A Winter Drought - by Margaret Hart

According to the weather forecasters, we're experiencing a winter drought in New England. This is a first in my recent memory.  And I, for one, am not upset about it. I don't miss the snow, sleet, ice, and piles of frozen dirt all over the roadways and parking lots (not to mention my car). I am happy that we've only had seven inches of snow this winter. Old man winter, you can keep the snow; I am ready for spring!

It doesn't seem to bother the kids that there hasn't been a lot of snow this winter; at least the kids I know.  My son and his friends seem very happy to have fifty degree days where they can ride their bikes and not have to be weighed down by heavy coats, boots, hats, scarves and mittens. 

My son, while born in the wintertime, is not a winter baby. He isn't big into skating or skiing, but he does enjoy sledding, and I had hoped to hit the slopes with him a few times this winter, but it doesn't look promising. And now that I've said this we'll probably get a huge snow storm next week. But that's okay. I am grateful for the winter of sunshine and warmer temperatures.   And I know he is, too. This past weekend he spent almost an entire afternoon outdoors, hiking through the woods, climbing trees and rocks, riding bikes and having a great time with his friends.   

Having grown up in the suburbs of Syracuse, New York, I experienced some nasty Nor'easters and a lot of lake effect snow. But not even the meanest snowstroms held us back from carrying on with our daily lives.  I don't recall my parents ever losing power.  And the plows cleared the roads  like clockwork. We were never stranded.  We drove everywhere. In fact, I can remember one time when my girlfriends and I all piled into our friend's parents Chevy, and slid some twenty miles on the local highway during a snow storm to a nightclub across town.  It was ladies night. I don't know why our parents allowed us to go out;  maybe they didn't know!

Living in New England, I have shrugged my shoulders more than once when the weather forecasters talk about snow storms and predict heavy snow fall of up to six or eight inches. It makes me laugh when people rush to the grocery store to stock up on food items, as if they think they will be stranded in their homes for weeks.  And the plows just don't seem to know how to plow the roads.  

I am already in springtime mode.  And I'm not the only one.  The birds are chirping as if they are happy, too, that this winter has been mild, and spring is just a few weeks away. The daffodils in my garden are happily peeking through t he ground, anxious to extend their stems and bloom. I'm ready to put away all our winter coats and boots, and break out our flip flops.  

If spring comes early this year, I promise not to complain if it rains a lot to make up for the so-called winter drought. After all, April showers bring May flowers.  

It Must Be Spring -- by Jamie

This past week, the temperature rose…not just outside, but figuratively, too. Suddenly, men from my past were popping up everywhere. A guy I know from High School who lives out of town, but has shown interest in me over the years, texted me that he’d be in New York the next day, and wanted to get together. The very same day, a man I went on a handful of dates with about four years ago, but who seems to “check in” with me every year (only to disappear again shortly thereafter), sent me an email asking how Jayda and I were doing. A few days before that, an ex of mine whom I flirt with now and then—but hadn’t heard from in awhile—sent me a flurry of texts telling me I was on his mind. None of these encounters meant much to me—other than giving me a brief ego boost and a few days of fun flirting. But I found the timing interesting. It was clearly spring…and everyone was feeling freer—and flirtier—than they had during the cold, dark winter.

The same held true at the playground. Jayda and I returned to one of our favorite parks this week for the first time in many months, and bumped into a little boy whom Jayda had played with a lot last year. Suddenly, Jayda was following the boy around like his shadow—literally chasing him—while he showed off for her by climbing the jungle gym expertly and performing silly swinging antics. I realized instantly that they were “flirting” in a simplistic, child-like way: smiling happily at each other, holding each other’s hands as they ran around, and, like a true flirt, Jayda seemed to find everything the boy said or did simply hilarious. At one point, Jayda tumbled off of the swing she’d been riding on with her belly, and burst into tears. Instantly, the boy ran over to her, pulled a “fish” he’d created at school out of construction paper and crayons out of his backpack, and presented it to Jayda to soothe her. She accepted it happily, and her waterworks stopped soon after that. She also accepted a packet of cookies which he offered to her—and even gave him a shy hug in return. Yes, spring was in the air…and as young as these three-year-olds are, it amazed me how they instinctively seemed to know how to “do the mating dance.”

Jayda’s certainly too young for a boyfriend, and right now, I personally don’t have the time to pursue one, myself. But, as I’ve stated before, we both sure do like guys. They’re nice to get attention from—and they’re lots of fun to flirt with—and now that spring is in the air, we’re both looking forward to enjoying the weather—and the good times it promises to bring with it.

Under the Weather

I hate to be a complainer, but here goes anyway. So, please forgive me if I sound like a broken record....but what does it take to keep yourself well as a mom?

I found out yesterday I have strep throat, and this time, I caught it from our nanny. Now, don't get me wrong. I am grateful to have a nanny, but unfortunately, she isn't great about taking care of herself, and I'm often walking around the house spraying Lysol. But, this time, it didn't work, so now I'm on antibiotic, and feeling rotten.

This caps off an already super sickly season at our home, including colds, pink eye and the stomach flu. I can't even think of the last time we have all been totally well. And, we take vitamins.

Someone said to me that it's because the weather in NY hasn't been consistently cold, enabling germs and various viral strains to circulate freely. I, personally, have no clue....but I am tired of being ill....and I'm not a fan of antibiotics. I stocked up on the yogurt, which I was told is advisable to offset the effect of antibiotics. I can't each much anyway since it's hard to swallow, so this is ideal.

The doctor said try to rest and drink a lot. Sounds good....but rest with a five year old and a husband tied up with tax season? Is he going to come to my house and play with my son?!

So now I'm trying to keep a distance from Seth and Marc, and am washing my hands constantly. I've explained to Seth over and over again that I can't come close to him. And, it's hard. I miss his hugs. But, the last thing I'd want is for him to get strep. Wow....is it painful!!

I was supposed to go to Seth's school this week and bring cupcakes to celebrate his 5th birthday, but that had to be rescheduled.

Being 40 something raging hormone mom, it's hard enough to feel 100 percent. That's a whole other story, and I've blogged about that before.

All I can say is that if the weather is a contributing factor to all this sickness, then bring on spring. I await it with open arms.