Cakaroon??

It has already been so fun to watch what is blooming at our home this spring.  This EARLY spring!  What is with this beautiful weather?  Am I the only one who is afraid that we are going to get a nightmare of a blizzard in like, late April as punishment for this awesomeness?  Since we moved into our home the first of June, we kind of missed out on all the spring newness and blossoms.  Willa discovered this magnolia tree for me the other day.  We were working in one of the front flower beds and she took my hand and told me she was going to show me some other purple flowers.  Then she led me to this tree and it was so pretty I almost cried.  Wait, that may not have been the beauty of the tree but actually the horrible new birth control pill I am on.  But that's a whole different story all together.

Anywho...I don't know how many times I already mentioned this, but for the Lenten season, I gave up desserts and candy.  I'd say I gave up sugar, but that's a little too strict.  There were times that I had a muffin for breakfast, or put chocolate chips and syrup on the pancakes, or jelly on my almond butter and jelly sandwiches.  So no, I didn't give up sugar.  I hate to jump the gun too much here but I think I did pretty well!   I didn't have a single piece of Easter candy, I have had no cookies, donuts, cakes, pies, coconut M and M's...NOTHING of the sort.  The final test will be putting Willa's Easter basket together next weekend and taking her to the big Easter egg hunt on Saturday.  There is a bag of Just Red Starburst Jelly Beans in my closet that whisper sweet nothings to me every night but they are still unopened.  I actually kind of had fun challenging myself to avoid things that I normally love but that I know are slightly toxic to me, so I decided that I'm going to try to give something up every month this year.  I have a rough plan of what each month will be, but it might change so I won't set the full schedule down here.  I have decided that starting April 1 (in addition to one more week of no desserts) I will go a month without saying negative things about others, and without in general being a whiny person.  I sometimes get a little bit too much pleasure out of gossip, discussing things that may or may not be true.  And I also whine and complain too much.  So, none of that in April!!  I think the key here is to make sure that I am surrounded by positive people, maybe involve myself in a few new projects (gardening, biking, and running top this list), and get more sleep, to avoid being so grumpy.  So if you have the pleasure of seeing me this month and you hear me being a Betty Badmouther or a Negative Nelly, first of all slap me for using phrases like that and then kindly call me on my bad behavior.

And on a lighter note, Willa calls raccoons "cakaroons".  I think this is the cutest thing ever.  So try to encourage it.  Engage her in a conversation about cakaroons as often as possible.  I want her to go her whole young life calling them that.