We interrupt this snow...

At one point in late February I looked at the calendar and realized that between snow days and holidays the kids had only been in school for six days the entire month. No wonder we were all so grouchy. Then the first week of March we went to south Florida.

We flew into Fort Lauderdale and the first two nights we stayed on a boat in this marina.

We swam at the marina pool.

http://marinabay-fl.com/

 We went to this beach.

Then we drove to the Everglades. We rented bikes at Shark Valley.

We looked at alligators and birds.

The next day we went to Sanibel Island. We collected shells and visited the wildlife refuge.

www.floridasummers.com/

After two nights we drove back through the Everglades, stopping to take an afternoon canoe ride through the mangroves.

We spent the last two nights near Key Largo. We visited a coral reef. We swam. We saw a goliath grouper, sting rays, and dolphins. We had Key lime pie on a dock.

www.underwaterjournal.com

On the last day we kayaked around a state park in Miami before heading back to the Fort Lauderdale airport.

The trip was just what we all had needed. The moment we hit that 75 degree sunshine, everyone's mood skyrocketed. There was a little anxiety from the kids  - chirps, squeaks, whistles and screeches from one, even more nonstop jibber-jabber from the other - but not enough to stop them from having a great time. The pouting, complaining and yelling that had been going on all of February almost completely stopped. But the biggest difference in mood was with ME. The last few weeks I had been - how do I put this nicely - an impatient, sarcastic &#%@, but in Florida I was back to being the patient and compassionate mother that I want to be all winter long.

Now we're back in Pennsylvania. It's cold, but the good moods remain. Crocuses and tulips are starting to come up in our yard. Soon it will be spring.

One more look at that water before I go.