nd worm, "Four". Then kindly suggested he name the baby in my belly "Four" as it is "a good name". Fitting. But not a good name. Lastly, and by lastly, I mean, it's the last adventure I am going to mention from the last couple weeks, but not the only one left...as the moments are endless with the O'Laughlin Boys Three, we ventured down to the creek after the rain. We live steps away from a good sized creek, that we so rarely visit. Mostly because it's a bit slippery, slimy, and requires warm weather as there is no stopping young boys from playing in it. So we saddled up in rain gear, I wore rubber boots as well, and walked along the creek. As per usual, despite constant reminders to avoid the green areas, Brock walked right into a patch and wiped out. Adventure over. But not before Curtis got to "jump, jump, jump, jump, jump, jump, jump" in the stream. We will return, no fear about that.
All these moments are why the warmer months are best. Why Spring and Summer are truly and undeniably, the best seasons. Perhaps, that is why I have all Fall and Winter babies...gives me something to do in those horrid, bleak, tiresome months. We have only had 2 decent weeks of Spring weather, and April is almost over, but I could write a book on all the has happened and all that I feel. All this, during a call month, with only 4 days off in the past 4 weeks. Imagine what is to come! I am already dreaming about it. Those boys best try to keep up. Momma is on a roll.
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