Waiting for spring

I'm so ready for spring and summer. I am in a perpetual state of depression in the winter. I'm actually ready for spring on January 2nd, right after the holidays. One week of swimming in the ocean in sunny Florida, as wonderful as it is, is just not enough for someone like me, someone who loves wearing summer dresses and feeling the warmth of the sun on my skin.

While I'm ecstatic that March is here, just looking at the fresh pile of snow outside makes me want to cry. I'm not motivated to work out like I am once the weather starts improving, but I drag myself, knowing that warmer days are ahead.

This past week I've been taking care of my children. They've had fevers that lasted almost an entire week, runny noses, and bad coughs.

When my children are sick, I operate on autopilot.

I worry more than I should, make frequent visits to the doctors office, and turn my bedroom into a nurse's station. I have survived on very little sleep these last few days, and had an extra busy week on top of it all, with work, and home, and all my other obligations.

I totally understand why pilots are not allowed to fly planes unless they've slept at least eight hours in a 24 hour period. I can't even remember what more than six hours of sleep feels like. It must be nice, to just lay your head down on your pillow, and let yourself drift off into a blissful state of sleep, to wake with your own internal alarm clock. Imagine that luxury?

After my children to go bed, I always have a million things to do in the house, and even more to do when my children are sick. I change the sheets every couple of days, (as opposed to once a week) open the windows for fresh air, despite the minus 30 degrees weather outside, and clean every surface my boys have come into contact with throughout the day. Which is basically the entire house.

On my night table in my bedroom right now you will find:

4 glasses of water,
10 novels,
1 wet face towel,
2 boxes of Kleenex,
1 thermometer,
20 soothers,
1 bottle of Children's Advil,
and a partridge in a pear tree.

Now that my boys are healthy again, I had to make sure all the germs were killed once and for all, because the last thing I want is for them to get sick again.

First, I rounded up all the germ infested soothers.

Then, I boiled the living daylights out of them.


Finally, I lined them up in a row to dry. Healthy soothers = healthy children!


Now, if only I could find time to read one of the novels stacked on my night table and sleep for more than four hours a night, that would be great. In fact, I wouldn't mind sleeping until all the snow has gone away.

I can't wait to leave home with only a sweater on, leaving the winter gear behind.
I can't wait until I see the tulips bloom.
I can't wait to sit on a patio on a Saturday night with friends.
I can't wait for warm days, bike rides, and afternoon visits to the park with my boys.
I can't wait for backyard BBQ parties and swimming all day long.
I can't wait until my skin has that sun-kissed look again.

Counting down the days...

Are you so over winter, too?