Daffodils

"Let all thy joys be as the month of May."
Francis Quarles

 Daffodils, as my mom once put "are the bright and beautiful blessing of springtime," and there's no better way to welcome spring than to celebrate the return of these cheery yellow flowers. 

Therefore, one of my mom's "units" as she calls them (or themed activities) is DAFFODILS, which means that every spring we spend a few days talking about, singing about, reading about and keeping an eye out for these yellow blooming buds.   

To celebrate Daffodils: 

LEARN THE FAMOUS POEM DAFFODILS 

BY WILLIAM WORDSWORTH

I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine

And twinkle on the milky way,

They stretched in never-ending line

Along the margin of a bay:

Ten thousand saw I at a glance,

Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they

Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:

A poet could not but be gay,

In such a jocund company:

I gazed--and gazed--but little thought

What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood,

They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude;

And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the daffodils. 

William Wordsworth

I'll never forget the incredible year that I got to visit Lake District in England- a gorgeous slice of countryside where Beatrix Potter (author of the Peter Rabbit tales) lived. Today you can still see her cottage nestled there in the rolling green hills.  Lake District also happens to be the place where Wordsworth penned the poem Daffodils. I was so grateful for a mother who taught me the words to this poem when I was little, so that years later when my own eyes beheld the famed fields that inspired the words of this poem, I could share for a moment in Wordsworth's poetic wonderment, as upon the sight of those golden blooms my heart also "with pleasure fill[ed] and danced... with the daffodils." 

READ THE DAFFODIL PRINCIPLE 
by JAROLDEEN ASPLUND EDWARDS

This is an incredibly moving story that serves as a powerful reminder to not procrastinate - for every small action we make towards a worthy goal will in time accumulate into marvelous results.  

"[It] is one of the greatest principles of celebration. That is ... when we multiply tiny pieces of time with small increments of daily effort, we too will find we can accomplish magnificent things. We can change the world."

- from the Daffodil Principle

This story has been made into a book (pictured above) with beautiful illustrations. However, you can find the text of this short (and true) story very easily with a simple google search. Many sites have posted a copy of it. 

MAKE CUPS O' DIRT

(Try my all-natural version!)

These were something we'd make to help celebrate spring, and were one of my favorite treats growing up. There's just something about Oreo cookies and chocolate pudding that I find irresistible. But I wanted to come up with a healthier, natural version of this childhood classic since I try to feed my little guy foods free of artificial and processed ingredients. 

This is what I came up with:

For the pudding I folded 1 cup vanilla greek yogurt with 1 tbsp cocoa powder and 2 tbsp natural peanut butter with a spatula until combined. You can adjust these measurements to your liking. (Dish into a small clear plastic or glass cup).

Then, instead of Oreos I used Back to Nature Fudge Mint Cookies (all-natural Thin Mint-like cookies). I used a blender to break about 5 cookies into course crumbs. (Spoon some onto top of pudding).

Then, instead of sugar and artificial dye filled gummy worms, I used mint leaves to make the dirt cup look like a sprouting plant. (Just insert one sprig of mint leaves into top of pudding mixture.)

(There are also companies that make natural gummy worms like naturalcandystore.com if you're interested.)

SING ITS SPRING AGAIN! 

by JANEEN BRADY

"...Later on while playing in the yard, guess what I found? A cheery yellow daffodil had popped up through the ground! The crocuses and tulips were alive as they could be. Its spring, spring spring again! The flowers were telling me!"

GO SEE DAFFODILS

You might be surprised how many places boast beautiful daffodil blooms each spring. Some hometowns, like my own, have public gardens where you can view them or if not, someone's yard (even your own!) may have lots of daffodils. Go on a walk or a drive to spot daffodils! See if you can notice the different kinds. Did you know that there are more than five different types?!

Each spring my family likes to go to Red Butte Garden where they have an incredible sea of yellow daffodils. The sight is truly breathtaking and it is a quiet and beautiful place to roam garden paths and walking trails or to simply sit a while and enjoy the scents, sights and sounds of spring. I particularly love this garden because its where I had my wedding reception!

These are pictures I took during our visit to see the daffodils this year:

If you live near Salt Lake City, this is a must each spring!

 I appreciate my mom's daffodil tradition because it encourages me to take a moment to really recognize this beautiful change in season, to see the beauty in new beginnings, and to always remember in life that when the storms of winter pass . . . spring will come.

Thanks to her, 

again and again each May

"my heart with pleasure fills,
 And dances with the daffodils."