Marching Through

 

 

March is the longest, coldest, most unbearable month of my year.  After many months of snowpants, coats, mittens, of socks and slippers I am more than ready for barefeet and going outside when the whim strikes and not after a lengthy bundling session- but the snow and icy winds linger and coats and boots still wait, dripping by the door.  After many months of half-hibernating (with the hiding out, but without the feeling of restfulness) I am anxious for stretching legs and woods walks and vitamin D soaked skin but the woods is still covered with feet of snow and the four walls still surround.  It is the longest month when all I think about is what is coming but not yet here.

I've been splurging the last few weeks at the grocery store, putting petals and stems of cheer in my cart alongside the eggs and vegetables.  And they have lasted for over a month and a half at a time...it is ridiculous, really.  I got the pink flowers above in January- and the tips of some fill glasses sitting on my piano (the last photo, taken just a few minutes ago).  Perhaps it due to the fact that our house is like the cooler at the florist shop or maybe it is just a winter miracle on my behalf.  But the $6.00 spent, stretched over a month and a half, is a worthwhile investment I'd say.  Flowers do so much to make a home and to brighten a soul, even in March.  Maybe especially in March.

Around this time, too, I begin to feel a little claustrophobic having spent the days within the same four walls and among the same clutter and pieces of Playmobil and blocks, legos and books, clothes drying on racks and clothes, outgrown.  I find that I have some sort of internal March clock that drives me to start changing things around.  Moving furniture, changing the view.  Creating bags to get out of the house for good.  

So that is what I've been doing.  The girls and I changed their room around and deep cleaned it in the meantime.  They've been choosing to sleep in the same bed every night and so one whole bed stays tidy the whole day long and we moved the desk/shelves to the other wall.  It was the first thing you saw from the hallway and with all of the girls' treasures (Corynn is particularly prone to keeping every.single.thing) it was never a nice and tidy view.  Moving that over to the other wall and the empty bed by the door, it is much more inviting to come into and much more bearable to walk past from the hallway too.   While we worked, Andrew lamented the fact that we weren't working in his bedroom.  Unfortunately, I am not sure how we could move things in the boys' room, since the bunk bed fits in like a sardine can- only one way and barely that.

I also moved the office computer and printer downstairs to the school room, because it was too freezing to type upstairs.  It has been so helpful to have it downstairs- and much more cozy.  And, turns out, the school room table which is hardly ever used for anything other than a dumping ground of craft supplies and school books/papers stays much more tidy with a computer on it.  So, that has helped with the chaotic, claustrophobic feelings too.  

Tomorrow is a date night with my Mister.   He finally did his annual birthday shave, a week or so late and that same day I gave him a long overdo haircut too.  I couldn't help but feeling almost naughty- as if I am having an affair with another man or something- how entirely different he looks!  Oh, how I've missed that chin.  It is a fine chin.   We are going to see this...super excited.  I'm hoping by watching it, he will want to install a babybox in our home.  

One can dream.