With winter all but gone, my wife and I spent the weekend cleaning up the backyard and letting little Armand Zefram Pogue, otherwise known as Racer-Z, toddle joyfully around the yard and rev up his mini-Mach 5 on the sidewalk. (Wow, did he ever miss getting to scamper around outside!) And in between clearing out branches, planning spring planting and rescuing Armand whenever he got his car stuck in a hole, we got to thinking about possibilities for the future.

Spring is upon us — a time to plan, to think big thoughts and big dreams and see what you can accomplish before the August doldrums set in. We have a few DIY ideas, but we’re also pondering what the good people of The List can offer.

We’ve wanted to install a swingset for Armand for a while now — perhaps a “playground equipment” search is in order? Or a call in to some landscapers — we’ve wanted some nifty stone sidewalk extensions for at least the last few houses, but never quite got to it. All worthy projects, all things we might be able to pull off ourselves. But let’s face it, neither of us are particularly handy, and when you’ve got instant access to The List, sometimes it’s best to just leave it to the professionals.

In the meantime, Katrina and I will sit on the porch in our newly pristine backyard and keep half an eye on the little one as he zooms around. Right up until the point he figures out how to unlatch the gate, anyway. In which case we have an entirely new set of jobs to consider!