Sittin' a Spell

I am in the calm space right now, just before and just after a spate of activity. I think most parents of young children feel like they're constantly runningrunningrunning and trying to catch up, but I have a little space now, in this moment before the craziness begins. Maybe the craziness won't come like I think it will, but it feels like it's just there, over the horizon, a bunch of things that will need to get done, quickly.

We just got back from a three-day Easter trip to Austin. We didn't see everyone we'd hoped to see and I knew that was likely given the holiday weekend, but we did go visiting a lot. Zoe met a couple of kids close to her age (roughly); several of our friends have had babies. She had a blast. Zoe's a pretty social creature, and she liked meeting the new people. She also tried to poke a lot of eyeballs. She's going through a phase, I suspect. She's fascinated with faces in general and eyes in particular.

Spring in Texas is beautiful and the weather in Austin was cooperative. As we drove around town, we saw so many people out and about in Austin--riding bikes, walking, jogging, kayaking, flying kites. It just seemed like everyone heard the call at the same time: come play outside. We joined them outdoors. Zoe was introduced to both a hammock and a trampoline. She almost fell asleep in the hammock; the trampoline had the opposite effect.

My favorite thing about spring is all the renewal in the air. I'm hopeful some of that comes my way. I think it will. I think that's why I feel all that activity looming, waiting for it's turn.