HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY

Perhaps I suffer from bi polar disorder...or maybe I just really like the sunshine. I mean, rain doesn't make me depressed, actually I rather like it. I found out today though, that I have REALLY REALLY REALLY missed the warm sun. Maybe this week of dreary cold rain in May in Connecticut was Mother Nature's way of pouring lemon juice in the cut (meaning, this was the week that we were supposed to be soaking up sun and fun at Disneyworld...apparently Florida has had the only nice weather in the US this week.) But today the sun came out and it was a magnificent day. Not to mention that the leaves have exploded in one week all around us (as evidence by Haley's horrendous allergies...I have run her allergy medicine to her at school twice in the last week when I have forgotten...it's either that or get a call from the school nurse by 9am.) Driving down the roads to our house fills me with a renewed shout of "I love where we live". And especially because when the trees behind our house fill out with leaves, I won't be able to see all the crud in our neighbor's back yard anymore. Yeah! I try hard to focus on the leaves and not the ground lest I be reminded that we live in the "rental of the neighborhood"...the girls call it the "meadow". While everyone else has luscious green grass thickening in their yards we have a tangle of weeds and prickly stuff. The silver lining is, of course, that the "designated for grass area" is covered in dainty yellow and purple flowers. The estimate that I got from the landscaping people 6 weeks ago continues to be conveniently ignored by the property managers/owners. I mean, I have no problem looking like I live in the Clampets yard...I'm sure they were very nice people. And I do have rocking chairs...I just hope my neighbors aren't too surprised when they find my children stroking the grass in their yards and subtly scooting our sprinkler further and further onto their side of the divider line this summer.
But back to today...By the time I put the older girls on the bus this morning it was already a perfect 68 degrees so I decided I had to go somewhere to maximize my enjoyment of this gorgeous Spring day. I fed the "littles" and then we got in the car and went for a walk at my favorite walking place. Heck, it was so beautiful and I was feeling so fine that I even ran for a bit. (Shhh, don't tell my body that I am capable of doing that...I really hate it, usually.) But I do like to walk rather briskly. It is just the right kind of exercise for me (ie lazy-ish exercise hater.) The temperature was perfect! The company was delightful! The view was amazing! I mouthed the words to all my favorite iPod tunes as we made our way down the boardwalk. I was so elated that I nearly broke out into choreographed dance to Beyonce's All The Single Ladies (if you haven't watched that video, stop reading right now and google it...am I the only one that thinks she is incredible?..the video is mesmerizing, the song is catchy, the dancing incredible, the booties, "licious".)
Then Mia and I threw rocks in the clear water and we dipped our toes into the lapping waves. Delightful. Purely delightful...until I caught Hazel enjoying the sand right off her own toes.
Then for the rest of the day we played outside, ran to Lowe's with the girls to "price out" our proposed veggie garden and ended the day with our traditional Friday night family pajama party where we eat in front of a movie (tonight's added treat was an air matress...oooh, aaahh.) I love our Friday night pajama party (I believe I was inspired by Laurie and her adorable family.)
I will be reliving this day in my mind as many times as I need to get me through this winter that Connecticut just can't seem to shake once and for all. I love a good rain but it's time to bring on the sun!

The is the part of the post where I segway to:
In Other News...
I decided that I was sick of looking at Hazel's (formerly known as Haley's then Abby's then Mia's) gross grey carseat. She got it spiff-ified. I am rather impressed with myself seeing as how this was a second attempt at car-seat-covering for me (I did Abby's booster a couple of years ago but it didn't last so long...) and it took me less than two hours! (That was my unashamed pat on the back...what can I say? I enjoy my work.) I would be happy to provide a tutorial over the phone...too lazy to write it out and honestly speaking, it was pretty simple.
So here's to you Hazel, fourth child, fourth girl...you can pretend it's brand new...just don't take the cover off or you might see the crumbs that were formerly Haley's then Abby's then Mia's.....