The month of March very decidedly blew onto the calendar with strong winds and dipping temperatures. Don’t let the lingering winter weather keep you and your loved ones from making warm memories to cherish. Celebrate each day as a gift and welcome spring into your home this month, whether or not the thermometer matches the calendar. Try a few of these honest-to-goodness, real celebrations or make up a few of your own.  
      National Frozen Food Month – I’m beginning to think we don’t actually need freezers to celebrate this holiday here in the deep south – at least not this winter. Use some of the items from the frozen food shelves to make a delicious smoothie drink. Let each person in the family choose his or her favorite fruit to specialize each drink. Then combine these ingredients in a blender: 3 cups of sherbet (choose one that suits your fruit), 1 cup of frozen vanilla yogurt, one-and-a-half cups milk, one-half cup pineapple juice, and one cup of pureed frozen fruit. Blend well and serve. Each recipe makes between 4 or 5 glasses.
      Middle Name Pride Day – Here’s a day to celebrate that seldom-used name, the middle name. Talk about how each person in the family received his or her middle name, and make plans to call each other by that moniker all day today.
      World Turtle Day – Watch an episode of Franklin the turtle or read some of his books or explore pictures of sea turtles on the Internet. Then make a turtle craft using a cardboard bowl for the shell and a paper plate for the body. Glue or staple the bowl to the plate, then let your little one color both. Trace your child’s shoe onto green construction paper to use for a pattern. Cut out five shoe-shapes; glue them into place for the four legs and head. Add eyes and toes. (Snack on chocolate turtles while working!)
      Family Fun Month – Make it an entire month of fun activities for the family. Let each person write fun, family activities on slips of paper. Drop the slips into a basket and pull one out often during the month to do as a family. Include things like play a board game, cards or pick-up sticks; cook a favorite dessert; color pictures; work on puzzles; look at photo albums; go for a bike ride; go to the park; rent an old movie. Create lasting family memories for the whole month.
      National Wildlife Week – Take a long family walk in search of God’s amazing creatures. Turn it into a photo scavenger hunt with your digital camera to see how many critters you can find on your walk. Look high and low for flying, creeping, or crawling animals. Look for birds – see if you can spot one building a nest to prepare for spring. Hunt squirrels running through the tree-tops. Watch for dogs and cats, rabbits and deer. Then, get down on the ground and look for tiny 6-legged and 8-legged creatures. 
     Enjoy the breezes of March – lion-like or lamb-like. Grab a kite, pinwheel, or parachute toys and have fun with the wind. Or, sit in the grass and watch the trees dance for you on an especially windy day. Don’t let March blow by without making incredible family memories. See you next month! 

     Statesboro native Julie Bland Lavender celebrates with husband David and children Jeremy, Jenifer, Jeb Daniel, and Jessica.