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Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Kinda like a green thumb


But, mostly it's brown.

I'm not sure why I can't get into the gardening thing this year.

I usually love to garden.

It's rewarding, it's peaceful and relaxing, and it's a great work out all at once.

At least it used to be.

These days it's not proving to be so rewarding because everything keeps dying.

I've never been able to grow more than one pepper (and it wasn't even hot) in my garden.

Nor have I had success with anything else edible, so I've given up on that. Think it's something to do with the soil, but too lazy to really find out.

This was the first year I saw any action from the bulbs I planted two and a half years ago. It's been so long, I can't even remember what they are. Maybe you can help?


But, my flowering bushes, my lilacs, and my annuals, have always more than made up for the lackluster performance most of my other plantings have shown.

But, this year, even they have been giving me grief.

Partly, because I have been slow in planting them.

So, I decided to dedicate a morning to filling my flower boxes and maybe laying some down in the bed alongside the house. You know, 'cause I could use a little sense of accomplishment around here.

And, I thought that maybe #3 would like to help out. Well, his version of help which would be throwing dirt all over the porch.

Sounded kinda fun when I hatched this premature brain child.

Basically, he showed me that not only is gardening no longer rewarding, it is also not peaceful or relaxing.

He stomped on two of my marigolds.


He poured the watering can all over the porch (and, yes, I slipped in it).

He threw dirt all over the porch, and the table, and the chairs, and the walls, and me, and himself.


He tried to actually consume a mud pie. And when I tried to stop him, he did the stuff and run technique for which he is famous.


And, to top it all off. He decided to drop a dewey in the midst of it all so that I had to stop, track dirt into the house, and change his diaper.

But, on the bright side. He learned how to say flower (pronounced frower), he said "teese" (aka cheese) for every one of the pictures I shot, and I got an even better workout than I had initially anticipated.

Sadly, however, the day that started like this...


Ended like this...


Because mommy couldn't take it anymore and had to put him in the house to watch (and when I say watch I mean scream and kick the door) while I cleaned up.

Hopefully we have both learned a valuable lesson: Gardening is to be done during nap time.

18 comments:

Lisa@saltandlightstudio said...

As moping the floor. FYI.

Amanda @ Serenity Now said...

Boy do I know how you feel! He sure is cute though. ;) Thanks for visiting my site. I will probably end up running, b/c I am scared of my sister.

Unknown said...

He and my youngest would get along great! I call her the tornado and she always seems to have a dirty diaper at the most inopportune times, and then holler at the top of her lungs, "Mommy, I tink" and continue to do so until you change her.

MIITB said...

You're posts always crack me up!

I have a One Lovely Blog award for you at my site if you would like to check it out, just for being so awesome. I wish it came with a gardner or a maid, but it's just a pic:)

Adriana said...

I have never been able to grow anything. This year my daughter brought home a tomato plant from the green house they took a field trip to. We planted it and so far so good. Keeping my fingers crossed that we can both grow something this year. Thanks for stopping by.

Dumb Mom said...

Thanks for the love IP:)

Claudya Martinez said...

My husband said he might be able to identify the plant if you take a picture of the leaves.

I'd also love your son's mud pie recipe.

KatBouska said...

Annnnd maybe I WON'T attempt gardening with the kids this year. Thanks for that.

And yay for you and your hater...you've made it kid. You really made it. ;)

Claremont First Ward said...

I've got a brown thumb. I can't plant anything and keep it alive to save my life. I don't enjoy gardening much either b/c it's always so DIRTY with the kids tracking it all over the house. :)

I can't wait to meet you at SITScation. I just read your comment on Mama Kat's blog and I'm still LAUGHING (crack pipe).

ck said...

LOVE his hair. And scream. My daughter would do exactly the same thing. She loves eating dirt. We're so proud...

joanofalltrades said...

LOL! God made dirt and dirt don't hurt! Those flowers are pretty but I have no idea what they are. Most living things die under my care (except for people of course).

Unknown said...

Thanks for stopping by my blog, and for the compliment on the header - April from April Showers Blog Design did the whole thing for me. YOUR header is so stinkin' cute! :) That's awesome you're going to SITScation! So, tell me about this sponsor thing - are you looking for corporate sponsors? Just wondering how that all works. :)

Jo Anna Guerra said...

If those frowers stay half as cute as those kids, you've got a greener thumb than Martha (the man) Stewart, honey! Gorgeous curly hair and chubby cheeks making me all warm and fuzzy and wanting to climb through monitor to squeeze and smooch!!! But I won't. Because that would be wrong.

Alyson said...

Ah...the stuff and run! Can't say I miss it!

Coco said...

Aww! Funny post! When I planted our garden, I started with Maison helping, but it soon became obvious that if I was going to get the garden planted I would need to occupy her doing something else. I gave her part of the garden to do with whatever she wanted and that seemed to do the trick. She's a bit older than your #3 so I'm not sure if that would have worked in your case. Good luck with the flowers and thanks for the comment on my blog!

A Psych Mommy said...

Maybe that's why I never get to garden--because my son sucks at napping!

Rae Ann said...

For me, it is ALL mom-type pursuits that have to be done during nap time! Maybe some day I will get my garden planted!

Anonymous said...

You have to give up those dreams of grandeur.

Giving away two copies of the movie Extract starring Jason Bateman and Ben Affleck. Contest ends 4/2/10.
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