Pre-Spring Loveliness

Today was my non-chore day off during the week. Wednesdays are all about laundry and cleaning house. Not all, of course Alexandra is the main player, but I'm grateful that she now loves to help (get in the way of) me doing the vacuuming and, yesterday as a first, pretend to polish the leather couches with me.

Thursdays, though, are fun days. Todd and I switch off days we get to sleep in when I don't work. So I sleep in Wednesdays and Saturdays. Thursdays I get up early so we can hit up Story Time at the downtown library, where we listen to stories, sing songs and dance, and at the end there's craft time and then playing with toys. I am in love with story time and am truly bummed when we can't make it (which is why I always sleep in Wednesdays and not Thursdays).

After story time today, and seeing how absolutely gorgeous it was outside, and knowing that Alex and spend entirely too much time indoors at home, I knew we had to go to the zoo.

For the first time in her life, Alexandra showed serious interest in the animals. She loved the tiger and the peacocks, the giraffes, otters and the elephants.

Me: Alex, what does a tiger say?
Alex, staring in awe, whispering: Rraahhh.

 I was so happy we went. It was a little warm, but Alex and had such fun. She loved watching the kiddos as much as the monkeys, too. I think it was a slight surprise too, to see the animals up close and in real life instead of small cartoonish figures in a book. But boy, could she pick out which animal was which. "Tuh-tle!" "Buhd! Twee-twee!"

After the zoo, we swung by Home Depot for some plants and so Alexandra could flirt with even more grown ups, and then it was home for nap time and planting time. All the sunshine, mama-daughter time and observing and working with nature was just what this restless Spring Fever girl needed. I think Alex enjoyed it too, although by the time our plants were in their new pots, she was snoozing away.

I had such a lovely time, in my apron with my happy hands in the dirt, and now for my tiny trouble I have three new pals for our once barren back patio:

I can't wait for the inevitable cold snap to come and go so I can dig my nails into spring and hopefully never let her go. Even the sunlight streaming in through my horrible kitchen's window is just so sublime when it's warming up and wonderful.

I've been full of complaints about Tucson's heat this past year. Last summer, it wasn't even actual summer yet before I was fed up and talking about living in Montana or on the Oregon coast in some cabin somewhere. But now I'm giddy with the upcoming heat and balmy summer nights. I want to replant our weed-choked garden and let Alex play in her kiddie pool and under the sprinklers. It's going to be a lovely spring and summer, I just know it.