This season feels like the beginning of everything.

Spring has that effect, with its new sunlight, baby animals and bright tulips that pop up all of a sudden. 

We're in the countdown for school ending at this point; it always feels like a downhill slide into summer after Spring Break. 

At my house, it is the season of all busy things, with four children and a husband who is a teacher. Tonight, we have a school play where my middle son is dressed as a fish, tomorrow is our set-up for Kids Fest and this Saturday, April 6, is the event, that annual family festival we organize at MetroFamily each year that is huge and amazing to watch come together. Life after Kids Fest will be all about spring cleaning and just shifting around to this new beautiful season. 

Here are four other items on my calendar that other families are probably trying to figure out right now too:

Easter: It's coming so late this year but there are so many festivities, including egg hunts and bunny photo opportunities for it. All things Easter are listed here. You can find a local celebration from now until April 21 for pretty much every day you have that has something to do with Easter.

Summer camps: Have you enrolled for summer camps yet? I hear that question posed around the halls of our preschool and elementary school and middle school right now. I've gotten my kids into a couple: First United Methodist because we love it there and a week is only $80 and also Edmond Mobile Meals' Little Chefs camp. That one is really important because the cost of the camp goes to support outreach in our community, the work that the organization does with providing food to the elderly who can sometimes feel invisible as they face hunger in our community. This is Sam's third year there and his Family and Consumer Science class (aka home ec for his generation) is easier because he's already somewhat familiar with basic cooking skills thanks to those classes. I would still like to enroll for a couple of classes for my soon-to-be second grader, who loves nature. There's a camp for practically every interest around now. Find them all here in MetroFamily's Summer Camps Guide.

Doctor's appointments: I have put off eye exams for a couple of years now and it's evident we need them. My oldest is being seated up front in all his classes because he can't see the Smartboard. Sam also has to get a tetanus booster to complete his seventh grade enrollment. If you need to find a doctor, check out our Family Favorites directory. The campaign for nominating all the best in local services, including schools and doctors and even restaurants and neighborhoods, is going on until April 15, so if you have some suggestions to share, write them in as nominations. I like that guide as a parent because really outstanding practitioners and businesses and just family things to know about float to the top since our readers are the people writing in and then voting on the candidates. If you nominate in at least 15 subcategories before April 15, you're also entered to win a weekend getaway to the Gaylord Texan!

Swimming lessons: I would have preferred to get swimming lessons out of the way during the winter but we've been really busy this year. I am looking for a place to enroll this summer that makes sense for our family. It'd be ideal if more than one child could be in the water at the same time so I'm not chasing more than one in the waiting area since my youngest is about to take his first steps anytime now and is already a super fast crawler. Check out MetroFamily's Guide to Swimming Lessons here. Aqua-Tots and Goldfish Swim School are giving away lessons as a door prize at Kids Fest!

If you want to come to Kids Fest this Saturday, it's not too late to get your tickets, which is how you register for door prizes. We're also giving away a weekend stay at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas as the grand prize, so that's another reason to attend. The forecast calls for thunderstorms with rain bursts throughout the day, so it's perfect for an afternoon of indoor fun. 

I hope this spring is renewing and really brings about a new phase of life for my family as well as yours after a long winter. If there's something you need that we're not covering at MetroFamily, write to us and we'll see what we can do to bring the best in all things local to you. In the meantime, stop and see the tulips! They're everywhere right now, with the promise of a happy spring and summer to follow.