The Bane of Spring

While Summer is my favorite season (hands-down!), Spring runs a close second place.  As I look out the windows in my dining room, I can watch the sun come up over the hill behind me and I can see the little birds returning to the fields and trees.  It truly is happening...  Spring is coming!

I love watching the birds return and the flowers start to peak through the ground.  I find myself watching the trees when I travel, looking for the tinge of red on the branches that tell me that the buds are growing.  And I will cheer aloud when the leaves pop out and are bright green for the first time, banishing the brown of Winter.

There is a downside to Spring.  It haunts me year after year.  And "the Evil" has a name and is even marked on most calendars that you purchase.  I am not the only one to groan when I hear the date is arriving.

"The Evil" is called Daylight Savings Time and just occurred this past weekend.  I am still struggling with the effects.

I HATE Daylight Savings Time

I don't remember struggling with it when I was a child - although, I'm sure my mother dreaded it.  The week heading into "The Evil," all I head mothers discussing is how it effects their children.  Don't get me wrong, it does effect them.  But I think the effect is worse because of its effect on ME. 

I've never popped out of bed like a daisy (despite the Asst. Zookeeper's claim that I'm a morning person, that's only in comparison to him).  Yet it is Wednesday morning, and I could barely drag myself out of bed.  Yesterday, the Heathens all missed their bus because in my exhausted delirium, I didn't understand why the alarm was blaring in the middle of the night and simply turned it off.  (oops!)

And the last three days, despite keeping up with my normal schedule (read "normal schedule" as "crazy, insane, hectic!") I laid awake in bed until after midnight!  SOOOOOO wrong!  All I manage to do is list things in my head that need done the next day and continually pop out of bed to do "just one more thing."  SOOOOOO wrong!

For those that live near me, please be forgiving for the next week or so.  I feel as though I have oatmeal between my ears and thinking may be difficult.  But it's okay, because I know the Heathens will slow down and take it easy on me....

All Plates Spinning!

Every once in a while, I actually succeed at being "Mom."  It doesn't happen as often as I would like it to happen.  Most times, I feel like I'm spinning 10 plates in the air at the same time and they are all in danger of falling.  Friday last week, all the plates were spinning beautifully!

After last year's Storybook Character Day fiasco, I swore to myself it wouldn't happen again.  Last year, I had two days to find/make character costumes for Heathens #2 and #3 for school.  After a mad dash to the local costume store and $60+ later, neither Heathen was happy with his costume.  But the choices were limited and time was even more limited than the choices.  I swore 2012 would be better!

I started watching for the school announcement for Storybook Character Day immediately following Christmas.  It was NOT going to sneak up on me again!

This year, I had two weeks to get my act together - and brainstorm two male storybook characters that the Heathens would think were cool enough.  I literally spent a good two hours searching the Internet for good characters and created a list of approximately 35 characters.  And the Heathens chose:

Pinocchio and Jiminy Cricket

Pinocchio was an easy costume.  I found it on the Internet for a ridiculously cheap price and ordered it right away.  Jiminy Cricket was another story altogether.  If it wasn't for my mother-in-law and her love of putting together costumes, Heathen #3 wouldn't have looked half as good as he did.  Here are the results:

Heathen #2 as
Pinocchio

Showing off his puppet strings.

Heathen #3 as Jiminy Cricket.

He knows he looks like a million dollars!

Here are Pinocchio and Jiminy Cricket together!  I was THRILLED with how awesome they looked and they were so proud of their costumes!

Pinocchio and Jiminy Cricket (the puppet and his conscience)
Heathen #2 and #3 were thrilled with their costumes!

I think Heathen #3 was meant to wear this type of clothing on a regular basis.  From the moment he put it on, he continually posed.  And he used the umbrella as a prop to show more attitude!  Look at him in all of these photos!  This last photo shows EXACTLY what I mean.  He wasn't even aware that I was taking the photo!

Look at the poise!