Dear Kid,

Not only is there magic in our everyday lives (for a reminder, see Notice the Magic Before It Disappears), there is magic in nature.

This time of year, there is magic in the crocuses and daffodils fighting their way through the last of winter. There is magic in the delight a warm day manages to spread over all of us. There is magic in each bud that unfurls (how does nature get all of those buds so equally perfect?).

And of course, there is nature’s magical way of making us all sneeze simultaneously.

I love spring (not so much the spring allergies, but it’s the price we pay in the Midwest). I love watching the way the trees and plants come to life slightly more each day. I love hearing the birds discuss the joys of being alive in spring. I love the way the deer wander through the front yard, heading directly for the tasty tulip leaves. (I joke, I do not exactly love sharing the tulips with the deer, but I don’t dis-love it enough to stake out the front garden and hand out reprimands. That will come later in the season.)

Behold! It is the Springtide of the Year (and all that).

The weather is magical. Warm one minute, frigid the next. Bam! Magic.

I love looking for babies in spring. The baby chipmunks that pop up to see if mom and dad are around. The baby bunnies so tiny they can hide in the lawn (especially if we’re a little behind on the mowing). The baby birds who demand mom and dad bring home dinner. The baby deer who freely help themselves to whatever they can reach (OK, not the parent deer, but the babies I will share with).

None of these babies are around yet. It’s still too early. But that doesn’t stop me from looking for them. Remind me to plan a trip to the zoo for Zoo Babies later in the spring.

It’s spring, it’s the season of renewal, and I think it’s magical.

Love, Mom