The week that will be

Previous to living in our small town, signs of Spring included: robin sightings, the first snow-melt revealing the location of lost toys and garden implements, crocuses poking through the grass and that wonderful earthy smell in my children's hair. Now that I have been resident in the Bay for a little over three months, I have become aware of a previously unknown yet vital portion of the season of rebirth: the first few weeks of March equal "Get-your-ice-shack-off-the-Bay-before-it-sinks-real-fast" season. I have noticed that there are some who haul their fishing abodes off the melting lake at the first sign of coming warmth. However, there are those who, in my humble opinion, are really pushing their luck. I imagine that one's approach to the removal of one's ice shack is somehow indicative of one's approach to life. If Dave and I had an ice shack I am really not sure if it would still be on the water or not...
On to other subjects.
It is March Break here and that means that everyone is home. Dave and the three oldest have been busy helping Grandpa Mike set up the sugar bush for maple syrup production while I have been rushing around arranging a two week period in which we will have made 4 round trips to the big city (2.5 hours each way). The first two trips were for the collection and deposit of my mother at the airport (entirely worth the sacrifice). The last two trips are relating to Jacob and his poor, beleaguered eye. Jacob first had cataract surgery at the age of 17 months. Long story. Short story: he has a lazy eye that is being corrected on the 23rd of March. Thus, we have two pre-op appointments tomorrow, and surgery and a post-operative appointment next Monday and Tuesday. I have no idea what a pre-op appointment one week prior to surgery could be for as his last pre-op was to check his vitals, overall health and wellbeing one day before surgery. Such an appointment a week before surgery doesn't make much sense to me since (using our family as a case history) a cold or flu can hit much faster than one week before surgery. Our eye doctor also told us that his time of surgery can change up to the last minute. "Therefore," he asked us, "Please keep a cell phone on at all times the day before as I will probably call you. Most likely in the morning."
"But wait," said I, "The day before is Sunday and we will be at Mass."
Husband gently kicks wife under doctor's table. "The cell will be on," he responds with efficiency. Wife realises she often lives in a different world than most people.
Soooo, say a prayer for us and enjoy the week. Despite the running around, we have lots of good friends to spend time with and we are looking forward to having Daddy home, the family together, the snow melting, the sap running and Easter ever approaching.