After writing the post on celebrating the first day of spring, I got to thinking about what I might do to make the day special for my tots. My pre-school-aged son loves to plant seeds, bulbs, flowers — generally anything that is growing or will grow. I’ve made it a point to foster this love since he was wee by laying him on a blanket in the grass next to me while I tend to my gardening. He has his own mini-flowering can, hand-shovel and hand-raking-claw, but mostly he just uses his hands to dig and play. We were all getting pumped for spring because even in the modest flower garden I do have, this time of year means planting the pretty colors of the rainbow in our front yard while getting dirty and wet in the process.

So, I decided to ask my little guy what he’d like to give his friends as a gift to celebrate spring. Without hesitation he said, “maybe we could give them orange flower seeds, Mommy.” Spoken like a kid with a truly green thumb. Of course, the potential flowers from the seeds would have to be orange, his favorite color. We bought a packet of orange cosmos seeds for each of his friends at school, and he and I made little “Happy First Day of Spring ” labels for each. We had fun the next morning placing a packet in each of his classmates’ bins before any of the others arrived. It was a secret mission to spread the joy of the sunshine, blue skies and new life that’s ushered in when winter fades out.

Naturally, I bought a packet of cosmos for my son and 18 month old daughter as well. We welcomed the new season by digging in the dirt, sowing the seeds and testing out that watering can. It was a fun way to encourage a love of all things living and to embrace our roles in taking care of the earth… while getting dirty and wet in the process.

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