By Lisa Hauf
In North Dakota it’s simple to recognize when spring is here. The snow is gone, it’s slowly greening up and the sun is shining (most days). Take a drive out in the country and you’ll see the tractors are out and farmers are in full swing.
Spring is all around us, but at my house, you don’t even need to look outside to see the signs. Our home stays more picked-up (score for my husband and me.) But, those dirty feet come running in and out of the house, bringing the dirt with them. I’m ok with it. In fact, I love it. Seeing the kids play and get dirty is exactly what they should be doing. Besides, this is why they invented Swiffers.
The warm weather also means an entire menu change at our home. Our weekend meals consist of grilling anything from hamburgers and chicken to pork chops and fish. By this time of the year, I’m burnt out on frozen veggies, which means veggies on the grill. It means fresh fruit and children filling up on grapes before supper. But I would rather them spoil their appetite with grapes versus cookies.
A couple weeks ago, we were welcomed with perfect weather. By 9:00 a.m. the children were outside playing in the sandbox and the water. I even found time to enjoy a cup of coffee while playing with the kids. By 10:30, we were back inside working on outfit change number two (the water got the best of them). A half-hour later, the kids were already hungry.
Summer lunches? A quick bowl of mac n’ cheese, fish sticks and some cut up apples will do. My children have been taught to eat with silverware, but on Saturday afternoons, why bother? Sometimes you just need to dive-in. We didn’t even manage to get outfit number two on for the day (Somedays I wonder why I even dress them).
Thank you spring for finally arriving. It has been a long time coming. From dirty floors to a new menu on the grill, I have missed you! By Sunday nights, we’re all exhausted. The children are in bed early and mom is sore from all the running and playing outside – but I wouldn’t change it for the world.