Spring is here...and so are all the really fun spring yard projects. Raking leaves doesn't have to be a hard and boring chore. It can be an opportunity to have family fun by raking the leaves into big piles and watching the children jump joyfully into them before bundling up the leaves for disposal. It can also be a chance to add some photographs to the family collection. Consider these scenarios:

Now what about all those flowers we talked about planting while we were sitting comfortably in our warm living room during the winter? Let's get out and plant them and let's all vote on where they should go. Majority rules. Kids can outvote parents if there are more of them. And isn't it about time that Harold Jr. learned to operate the power lawn mower? He's only 14 but he's strong and he will have fun relieving Dad of the necessity to mow the lawn all the time. Let Dad relax with Mom, share some ice-cold lemonade, and watch Harold Jr. mow the lawn.

Crazy idea - what about inventing new projects? Maybe we need a bird feeder. Shopping for an attractive, colorful bird feeder can be fun. Figuring out where it should go, installing it, stocking it with birdseed, and then watching the birds come to eat will be even more fun. We can turn our yard projects into family fun projects if we use our imaginations and work together as a team.