Once in a lifetime?

I did something today that I hope not to ever do again. On a day when my kid had a two hour delayed start at school (because of the eight or so inches of snow we got yesterday and this morning), I planted parsnips outside in my garden. How many people plant veggie seeds outside on days when the school district has a snow delay? Is this normal? It doesn't really seem normal. Welcome to Colorado gardening. Not to mention the fact that I'm not sure I know anyone else who even eats parsnips. Somehow, parsnips have been a welcomed addition to my family's veggie assortment. For those who are not familiar with parsnips, they resemble carrots in size and shape, although they're a bit wider at the top. And they're white or off white. And they have a different flavor. They're great cut up and roasted with carrots, whole garlic cloves, brussel sprouts, olive oil and lots of salt and pepper. My kids avoid the sprouts but eat the rest.

So, after today's planting, here's what I've got in the ground:

Heirloom salad blend
White Lisbon bunching onion
Red burgundy onion
Certified organic monnopa spinach
Ruby lettuce
Hollow crown parsnip
Certified organic Amish snap pea
Strawberries (they're a perennial so I didn't have to re-plant them this year)

According to the seed packets, all but the Ruby lettuce could have gone in the ground a week and a half ago. A week and a half ago I was still concentrating on skiing, so I didn't have the yard ready for planting. Tomorrow I'm planning to get the carrot seeds in the ground and then I think I'm free until May 24th when I can put in the pumpkins, melon, fennel, cucumbers, and zucchini. It's going to be difficult for me not to start those earlier out of pure excitement about summer. But I think they're all supposed to go in after the last frost which is typically around May 15th...or so they say. I do remember camping in snow one Memorial Day. Hopefully not this year!