Oh, Glorious Spring

Spring is such a happy time of year.  As temperatures rise, the earth stirs and begins to wake from months of peaceful dreaming.  New life abounds.  And children are ready to spend endless hours with mother nature.

Sometimes it is hard for my family to experience the seasons to their fullest.  It's hard to explore nature and love all it has to offer when one member of the family is unable to spend more than minutes in temperatures above 75.

Our family has become a bit creative when in comes to spending time outdoors.  Early spring and late fall are both perfect times of year to get out and about with modest temperatures.

Here are some Ways My Family Celebrates the Arrival of Spring:

• yard work... clearing and weeding beds, mowing the lawn again, designing garden nooks and crannies.  This year Little J wanted his own garden.  With my help, J was able to plant 4 daisy plants in a reused shallow pot.  The flowers look fantastic on my front porch and make an inviting display when we have visitors.  The benefit of this small container garden is that it will require little maintenance and J can do the work outside with the porch light on when the temperatures begin to rise.
• woodland walks... strolling through a secluded woodsy area has become a favorite pastime for my boys.  We load up the camera, our Nature Bags, and some water for the adventure.  The best times to walk are early morning or late afternoon.  The sun is not as high in the sky.  The temperatures are moderate.  And the trees provide protections from the heat that still remains.  If you decide to venture into undisturbed woods, do be careful.  You never know what could be lurking about. 
• tending to the gardens... weeding, watering , and gathering... We usually do this in the early morning or late afternoon as well.  If it is a bit too warm for our youngest, he gets to have extra fun because we wet his clothes down completely before we begin.  This acts as artificial sweat and cools the body when there is a breeze.
• biking... This is something I would like us to do as a family.  I think after dinner would be the perfect time to take a family bike ride in the evenings.  That is as long as I can make it.  The roads in our neighborhood are hilly.  You are constantly going up and down which means you need to shift gears on the bike alot.  I'm not the best bike rider or as fit as I would like.  I am hoping if we incorporate this into a nightly routine it will have multiple benefits: improving the health of my entire family, providing wonderful memories for my boys, & start a healthy habit that will hopefully remain with my boys for the rest of their lives.
• visiting local sites... Places to consider: local famers' markets, natural caverns, public trails, public gardens, pick your own farms, dog parks, zoos, animal rescues, etc.  Research the kind of places available in your area.  You could make visiting these local sites a monthly tradition.
• local events... Here in Central Texas there is always a local festival or music event available.  Spring is the perfect time to choose a few of these events and get the family out in the community.  Be sure to read reviews and to know what kind of event you are actually attending.  I know in our town there is at least one event known as Eeyore's Birthday that is not kind friendly in the least... tons of nudity and drinking.  Though I am not opposed to either,  I think that I would get more questions than I would like to answer on a family outing. 

What are some ways you celebrate spring?

What are some of your family plans for this coming season?

Spring Nature Table

This is the beginning of our spring nature table.  The boys helped me to select a few items that reminded them of the season.  There is a bunny and an egg as a symbol of Ostara and fertility... though my boys are unaware of this aspect as of now.  The mushroom was added when Little J received the queen, king and gnome for his birthday.

The tray in the center of the table is filled with sand and smooth gems.  The gems are mostly yellow and red to represent the warmth of the sun.  The boys are constantly rearranging and playing with the gems.  I think this is their favorite part of the entire table. 

The sand is to remind us of all the new growth we see during this happy time of year. 

In the background, you can see some fabric eggs we made a few years back.  Here are the how to directions for this project.  If you would prefer to work with wool roving, you can follow these directions instead.

We also add some bare branches to decorate as the season progresses.  I am sure there will be lots of seasonal art that can be hung from the branches.  If the display becomes too cluttered, we will place the vase and branches on the table instead.

This is a really cool art project T Man just brought home.  The bright colored background reminded me of spring, so it was added as well.

As we gather things from nature, they will be scattered about our nature table.  It is very exciting for young children to be able to manipulate and add to the table as they see fit.

What is on your seasonal table?

Imbolc Celebration

I think Imbolc is my favorite Sabbat to celebrate.  It gives the heart a little warm squeeze and says... Spring will be there soon.

This year for Imbolc we will celebrate simply:

• beeswax candle making as a sign of the light to come
• garden planning... The boys and I will look through seed catalogues to decide what to plant in the upcoming weeks.
• painting garden stones to show our appreciation for the beauty Mother Earth has bestowed upon us
• & possibly a nature hike through the woods.

As much of this as possible will occur on Imbolc.  The rest will occur on the weekend following.  It's kind of nice because my hubs and T Man both have a birthday on Feb. 3rd, so it makes it seem like they get a longer celebration.

So, what are you plans for Imbolc?

Kids Crafts for Imbolc

Are your kids going nutty being locked in the house during the cold days of winter?  Remind them that spring will soon be returning with a few fun crafts.

Face the Sun: Using modeling clay create a funky sun to hang for Imbolc

Pierced Sun Catcher: Use cardstock and a push pin to create sun display for your windows.

CD Suncatcher: Recylce old CDs into something amazing.

Bug Suncatcher: Using contact paper and a bit of imagination even a 3 year old can make one of these super cute critters.

CD Disco Ball : Need I say more?.

Sparkling Suncatcher: Glass beads and wire make this suncatcher truly amazing.

Translucent Star Ornament: Crayola has done it again with this fun and simple craft.

Tissue Paper Star: Get messy with tissue paper and glue to make this perfect sunny display.

What is your favorite craft to do during the winter months?

What crafts do you do for Imbolc?

Imbolc: A Fire Festival

I have been researching the association between Imbolc and Groundhog's Day.  I have found some interesting correlations I thought you might like to know. 

Imbolc is a pagan fire festival associated with the coming of Spring and weather divination.  It is the celebration of renewal and growth.  With Spring comes the arrival of new plants and animals.  Also, comes the uplifting of spirits and a return to the outdoors as the sun's light is more abundant and produces the needed heat to warm the Earth.  Imbolc marks the midpoint in the dark part of the year.

During Imbolc, it has been said that Brigid's snakes would burst from her belly to predict the coming weather.  In early times, a hedgehog was the animal of choice in weather divination and here in North America it is the well known groundhog.

I like to think of Imbolc as the perfect time to make life changes.  With sweeping out the old and welcoming the new, I like to open my heart to the endless possibilities that lie ahead.  I use this time to meditate on the direction my life is headed and choose a path in which to travel.  This is the time of year I ready myself for Spring in all its magical glory.

Sources: Suite101