Globe-trotting Grovers: March Madness

Spring has arrived....ah yes, the blooming of flowers, the twittering of birds, the warmth of the sun.... except, not here!

Its Spring on the East Coast: SNOW, SNOW, and more SNOW! Some days, I feel like we are in a snow globe! Probably more snow than we received in January and February combined! Forget the flowers and trees blooming, we have icicles hanging off our roof and trees covered with snow! Forget the twittering of the birds and little critters scurrying around, those guys are probably so confused and sick of hibernation as we are! Maybe this is all a cruel April Fools joke, and on April 1st the "real" Spring will actually arrive laughing hysterically at us! Fingers, arms, legs, and toes crossed!

My dear friends, I won't sugar coat it, its cold, its snowy, and we are SO over it. So Spring officially started this week, and after a good laugh and cry, we've decided this is March Madness. I wish we were referring to the March basketball tournament, but sadly, this is just us going mad over this Wintering. You heard right, I invented a new word for the East Coast transition season, its not Winter any more and its not Spring yet, its Wintering! And it sounds like waiting..... lots of waiting (and hoping). We've been told March is the month that everyone around here dreads. By the time March hits, Winter feels sooooo long. But this, they swear, this kind of Wintering snow is highly unusual for this time of the year! Hmmm, I don't know if I buy that!!! March is also the month that everyone heads to Florida! With Spring Break officially starting today, I guess we didn't get the memo about Florida?! LOL Spring Break is 2 weeks long for the kiddos here (which is a plus); however, not when you don't have a vacation planned because its seems that all the YMCA classes, preschool, music classes, are put on hold and the town turns into even more of a ghost town :( We are happy we took our vacation to Turks & Caicos back in February, but almost wish we saved it for the end of this month! By the time March rolls around, everyone around here is ready for Winter to be over, and you can feel and almost taste that Spring is around the corner. What a funny month. Teasers and Injuries. Our teasers have been the numerous days of 50-60 degree F temperatures (which feels ridiculously warm considering the our temps in the 'teens), blue skies, rosy sunsets, heck, even the birds have flown back and have been chirping up a storm! The little critters were out of hibernation as well for a little bit, as I almost ran over an opossum the other week! We get these teasers, and then old man Winter storms back in (injuring our excitement and hope over Spring) to regurgitate the rest of the snow he's trying to get out of his system. That old man is stubborn, and he's one tricky fella!

Note to self: January and February are for skiing, sledding, snowmobiling, gatherings with friends, playdates with little buddies, and lots of hot cocoa. March and April are for traveling. I wouldn't trade our dream house for the world, but I will gladly enjoy my Wintering elsewhere. I predict lots of roadtrips, weekenders, and vacations during this time of year. After experiencing my first March in Bemus, I already know where I want to spend my 2nd March..... in a foreign country, and where they are well known for their bull-fighting and paella! :)

For the other days in the Winter and Wintering time of year, when we are not out road-tripping or traveling, I learned an important lesson--the week we returned from our tropical vacation---
DO NOT sit around the house for 3 days straight! (unless you are sick, like in my case right now and virtually can't) Okay, we admit we were tired, we were lazy, we liked playing and laying around house since it was cold and cloudy out..... but on the 4th day, we went bananas! The lesson is that during the Winter it is even more essential we keep busy and stick to our schedules. I figure its like that for every stay-at-home mom, but for the moms living in cold climate its even more crucial. I'm not afraid to drive in the snow, and there's a lot to do with kiddos during this season. Its all about effort, motivation, scheduling, and being productive.... and it makes time pass quicker. From the story times...... at the local libraries, at Erie Zoo (the weekly themed Zootots indoor classes include stories, art & crafts, animal showcase and playing), and at the Children's Experience Museum (these are science themed, and since we are museum members, their weekly classes and events are free!,) to the Tuesday toddler time at the local bounce house place at the mall, and lots of bouncing going on in our own mini bounce house we have in the game room! Taj adores his YMCA Tuesday and Friday preschool class, where they play, make art, have sensory play, and jump on trampolines. We also have our usual Thursday library and Musikgarten class at the Ashville library, and I'm looking forward to taking over their toddler story time in the near future! Then there's the Peak n' Peek ski resort for indoor swimming and playground, Splash Lagoon indoor water park, and seeing shows at the Theater! Taj and Jax also have their play buddies we coordinate play dates with. So really, boredom is a choice, and in this family, that word does not and will not exist.

So far this month we've not only done the above, but we also took the boys to see the elementary school's talent show, the Sesame Street "Elmo Makes Music" show in Buffalo, had a special breakfast at the fire station, playdates with cousin Finley and Taj's girlfriend Charley.