Washed In The Water

When Spring is beginning to break Winter days apart in the Mid-West, there is one thing that you can always count on. The snow melts, the ground starts to unfreeze, and we are left with pools of dirty, oozy mud puddles everywhere. It clings to everything. Shoes, tires, and puppy dog ears take on a sandy coat of it. It alters the color and texture of everything it touches. It is unavoidable. As a mother of 4 busy children who love the outdoors, this time of year is one that requires patience. We graduate from piles of damp snow gear piled at the door to muddy clothing and muddy footprints tracked through the main thoroughfares of my home. Annually it leads me to day dream about the warm days of summer and the simplicity of flip flops and minimal layers of clothing. While I day dream, my children relish in the joy of stomping in puddles, making squishy sounds as they trudge, and cooking up every mud dessert they can fathom in my backyard. I don’t discourage the behavior. I am a...