You said what?

"Hey Mom I'm getting high!"

Little Buddy yells to me from the other room as he is climbing the ladder I left out from painting.

Badger Boy to D-"You used to play basketball?"

"Did you play for the NFL?"

Guess we need to brush up on our sports knowledge.

Me: "Wash your ears"

LB: "I can't!!" sounding a little worried

Me: "Why not?"

LB: "I don't know if I should use soap or shampoo!"

We gave the washing machine box to the kids to play in.

While they were playing spaceship in it I hear one of them fart very loudly.

Then I hear laughter and LB says: "You know astronauts fart too"

Me: "It's almost 8 get ready for bed."

LB: "Is that am or pm"

No Child left on their behind

Our public schools got the most wonderful idea this year,

"Hey lets see if we can give parents more work to do...maybe give kindergartners pedometers and have their parents keep track of their daily steps...that's not enough, hmmm lets charge them $7 if their 5 year old loses the pedometer."

"It's April and those suckers have been keeping track of those dreadful step counters, let's give them another fun activity"

"Hmmm let's offer the kids "A Grand Prize" if they walk to school"

"Yeah, then those slob parents will have to get off their butts and walk their 5 year old to school"

Just for the record Little Buddy and I walked and Badger Boy rode his bike. It isn't a bad walk, all of about 15 blocks. I've walked it many times in the 6 years we have lived here and the kids have been in that school. The kids walk or ride their bikes to and from school once they are old enough.

The problem I see is that the children (and parents) I saw walking are the same parents I see every other day doing the same thing. Did I see any of the heavier kids walking? No, I did not. What are we teaching the kids if walking to school 1 day out of the school year earns you a prize? I guess it wasn't worth it to most of them whose parents were dropping them off. The school did set up a walking route for those who rode the bus to earn the prize. It consisted of walking around the school, 4 blocks!

The school has all but taken away recess. My 5th grader gets 1 recess a day and PE a couple times a week. In jr. high they have PE for 1 semester, the other is spent vegging out? So you know what I say "Practice what you preach" if the school wants children to be more active then they should offer more times during the 8 hour day to do so. Healthy lifestyles should be a journey not a destination.

Its amazing what can be accomplished in a day

The weather was beautiful yesterday so we tackled the huge project of removing the vine and brush that had swallowed up our fence and flower bed. I forgot to take a "before" shot but here's a "during" shot. About 25 feet of the fence, the tree and the flower bed was totally overgrown. The vine/bush was like one messy carpet, which made it tough to remove. It took us over 4 hours to pull out all of the vines and we even had the kids helping.

After the viney mess was removed we tilled up the area. We still need to fill the boxes, lay landscape fabric and rocks between the boxes, and install landscape timber. We will also have plenty of work ahead when we start planting. I also did a little work in the shade gardens. I added a few columbine, day lily, and bleeding hearts.

Garden plans

I have been very busy working in the shade garden, digging up and transplanting all the hostas from the front yard. I was able to take what was 7 very large hostas and divide then into over 45 smaller plants. My husband and I also spent one day hauling away all the yard debris and edging the sidewalks.

This weekend Bryan will be putting in 4 raised vegetable gardens. The kids are very excited to help and harvest. My strange children love garden fresh veggies, I'm not sure where they got that from.

We plan to plant tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, sunflowers, corn, and the kids will have their own strawberry patch. I am extremely allergic to strawberry plants, so they will be responsible for taking care of that garden. I will also have some marigolds, cosmos, and lavender added in for color.

I had fun playing with Better Homes and Gardens' garden planning software. Although it only allows you to add a few garden structures and a handful of flowers are listed it is fun to play with.

Garden Path- extended

My daughter, The Boss, and I finished up the garden path before I left for the conference, which was wonderful. I still need to get more rocks to edge the path with but for now it is finished.

Seriously who breaks their arm sanding a door?

Yep you read that right, sanding this door ended with a trip to the Urgent Care Center and a pretty red splint.

(I had plans to paint this door to match the rest of the trim)

This weekend was beautiful so I decided to do some of the dirty work outside. I sanded this door that we picked up at the Antique Salvage and began sawing the trim for the front entryway.(the grain is so pretty that I am rethinking the paint and I may stain it to match the stairs)

I left the door propped up against the railing which turns out to be a really stupid decision. As I was cutting the trim a gust of wind blew the door over and it landed on my arm. It hurt like the dickens but after a little ice and ibuprofen I finished cutting and installing the trim.

(here is the trim work, this will continue up the stairs)

It really only hurt a little but it did bruise and swell up. I figured it wasn't to serious if I was able to use my hand. The next morning I couldn't move my wrist and my fingers were tingly so I made a trip to the Urgent Care. Sure enough I had cracked the bone in my forearm. I have a pretty splint that I get to wear for 10 days and hopefully I will be all better.

I am leaving for a weekend photography conference and luckily I can still hold my camera, so after a little relaxation and fun I should be back to working on the entryway next week.

I blinked

Everyone tells you to enjoy your children because in a blink of an eye they will be grown.

Well I blinked.

My oldest child, my baby, the tiny little girl who made me a mom is SEVENTEEN! How did it happen? Where did the years go? From the time she was born and we were told she would never walk, that she would endure many surgeries and struggles she has thrown life a curve ball. She is AMAZING...amazingly beautiful, amazingly smart, an amazing cook, and some times an amazing pain in the butt! We love her for everything she is.

Progress in the shade garden

I had already put in the path, but it was difficult to walk on the rocks so yesterday I decided to add the stepping stones and smaller pea gravel. It looks much better and for only $35 it makes a huge improvement to the shade garden. Now I am just waiting to see the rest of the plants come up so that I can begin filling in the bare spots.

I am also using a little child labor to get the fence painted.