Seed Draft

I'm working hard to build the garden of my dreams. With forty-plus varieties of seeds to manage, I'm also working hard to convince the kids that helping me just might be a bit more fun than they think.

My first attempt to get them excited was staging our first 'seed draft'. Inspired by the NFL draft my guys are glued to every year, we laid out all the packets, discussed them a bit and took turns. Each child was allowed to choose as many as they wanted with the understanding the care of the plants, once outdoors, was theirs.

So far, their enthusiasm for this project is representative of their individual personalities:

• S wants to be in charge of being a complete goofball. He choose thyme (and almost all the other herbs 'because they're easy, right?') and proceeded to keep me laughing all day -- 'Mom, I'm running out of thyme!!' while pretending to pour out all the seeds. 'Oh no!! I've lost track of thyme!!' while frantically searching for the seed packet. To be fair, though, when it comes to the actual work, he is efficient, strong and a wonderful problem-solver.
• E wants to take it completely seriously and expects a earth-shatteringly perfect outcome about which she can be oh-so-nonchalant. As I built the beds outside, she drew a casual schematic of the garden. 'Casual' because she said, 'It's not very good but is it okay?' In reality, the drawing has measurements, accurately-placed landmarks as well as notes about which beds are whose...you know, to ensure that, months from now, her success is duly noted. Most afternoons, Emma's job often entails calming the dogs who want to run through/lounge in whatever workspace we're currently in.
• T, of course, wants to want to garden but really she just wants to alternately watch TV and complete her self-imposed mission of reading all the Harry Potter books in five months. When we drag her away from the books, though, she works hard and remembers the tiniest of details to tell about and ponder over supper. I can already tell her duties will include updating any remotely interested party in the minutia of our garden. (Maybe she should blog!)

Snow!

A few inches of snow fell yesterday. We don't normally get this much this early in the season but I'll take it and the two days out of school! I hate to say it but I hope they go back after tomorrow so I can finish my shopping... :) 

Anyway, we had fun playing outside and I snapped a pic of the addition side of the house. The section left of the chimney is new.

Just For Laughs

I recently visited with one of my cousins and his family. They told us about this comedian who is so funny!

Learn how to avoid such everyday hazards as dirt naps, crashing into a pier and those dreaded upper thigh fishing injuries.

Hope you enjoy this as much as we did!

A Day In The Life, Vol 1

Today finds me with my 14 and 12 year-olds in a house that could use some serious post-vacation straightening. After trying music and humor to get them moving, I summoned my most authoritative 'boss' voice. I told them they were 'hired!' for the day and they had five minutes to get dressed, brush their teeth and hair and report to work.

They had all kinds of questions....

• What?! Oh no! Why!? Ack! That's not fair!! As your very wise father has told you since birth, life's not fair. For anyone. Get over it. Move on.
• What if we don't want to work? You don't eat.
• What if we are late? You get fired.
• What if we don't show up? You get fired.
• What happens if we get fired? You are hired back at a lower rate of pay.
• What if my zipper is stuck? You get fined for indecent exposure.
• What if my co-worker puts stickers in my hair? People will point and laugh. 
• What if my co-worker won't get out of the bathroom? There a port-a-john outside. Hardly used.
• But I'm almost done with my book! That's what lunch breaks are for.

Later....

Lunch break has rolled around. The house is starting to look great! And the kids are in good moods. Which may or may explain why my son has decided to speak eliminating all vowels from words. The afternoon should be FUN!!


More to follow...

It's now 2 pm. They are finished! Of course, I'm not but they accomplished more than I thought they would. Woo-hoo!

I must share that when it came time to carry trash and giveaway stuff downstairs, E wrinkled her nose at the trash part. I asked if she thought she was too good to carry garbage. Her reply was this, "Well, I am wearing purple, the color of royalty."

A little stank eye took care of that. After all, she may be my princess, but royalty we are not.

Artsy Girl

My girls love to paint. The last time E mentioned she couldn't think of a gift to make for someone, I asked her to paint a bin for my pantry. I was just thinking of a couple of pretty colors in a striped pattern, but this is what she came up with. It's certainly much better than I could have done!

Hillbilly Teeth

Last week, I found the cutest kids' snack idea here. Today was our turn to take snack for T's Girl Scout meeting so I made these. The girls loved them!

Wish I had a better photo. I was a bit sloppy with the peanut butter as twelve girls were clamoring for more all at once. :)