by Barbara Lombard – wife, mother to 2, co-owner of Earth Babies , occasional doula.

What does spring mean to you? For some it is all philosophical and filled with the 3R’s – rebirth, renewal and regrowth.

Being a mom I don’t really have time or energy for philosophical so it is all so much simpler.

Spring means the end of winter. It is the scent of jasmine in the air, the smell of coming rain to settle the dust and wash away the grime. The glimpse of bright green new leaves and tiny tight closed flower buds. It is waking the kids up for school and opening the curtains to light outside – being able to tell them it is time to get up without arguing why the sun still gets to sleep.

Even more exciting is being able to pack away jerseys that caused fights about whether they were needed. To no longer worry about them looking like orphans in tracksuits that were long enough when winter began (children look less neglected in shorts than pants that no longer meet their ankles). It is little arms and legs without goosebumps and best of all acceptable grubby little bare feet – no more well meaning people moaning in shops because my kids – who don’t want shoes on – are going to get sick from cold feet.

Spring is more time outdoors.

We do a lift club in with another family and on the mornings they fetch my 2 we finish up and go out into the garden to wait where they jump on the trampoline or we play eye spy – spring gives us so many more options and colours to practice our ‘word sounds’ with – being in preschool we are still on the ‘something beginning with guh instead of g’ approach, there is only so many times guh-rey can be chosen before it becomes monotonous.

Currently at school for season awareness, they are doing the very exciting process of growing a bean. The little sprout is being very lovingly tended and over watered – which made me remember it is spring and as such time to take part again in Planting Season – there are 21 days to go!

It is once more a perfect time to plant some veggie seeds, watch them grow and if we look after them nicely we will be able to pick the leaves and vegetables and eat them which is always very exciting for the kids and a great way to get them to eat those veggies they would normally turn their noses up at. I am not a big lover of gardening but I do love to see the new growth, greenness and most of all the colours that spring brings.