We follow three academic calendars in our family. Sometimes school breaks and holidays observed and parent-teacher conferences align, but often they do not. For instance, last year we had three different spring breaks, David, Mary, and Greg each with their own. This year, miraculously, all three of the students had the same week off for spring break.
The first half of the week was spent working on a project in the backyard. The kids excitedly followed their dad around for hours as he hammered, nailed, painted, mowed, dug, hauled, and took the inevitable thirteen trips to Home Depot. The second half of the week was spent in Kansas City.
But there was one day when Greg needed to go to campus and focus on his research. And our little friends were all out of town, so there were no play dates on the calendar. So I had the kids to myself. I stared at my kids for a few minutes, trying to remember. There was something familiar about this situation: Me, my kids, and a whole day ahead of us. What does a mom do with her kids on a day off of school?
Then I remembered. An outing. You go on an outing! (My, how life has changed. Back in the day before school and all that comes with it--like homework and after school activities and playing with friends--I do believe I took my kids on an outing almost every day. For sanity. Toddlerhood requires a full agenda if you and your kids are not homebodies.)
With such unseasonably warm weather the past few months, I thought we could visit Olbrich Botanical Gardens and looks for signs of spring.
We found them:
Green grass and blossoming magnolia trees. (I love the scent of magnolia blossoms. Heavenly.)
And emerging tulips. (I love tulips. Too bad they don't smell like anything. But that's what the spring magnolias are for.)
We posed under the Thai pavilion.
And climbed on an elephant.
And skipped through the birches.
Then we tried out a new playground.
And inspected the shore of Lake Monona.
It's nice to get out.
***
I leave you with this picture from the botanical gardens. Sometimes it's hard having a little sister. There is little difference between adoring and annoying.
