Break, already, Spring!

Sunday mornings are just about my favorite time of the week. The whole day stretches out with no real chores (usually) and the walk to Matt the Newspaperman's shop awaits for whenever we get ourselves out of pajamas and into sweats.

Today it was just too dang cold to brave the elements. I felt sorry for my brave little hyacinths popping up in pink and purple clusters in the front yard, declaring an end to winter. There they were, minding their own businesses bringing warmth and color to a bleak world only to be buffeted first by a chilly wind, then freezing rain and finally snow flurries that disappeared as soon as they touched the ground. It was as if winter wasn't ready to pack up for the year.

I watched the seasons fight it out through the front window, curled up on the living room couch, nestled under a blanket with a good book and the NY Times.

I wasn't the only lazy Reed today. Jeff didn't have basketball and he and Ali were downstairs most of the day puttering at computer games, reading and watching cartoons. I think they may have gotten a little Wii action in, too.

Jeff spent most of Saturday with his fantasy baseball friends, leaving around 9 a.m., so he was missing the little redhead a little bit by the time he strolled in around 8 p.m.

She and I were snuggling on the couch by then, and it was clear she'd had enough of me. Jeff had stretched out on the floor using the bean bag as a pillow. He'd found Johnny Quest on some cartoon network and was telling her that she just had to watch it with him because it was his favorite show when he was a little boy. Like a flash, she was gone.

"Hey!" I said. "Where'd you go?"

Busy stretching out on top of her dad and making sure she could see the screen, she didn't even look at me. "Hey, this guy needs some love, too," she said. The two of them didn't move for an hour.

She later confessed that she liked Johnny Quest OK, but she'd watched a few episodes and noticed that Race Bannon often pushed the same rock down on his enemies. Seems no matter the enemy, Race was alwasy wearing the same clothes and in the same weather when he found that rock...

It's almost always fun to watch Ali with Jeff. She loves him, and just loves teaching her stuff. She's getting to be more and more like him every day. He showed her cheat codes so she can whizz around Club Penguin like a hacker. He taught her how to make his iPod work this morning. He was home with her for the first day of Spring Break, on Friday, and he taught her how to "lay a patch," when braking. Apparently she left behind quite a lot of her tires at the practice lot.

But every once in a while I see tiny, little bits of me in her. She loves to read and can get a little obsessive with her favorite authors. Right now, Dave Pilkey is ruling her world.

But Friday at dinner, she really made my heart sing. Apparently, her teacher had a pile of homework that she truly expected the kids to get through on Spring Break. I'm all about the importance of learning, but geeze. There's a reason they name it Spring Break.

I was all ready to complain about the burden when Jeff said, "No listen."

So I looked at Ali who told me that she'd used up all her free time during the school day and made a special point at After Care to plow through ever single stinkin' bit of Spring Break homework she'd been given.

"I'm free! Free I tell you!" she said. "No homework for me."

I love that girl. Nerd that I am, I would have done the same thing. We celebrated Saturday at the book store buying up a bunch of Ricky Ricotta books for Ali and the rest of the Christine Feehan Dark series for me.

So, even if spring doesn't kick winter's butt as quickly as I'd like, we have plenty to keep us occupied over the break.