Spring is ... nowhere to be seen

The last couple days have been tauntingly sunny.  I bundled the girls up and took them to the playground on Thursday, where they swung happily while I faced the sun and soaked up months' worth of Vitamin D despite the 20-ish degree weather. 

Thursday was March 8, or International Women's Day.  The Russians really like this holiday.  There were signs all over the city reminding people of it.  Jeremy took advantage of one of the impromptu flower stands that sprung up outside the metro (in a city already overrun with flower stands, I might add) just for the occasion and brought home these:

They are currently in the windowsill of our office/spare room/sewing room.  I am not sure how long I will be able to keep them alive, but for now they are making the room smell amazing.

And I guess the ducks swimming on the no-longer frozen river is actually proof that spring is on its way ...

but the two feet of snow outside our back doors beg to differ.