Spring Day

This has been the BEST WINTER EVER. And now spring seems to be springing early, and it is so great! Usually I spend March (and the first half of April) incredibly jealous of everybody else enjoying spring while we're still slogging through snow. But today we spent the entire afternoon outside in the 60-degree, sunny weather. Every kid in the neighborhood was outside. Parents emerged, pale and blinking in the sun. Impromptu gatherings coalesced on the sidewalk and at the park.

Jake and I trimmed down our overgrown shrub in front of the house as the kids went into an orgy of spring-related excitement, rediscovering all of their outdoor toys. Look, the balance bikes! Bubbles! Balls! The sand table! Aaaaaa! They ran around like crazy people, and then our neighbors came by with their two kids and everybody blew bubbles and played in the sand and rode around on their bikes and we all talked about how great it is today.

Then we came in and as I made a spring vegetable risotto (leeks, broccoli, spinach, chives and parsley, with a finish of goat cheese, so good), we both said, huh. We don't want to leave this block. We don't want to leave the park. It's so nice here.

Then later as we were eating dinner Jake started sadly talking about the house we lost, and right in the middle of his reverie Milo interrupted him, saying, "We're all going to be gone when we die." And Jake stopped talking, and looked at Milo, and said, "You're right. None of that house stuff matters." And Milo hugged Jake's arm and said, "I like you, Daddy", and we smiled as we finished our risotto.