Spring has sprung...

What does this mean?

I love my bellydance teacher, Claire's, take on it:

"Spring has sprung. Let's work on our lower belly. Bathing suit season will soon be upon us."

And then there's Hank, who noticed the "First Day of Spring" magnet on his Melissa and Doug magnetic calendar for this past Saturday:

"It's spwing, Mommy. I want to pwant flowos. And when can I see the baby birds?"

Yes, my dumpling, who is also suddenly very concerned with human anatomy. Warning: adult body part language forthcoming.

"MOMMY." *concerned eyebrow knit* "You no have a penis?"

"No, honey, girls don't have penises."

We've always tried to be matter of fact with Hank about bodies. Not graphic, mind you, but simply truthful about what things are called. Although, I'm going to admit right now that I'm so relieved that I have a boy and don't have to use the word 'vagina' with any regularity. I'm much more comfortable with peni than with vaginas, apparently.

"Ok, so, Mommy." *Hank pulls down his pants and exposes himself.* "You don't have this?" *points* "What about the other stuff?"

"No, honey."

"But where does the pee pee come out?"

A very perceptive question.

"Well honey, girls don't have penises, but the pee pee still comes out from there. Girls have different body parts than boys do."

*WIDE EYES* "Can I see?"

"No, honey. There's really nothing to see. Boys' parts are on the outside, but girls' parts are on the inside. You can't see them."

O mouth. "Wow."

Sigh. I hope that's all the questions for now, but somehow I doubt it.

At any rate, Lent will soon be coming to an end, and it really seemed to fly this year. Easter will soon be upon us, a time of year that I desperately love. I've been enjoying my meat-free, headcovering at Mass living this Lent, but I have to say it's gone so smoothly that it doesn't seem like a particularly dramatic Lent. Whatever that means. I suppose that's a good thing. After Easter, I will write a full post on my headcovering experience.

In the mean time, I have been noticing that I haven't been praying as much as I should outside of Mass. I don't feel distant from God, but I feel like I haven't been putting in as much effort into talking to Him as I should be. It's sort of like a marriage where you're happy, but you're on autopilot; you're starting to notice that while eating dinner you're each watching tv or reading separately instead of talking, and at night you have a lot of 'headaches.'

This morning, I picked up my Living Faith, and I found the passage very relevant.

"Being Mindful of God...

The truth is we have to cooperate with the little opportunities we are given each day to slow down, become quiet and notice how the Holy One is speaking to us. After receiving some news recently that will mean major changes for our family, I prayed for the ability to recognize God's presence in the midst of turmoil. While walking that evening and admiring a neighbor's flower garden, I was deeply moved by the beauty of creation. It didn't alter the situation, but the presence of so much beauty reminded me of God's faithfulness and changed my attitude."

I've been trying to work on my spontaneous prayer since I noticed my neglect. I tend to feel like I need to put together a full rosary or something when something is on my mind. I need to remember that I can simply stop what I'm doing, and ask God to help me. It doesn't need to be complicated. It's the little things that matter.