Ah spring! I absolutely love spring!” Amy thought as she shooed1 her two little boys out of the back door and into the yard to play. It was the first day really warm enough to let them out without jackets and the need for hot chocolate waiting when they got tired of the frosty2 air of the long winter.

Amy watched the boys start to chase each other around the yard just starting to release all the pent up3 energy of a winter spent mostly indoors. With a smile she turned to open the dining room windows， inhaling4 the fresh breeze as it swept through the house taking with it the last vestiges of winter gloom. With the happy sounds of little boys laughing in her ears， Amy picked up her duster and dutifully started to dust around the dining room， lifting knick knacks5， plants， and various other items. Dusting the pictures on the walls and not forgetting to dust the trim around the doors， she started with that and would end with cleaning the tile floors.

There was a lot of spring cleaning to do and today was the first really pretty day of the year and Amy wanted to take full advantage. She， like her boys had some energy to work off. So she dusted， wiped and polished， feeling very proud of herself for doing such a thorough job and knowing she would be very happy with the results.

“Mommy!Eric got a dragonfly. Come and look at it!” Glancing around from the bookshelf she had been rearranging， Amy could see out of the back door that her older son did indeed hold something in his hands. As if the huge triumphant6 smile on his face wasn’t clue enough.

“OK， Mommy sees， be careful and don’t squish7 it!” Amy grinned at her littlest， Todd， and shooed him back outside. “Now go and catch one of your own， honey.”

Todd’s eyes got very big for a moment before he whirled and dashed back outside and began in earnest to hunt for a bug of his very own. As she turned back to the bookshelf， Amy could hear Eric offering sound advice on exactly how to catch a dragonfly to his little brother.

For a brief moment， Amy wished she could be as carefree as her children， with nothing more on their minds than catching bugs and enjoying the bright sunshine of spring. Sitting on the floor， with the job of rearranging books still half finished， Amy couldn’t

resist just watching her boys for a few moments.

Their hair messed up8 from the warm breeze， faces flushed9 from running and laughing in the sun. The grass was coming in green now and the first daffodils had popped their bright heads up in her flowerbeds already. She loved daffodils， tulips and crocus too. Always the first flowers to be seen in spring， their bright colors like so many banners announcing the end of winter and the renewal10 of life that spring signified to11 Amy.

Wandering over to the back door， Amy leaned against the door jamb and looked over the fences to all the trees in the neighborhood and had to smile at the bright green buds popping out12 on all the branches. Birds were singing and Mrs. Witters next door was out with a little spade and her gardening gloves puttering around her own flower beds. Her old face lit up with13 a smile when she saw Amy and she smiled. Amy gave a small wave back and turned again to watch her boys.

Eric heard it first. The first true sign of spring. That one sound that every kid knows. It is guaranteed to send even the smallest child running. The ice cream truck. Before Amy had even registered the sound， Eric had already started running towards her， his blue eyes wide and excited. “Mommy!Mommy!The ice cream truck is coming!Can we get an ice cream please?” His hand tugged on her jeans with a great deal of urgency. Everyone knows if you don’t act fast the ice cream man would be gone.

“Please Mommy!” piped up Todd also.

Amy was wise enough to know that on this day at least she couldn’t hope to win a battle against two pairs of bright blue pleading eyes and such sunny spring smiles.

“Yea， guys， let’s go and catch the ice cream truck. Hurry!” And Amy was off， holding little Todd’s hand as she grabbed her purse and burst out of the front door， she started waving at the truck as excited as any of the neighborhood kids that already lined the street.

The three hurried over to the truck and impatiently waited in line. Eric and Todd were both chattering excitedly about what exactly they were going to get， and each changing their minds at least five times before their turn came. Amy knew exactly what she would get—an ice cream sandwich. It’s what she got every time and she always enjoyed the first one of the season more than any other.

Spring cleaning was long forgotten as Amy， Eric and Todd sat right down in the soft spring grass and enjoyed their first ice cream in the warm sun. Any thoughts of winter were far gone already. The promise of spring had already started to deliver—warm breezes， bright flowers and green grass and the smell of new life in the air.

Grinning at two little ice cream-covered faces， Amy couldn’t suppress the thought， “I love spring.”

Ah spring! I absolutely love spring!” Amy thought as she shooed1 her two little boys out of the back door and into the yard to play. It was the first day really warm enough to let them out without jackets and the need for hot chocolate waiting when they got tired of the frosty2 air of the long winter.

Amy watched the boys start to chase each other around the yard just starting to release all the pent up3 energy of a winter spent mostly indoors. With a smile she turned to open the dining room windows， inhaling4 the fresh breeze as it swept through the house taking with it the last vestiges of winter gloom. With the happy sounds of little boys laughing in her ears， Amy picked up her duster and dutifully started to dust around the dining room， lifting knick knacks5， plants， and various other items. Dusting the pictures on the walls and not forgetting to dust the trim around the doors， she started with that and would end with cleaning the tile floors.

There was a lot of spring cleaning to do and today was the first really pretty day of the year and Amy wanted to take full advantage. She， like her boys had some energy to work off. So she dusted， wiped and polished， feeling very proud of herself for doing such a thorough job and knowing she would be very happy with the results.

“Mommy!Eric got a dragonfly. Come and look at it!” Glancing around from the bookshelf she had been rearranging， Amy could see out of the back door that her older son did indeed hold something in his hands. As if the huge triumphant6 smile on his face wasn’t clue enough.

“OK， Mommy sees， be careful and don’t squish7 it!” Amy grinned at her littlest， Todd， and shooed him back outside. “Now go and catch one of your own， honey.”

Todd’s eyes got very big for a moment before he whirled and dashed back outside and began in earnest to hunt for a bug of his very own. As she turned back to the bookshelf， Amy could hear Eric offering sound advice on exactly how to catch a dragonfly to his little brother.

For a brief moment， Amy wished she could be as carefree as her children， with nothing more on their minds than catching bugs and enjoying the bright sunshine of spring. Sitting on the floor， with the job of rearranging books still half finished， Amy couldn’t

resist just watching her boys for a few moments.

Their hair messed up8 from the warm breeze， faces flushed9 from running and laughing in the sun. The grass was coming in green now and the first daffodils had popped their bright heads up in her flowerbeds already. She loved daffodils， tulips and crocus too. Always the first flowers to be seen in spring， their bright colors like so many banners announcing the end of winter and the renewal10 of life that spring signified to11 Amy.

Wandering over to the back door， Amy leaned against the door jamb and looked over the fences to all the trees in the neighborhood and had to smile at the bright green buds popping out12 on all the branches. Birds were singing and Mrs. Witters next door was out with a little spade and her gardening gloves puttering around her own flower beds. Her old face lit up with13 a smile when she saw Amy and she smiled. Amy gave a small wave back and turned again to watch her boys.

Eric heard it first. The first true sign of spring. That one sound that every kid knows. It is guaranteed to send even the smallest child running. The ice cream truck. Before Amy had even registered the sound， Eric had already started running towards her， his blue eyes wide and excited. “Mommy!Mommy!The ice cream truck is coming!Can we get an ice cream please?” His hand tugged on her jeans with a great deal of urgency. Everyone knows if you don’t act fast the ice cream man would be gone.

“Please Mommy!” piped up Todd also.

Amy was wise enough to know that on this day at least she couldn’t hope to win a battle against two pairs of bright blue pleading eyes and such sunny spring smiles.

“Yea， guys， let’s go and catch the ice cream truck. Hurry!” And Amy was off， holding little Todd’s hand as she grabbed her purse and burst out of the front door， she started waving at the truck as excited as any of the neighborhood kids that already lined the street.

The three hurried over to the truck and impatiently waited in line. Eric and Todd were both chattering excitedly about what exactly they were going to get， and each changing their minds at least five times before their turn came. Amy knew exactly what she would get—an ice cream sandwich. It’s what she got every time and she always enjoyed the first one of the season more than any other.

Spring cleaning was long forgotten as Amy， Eric and Todd sat right down in the soft spring grass and enjoyed their first ice cream in the warm sun. Any thoughts of winter were far gone already. The promise of spring had already started to deliver—warm breezes， bright flowers and green grass and the smell of new life in the air.

Grinning at two little ice cream-covered faces， Amy couldn’t suppress the thought， “I love spring