I grew up in Houston, Texas, which is a land of two seasons: Hot, and Slightly Less Hot. I believe there may be one or two days of the year that the citizens of Houston would even consider opening their windows and letting the outside weather in.
Fast-forward to raising a family in Michigan. The long, mostly white winters pass slowly, and sometimes spring seems like it will never come.
When it does, we throw open every window in the house.
Fresh Air!
It doesn’t seem to matter how much purification I diffuse during the long winter months, or how diligent I am about getting the trash out before it stinks, or making absolutely sure the poopy diapers go directly out to the garage trash. There is just a stale smell when you recycle the same air in the house for months on end.
When you smell the freshly mowed grass and feel the breeze through those wide-open windows, it’s like heaven.
Spring Sounds!
Another thing I love about having the windows open is hearing the birds and the wind in the trees and the horrible dying-animal sound my cat makes to announce that she has caught a mouse. {Maybe I could do without that last one. But I am a proud fur mommy when she is a successful huntress.}
Maybe your house is right next to I-75 or a tire-burning factory or something awful, but odds are that you won’t hear anything too terrible out your open windows. Hopefully, there’s more than car exhaust and pollution coming in.
Exhausted Children!
It’s not just an old wives’ tale that fresh air poops out your children. And mama, sometimes that’s the only thing standing between you and absolute, unhinged insanity. Taking your little monsters outside is definitely preferable, but if corralling them in the yard just isn’t going to happen, throwing open the windows will just have to do. Pull in that sweet, cleansing, exhaustion-inducing fresh air!
Enjoy!
We endured a long winter to bring us to the threshold of this glorious spring. Next up will be strawberry-picking and picnicking and running through the sprinkler. In the meantime, you can restock your sunscreen supply, get another bottle of bug repellent…
… and remember how much fun allergies are.
