Rainy and Sunshiney Spring Days

I have been excessively lazy these past few days. It has been grey and cloudy with an occasional fit of sunshine and more frequent bouts of rain. Just as it should be in springtime. The windows are open wide and I feel like I am slowly emerging from hibernation. Except that by emerging from hibernation, I mean enjoying looking out the window at the wet grass and think happy outdoorsy thoughts. I am not suddenly more active. To be honest, I have been  enjoying an afternoon nap or at least an hour or two of horizontal reading. I quiet my conscience by being somewhat busy in the evenings, making sure the dishes are done, laundry folded, and toys picked up.

There is something about this spring rain that makes me suddenly slow down and smile stupidly more than I should. I can't understand this, since last year, when it was so horribly rainy, I was depressed and hated it. My only excuse is "I am pregnant!" I am going to miss that excuse in a month and a half. I can be lazy, irrational, irritable, smile stupidly, and generally act like a half-wit and feel justified in doing so.

Whatever it is, I have enjoyed being slow lately. I have different ideas buzzing around my head of sewing projects I want to try, but inevitably, I decide to do them... well some other time. I wake up and decide to organize the counter by the refrigerator (it is the junk counter. Don't judge.) or put away the accumulated stack of kids clothes that are to "grow into" into the right rubbermaids in the basement. And every day, I find myself instead, puttering about happily, checking email, emptying the dishwasher, picking up toys, reading books to the kids and myself, and starting blog posts. I think this might be my third start. Ahhh well.

I am alarmingly mellow.

I think about people scurrying about being useful in life and I think what extravagant luxury and good luck I have in being able to slow down when life seems to call for it. And I feel guilty that I am doing this when other people can't. The good part is, I am so mellow, the guilt doesn't bother me deeply. I just continue smiling stupidly and puttering.

This post, this far, was written on Friday. I am still way too lackadaisical for words, but I have come to realize the reason I am not bummed  by spring rainyness is that almost every day has a brilliant flash of sunshine at some point, which stirs me out of my mellowness enough to feel joyful.

Everything is just so nice.

And to prove it, here are some pictures from Saturday. A perfect spring day. Nothing much was happening, but there was sunshine, blue skies, new leaves, and lots of joy about being outside so much.

I am really loving grape hyacinths this year

Dandelion picker. An effective weed control, since the flowers never go to seed.

Coming in again to tell me something startling amazing about the outside

Orianna lost her two top teeth. Cuteness.

Gilbert enjoying some Daddy and boy time

Cows and blossoming trees

Owen and Lily

Owen and Gilbert

New flipflops and dandelions

Putting up the pea's support

Lettuce maybe?

One of the peas

Onions. Justin let the girls plant the onions, hence the less than perfect row. The girls felt important. 

Shepherds purse. You can eat this stuff. How, I am not really sure. But apparently shepherd's ate it. 

Dandelions. I really like dandelions. They have such an outrageous cheerfulness and good will to all, despite the world's campaign against them.

Wild mustard. Or at least that is what we always called it.

Clover

Ruts in the garden. The garden does not get the respect it deserves. Or the drainage either, judging by this picture. 

Muddy feet

Cat

Lily told me that the little tulip at the top there was so cute she couldn't even look at it. So I felt the need to share its cuteness.

Gilbert helping Daddy put away a chain. He had SO much fun being with Daddy so much! 

Stopping to wave at a yellow airplane flying low.

Ashley and the girls running 

...to see Fiona and Livie and Tori who were going on a walk with Gilbert

A discovered butterfly. Hit by a car apparently, but still fascinating.

The cats swarm if you come out the door and walk over to the side of the house. That is where their dish is. Since I didn't have food and I kept almost tripping on them, I didn't find this very endearing.

Justin decided to scythe the lawn in the extremely high patch. It made him pretty happy. I love that guy.

Orianna is such a great big sister

"Encouraging" Gilbert to look at Mommy and the camera

Gilbert watching the dogs drink

Gilbert and Penny on the crooked sidewalk

Tori helping Orianna touch the quaking aspens

Galloping like horses

Laughing Fiona and the doggies

Gilbert hanging out on the engine hoist

Joy at having a rock

...to splash into a puddle

A boy and his orange

Meeting shoes with dirt and grass clipping. Not a good Saturday shoe. But Orianna is in love with them!

Lily and the kitty

Fiona pushing Orianna on the swing

Lilies

Dad and Justin working on riding lawn mower parts

The moon on Saturday night. 

Did the vast number of  pictures lull you into mellowness? Hopefully at least a stupor that could be taken for mellowness. 

Happy Spring!