In the span of a week, The Melt managed to transform a large amount of snow into mud.  Outdoors, the twittering bird chorus was soon accompanied by a slow and steady driiiiip, driiiiip and a new ceaseless rush from our little creek.   Water, water everywhere.

All three of my children are water signs and it is a coincidence that we happen to live beside a year round creek.  We put our pond in several years ago, stocking it with trout that kids (and my husband) delight in feeding.  The pond freezes over in the winter but our creek continues its steady flow downwards towards the bigger river on the valley bottom.  There are weeks during the winter, (and this winter it was over a month), when the creek was fully blanketed in snow, a few inches on top solidly frozen over.  But if you listened closely, you could hear the constant murmuring beneath.

With spring’s arrival, we are about to gear up for a myriad of activities…horse lessons, soccer practices and games, music and dance recitals, and a return to our homeschool activity day.  Amongst all the various planned classes for my three kids, I am trying to coordinate regular playdates with friends.  As the weather beckons us outdoors more and more, it is easy to have other children over to play.  However, it is a big juggle to meet everyone’s needs, especially with other homeschoolers whose scheduled activities may be opposite to our own.  But oh! it is worth it when the stars align and a good time is had on the banks of the creek building dams, or throwing food to the fish in the pond, bouncing on the trampoline, or making fairy villages on the hillside.

And soon, very soon, we will have little lambs frolicking about, so now is a good time to see old friends and play by the flowing water.