Spring To-Do List

The calendar says it's spring! But Mother Nature hasn't gotten the memo... I'd almost forgotten about making a spring to-do list! But there are plenty of things we want to do this season and this list will round out the year for me to look back on (since I started these lists last summer). Over the winter, we managed to accomplish 16 of 26 things on our list. It was a busy season! Here's what I have in mind for spring: 1) Return to the Farmer's Markets regularly!! Mostly downtown at the Erie Street Market, but also the newer ones at Fallen Timbers and Westgate and Thursdays in downtown Perrysburg. 2) Family story time at the library in June - I believe it's a class series and I called to late for the spring classes so I'm hoping to get into these. They're on Monday evenings I believe. 3) Visit Country Lane Tree Farm. We're already signed up for their Easter celebration and egg hunt for the kids - we're going with cousins and friends! - but I'd also like to take Sophie back by herself to see the animals at a leisurely pace like Will has gotten to in the past. 4) Bike trailer rides! 5) Teach Will how to ride a bike without training wheels and Sophie how to pedal the tricycle. 6) Visit the butterfly house. They reopen for the season on May 1st! 7) Run in the Dart Frog Dash {5K for me and 1K for Will} on May 14th, as well as many other road and trail races for each of us this summer. So excited to see how he likes it this year! He's already talking about running again. 8) Visit Schedel Gardens again. Also, we've never been to the Botanical Gardens - maybe that would be a good new venue to visit. 9) U-Pick strawberries... hopefully more than once! I've got to dig up all the recipes I want to try with our strawberries. Also, any other u-pick farms I can find in the spring (most are summer time). 10) Celebrate LOTS of birthdays!!! This month: cousin Cecilia. In April: our friends Mike & Jill, my cousin Molly, Casey and Sophia! In May: Great Grandpa King and cousin Cora. And in June: cousins Mya, Stella and Lincoln (all on the 2nd!) and, of course, Will on the 8th. Lots of parties and celebrating in the next few months! 11) Lots of cooking with the flavors of spring: asparagus, rhubarb, baby lettuces and strawberries. There's an awesome dip I want to try using watercress when that comes available. 12) Plant a garden... and keep it alive! ;) 13) Park visits and picnics. 14) Eat at Mon Ami. We're going there for Casey's birthday in a couple weeks! 15) Nature Tots programs at the ONWR. Not sure how many of these we will get to because they will conflict with our usual library and farmer's market outings on Saturday mornings, but they're free and educational so I'd like to get to a few. They're always on the first Saturday of the month. 16) Miniature golf? :) 17) Going for walks and runs outside! 18) Big Dipper - our local ice cream hot spot! 19) Day Out With Thomas & Friends - saw this and thought it sounded cool. 20) Make Easter cookies with Great Grandma Verna. 21) Take Will to see Kung Fu Panda at the end of May. I've had "Will's first movie in the theater" on my to-do list since last summer and we've never gone. But this is one he'll love so it's officially in the plans this season. 22) Easter/spring crafts, games and food. Easter parties and egg hunts with family. Easter morning with the kids! 23) Memorial Day picnic with Craig's family. 24) Homecoming parade in downtown Genoa (usually around Memorial Day). 25) Spring street fair and business open houses in downtown Genoa? 26) Get new mulch around our house and tidy up the "landscaping". I use that word very loosely. ;) 27) Plant new trees to replace the old Ash trees in the front yard? Not sure if that will happen this year. Now... all we need is a little warmer weather. What? You say it's supposed to snow this weekend? Last year at this time, it was a freakish 80 degrees outside and the kids were in shorts! At least Easter is late this year. :)