February has been productive.
Full of little things that needed to get done- a little cleaning and baking and reading and working outside. Trimming hedges, cleaning up the yard on mild days, lots of pick-up soccer games in the back yard. Pulling bikes out of the basement and inviting neighbors over for a few minutes of daylight after school’s out. Boys being boys and girl being… a tomboy. Kids’ projects; atom-model building for a 6th grader, rough draft writing practice for a 3rd grade girl, and lots of Science for a 3rd grade boy. Trips to the library every weekend for Paul and the kids. New books making for a quiet house on Saturday afternoons. Studying and resume-writing and exam-taking. Book reading. Moving from Psychiatry Clinical to Cardiology, my last clinical rotation in college. Ready. Prepping for graduation in ways big and small. Mild and lovely, and filled with sun. Early morning drives into Hartford, loving the last bit of sunrise as I bump over that final hill and see the East-facing city skyline reflecting the sun, making puddles of color melt into the Connecticut River. A couple days of chilly winter, one with an inch or three of snow. Less work hours for Paul, which means more time just as a family. More time for him to work on the tractor with the boys, to chop wood on a sunny afternoon. More time for him to cook and bake and whip up a pot of Spezzatino for the chilly days. Time to work outside and fill hours with preparation for this year ahead of us. We soak it in, this slower, fulfilling, productive pace mingled with spring’s expectation. Late afternoons when Paul gets home from work, sitting in the living room and watching the sun move across the floor as we all enjoy the wood stove’s heat. I love that part, the noticing of the change in the sun’s position as spring arrives. My favorite harbinger of all, the subtle, moving progression. We sit there and feel happy. I knit, they read. It’s quiet and sunny and bright. It’s home.
February’s been good to us.
I like March. It holds the true arrival of spring, and as such, is a welcome month in this household.
We’re ready.
For 2012, I thought it’d be nice to take a photo of all 3 of our kids together, one (or two) for every month. A little microcosm of life, 12 times throughout the year. Remember January? See it here.
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Kate - The second looks like my typical family shots. Makes me feel more normal.
Betsy - Not sure if we are exactly normal, but glad it makes you feel better, Katie!
Amanda - Betsy, graduation is right around the corner!! And spring means it is actually light out when we get up and drive to clinical