A Dandelion Latte

Spring Break 2011 has come and gone. I had big plans (as always) for trips to the zoo and museums, maybe an outing to the Botanical Gardens. The break got off to a fantastic and early start with our long weekend at the beach in Naples, FL. After a 1400 mile round trip, our new Volvo is officially broken in. We had a lovely few days with great friends we rarely see. As is often the case, I seem to be the only one who missed a few spots with the sunscreen. We returned home literally minutes before a terrible spring storm that uprooted trees and knocked out power for days in some very nearby neighborhoods.

On Wednesday of Spring Break week, the kids and I opted to take a walk to a nearby park that Mason & Charlotte like to call "Charson Lake." It is conveniently located right next to Starbucks and the book store. It was a beautiful day for a walk, and our little adventure took up most of the afternoon. Thanks to a neighbor who was out working in his yard, we also got a little gardening lesson and my children experienced the novelty of dialing a number on an old fashioned rotary phone. Of course, we also picked up a latte and a few new books for all. Along the way, in typical 4 year old fashion, Mary Jane stopped to pick every dandelion she saw so that she could blow the seeds off of it.

Don't get me wrong, of course I would have loved spending the entire week at the beach, but since that wasn't an option, at least I realized, once again, that we don't need big activities to have a great spring afternoon. Take some time to pick a dandelion while you're on your way to get a latte.