Big Blue Sky

Tyler in the bluebonnets, Spring 2007






The weather has been so beautiful lately, it’s a nice change from the cold weather we have had here in Central Texas this winter. I love cold weather, but it means staying inside more with the boys which means they are bouncy balls full of energy. It also makes the witching hour quite interesting, but not in a good way, more like a woman on the verge of a nervous breakdown kinda way. Yesterday, the high was 83 degrees at our house, so we all put our shorts on and let the sun shine down, brightening our day.

Here are some of my favorite things about warmer weather, the simple things which I live for:

1. Bubbles
Blowing bubbles brings big smiles to my little men. Luke is quite the connoisseur of bubbles. We had a blast blowing bubbles of all sorts of sizes yesterday. Then, I began to ponder and think philosophically about bubbles, if they are each unique, like snowflakes. That they are, and their colors are beautiful, bright and iridescent, reflections of all colors of the rainbow. Blowing, bursting and popping bubbles equal pure happiness in my book. The boys excel at blowing them, but Luke also excels at spilling the bubble solution. Tyler loves popping them with his nose. So outdoors we go, to bask in the sun and delight in the presence of hundreds of bubbles blowing wildly in our yard.

2. The Park
The boys and I love going to the park. Our favorite park is Gatling Gun Park in Shady Hollow. We love to meet-up with our friends there or meet new ones. Tyler loves to swing, slide and fly around on the monkey bars. Luke loves to mingle, play ball, slide and chase his friends. The boys also love riding their scooters, if mommy can remember to bring them. Unfortunately, I forgot them yesterday, but the boys still managed to have an awesome time. I love the established oak trees, which I am sure the boys will enjoy climbing soon. These trees bring lots of shade on hot summer days.

3. The Smells of Spring
I love the smells of the season, especially the flowers, fresh cut grass and clovers – in general, just the sweet smell of springtime. Spring is such a beautiful time of year, a time of new growth and new beginnings. I am hopeful that we will have a beautiful crop of bluebonnets this year. Texas legend states that in years of snowfall and wintery weather conditions, the bluebonnets are in abundance. I am hoping this proves true because I can’t wait to take pictures of the boys in the bluebonnets! Now, if I could just get Luke to sit still for a second.

4. The Sights and Sounds
I love the sounds of the birds chirping, its music to my ears and it means that springtime is around the corner. While we wait for the bus in the morning, Tyler tells me that they are singing a special song to him. I am so glad that his phobia of birds is diminishing. Thankfully, he hasn’t seen Hitchcock’s movie, The Birds. I love watching the old leaves fall and the new growth take form, bright green in color. Green is such a serene color and it makes me happy. The beauty in nature astounds me. I hope that the boys will enjoy the little things, like I do. I am also looking forward to planting some flowers. My dad always gives me hell about it, “Teresa, why do you want to plant something you can’t eat? I only plant things I can eat.” Well Dad, it’s about surrounding yourself with beauty and enjoying the simple things, the beauty in nature. By the way, your fresh vegetables are to die for!

5. Fresh Fruit
Oh, how I love fresh fruit, especially strawberries! They are magnificent this time of year -- big, ripe and full of tasty goodness. If you received some hand-dipped chocolate covered strawberries for Valentine’s Day, know you are greatly loved by me. If you didn’t, there’s always next year. Luke loves fresh fruit just as much as I do. I love his red, rosy deliciously yummy strawberry face. We also love grapes this time of year, they are so tasty. Luke calls them “appies.” We are lucky to live in such an awesome city with a competitive market for specialty food stores, such as Central Market, Newflower, Sprouts and good ole’ Whole (Paycheck) Foods. Because of this, we are able to enjoy our beloved fruits at lower prices.

It’s the little things that make me incredibly happy. A simple smile from the boys makes everything worthwhile, a stroll around the park, looking up and admiring the big, blue Texas sized sky on a beautiful, almost spring day.