we're rooting for you, spring

nobody ever says "i'm so ready for this fall to be over". but winter? winter will have most everyone saying that in some form another. whether it's said as a hopeful, "i can't wait for spring" or a bitter, "that groundhog is full of it", by the end of the season, we're ready for longer days and kinder weather. this year in particular has been one giant eye roll. at least, it has been for those of us here on the east coast. you midwesterners and mountain-dwellers would probably yawn and crack your knuckles at how many inches we count as a lot of snow but for us, it's been a real doozy. 

you know, it's not even all the snow so much as it is living in this state of limbo, between cold and warm, lions and lambs, showers and flowers. sixty degree days, followed by record snowfalls just isn't right. then, just when i was starting to get used to seeing bare branches, these darling little pink buds had to appear on the trees. quit playing games with my heart, winter! i beg you. if not for me, then do it for this little guy, who is just itching to get outdoors and roll around in some mud.

we have this daybed set up in the baby's room that sits against a tiny window which opens up to the back yard - a bird sanctuary built by the former tenants and a selling point when we were house-hunting. the bed serves a dual purpose, acting as both resting place and changing table. since learning to crawl, this little one hasn't been the most cooperative during changes. most times, he squirms and crawls away before i can finish getting him dressed. (the window and all the birds returning from migration aren't helping the situation either.) but that little hand slapping against the window and that look on his face that asks, "can i go outside and play?" for those, i'll make more than a few exceptions.

my curly-haired sidekick and i made quick rounds of the yard to take stock of things. i'm happy to report that mother nature is right on track. we saw signs of spring all over: a curious finger met a fuzzy bud (yes, those are bare feet dangling in a blur in the background. don't judge me. it was a short outing), a feathered friend prepared her nest for new little arrivals, and plush greens dotted the roof like tropical islands in the ocean spotted from a plane. blue skies and warmer days ahead! only two more weeks if phil has anything to say about it.

happy

pharrell williams made the academy awards. well, ellen degeneres and pharrell did, but his performance of "happy"? it's totally worth a google if you missed it. the song has been on repeat at our house and has inspired more than a few living room dance parties. in fact, when we woke up to snow and another (!) day off, we declared "happy" our theme song. here's what it looked like.

  

if it weren't totally self indulgent, i would dedicate entire post to that bed head.

staying home - just me and the little guy - was like a flash back to our days together when i was on maternity leave. i loved those early months when he was a tiny, grunting piece of creation. i've sat at work missing that infant stage. yes, he was so fragile and so vulnerable and so utterly dependent on me then, but time moved slow and allowed us grow together. now, he's strong. and this new stage where he sits up on his own, plays independently, crawls around calling mamamamamamama? it's my new favorite.  

well, that was a freebie

 

we woke up to thirteen inches of snow last thursday. it was the kind that was fluffy enough to accumulate in heaps but light enough to keep the tree's limbs in tact and the electricity on. we dusted off the snow shoes and took a long walk, which i didn't get any pictures of on account of having a baby strapped to my chest while plowing through the white stuff. friday started like any other until the lights went out at work and we were sent home. woo-hoo! it's friday, i'm in love! on saturday morning, the olympics provided hours of entertainment, as usa spanked russia in hockey. then, on sunday, we did the patriotic thing and honored our nation's first commander-in-chief with a tour of d.c. it's not what you think though. we explored dupont cirle, brunched at duke's, drank flat whites/long blacks at filter, and browsed the phillips collection.  on monday - the fifth and final day - we rested, which is to say, we stayed in pajamas all day and never left the house until seven p.m. forced us to the grocery store for the least ingredients required to make a meal.

february has been extra good to us this year. it already had high marks for being the shortest month at a time when spring can't come any faster, but then kicking the long weekend off with valentine's on friday and two snow days? SOMEONE was good this year for jolly old saint george to bring all that for president's day. what. wrong holiday? well, after five consecutive days off, i'm founding the new church of no power outages, midday naps, and coffee that's not brewed from a k-cup, hallelujah.