Tuesday, April 20, 2010

the urge to grow things

Every spring it comes. This need to plant something in the ground and watch it grow.

The only problem? Our yard is full of big trees, which shade the entire backyard. (Which isn’t a problem during the summer, when the kids are playing outside in the shade!)

But it does create a problem when it comes to growing things.

I’ve used little pots that I have to drag all over the yard to catch an hour of sun here or there. Ask me how that worked. (Yeah. Not so much.)

So when I saw in our Park District guide earlier this year that you could rent a community garden plot not too far from our house, I jumped on it.

The preschooler and I went on the designated day and carefully selected a spot near the water spigot. On Saturday, they opened the plots up.

And, OH MY GOODNESS, the dirt! It’s wonderful.

The kids are jazzed about planting a vegetable garden. (With a few flowers thrown in for good measure.)

We’ll see how excited they are in August on Day 98 of Going to Water the Garden Plot.

But for now? We’re enjoying the dirt.

Monday, April 12, 2010

clearance

Do you shop the clearance sales?

After each holiday, I try to stop by Target and Walgreen's and hit their clearance aisles. Easter is always a good one. I buy easter egg coloring kits, plastic eggs, easter grass, and age-appropriate easter toys, if I can find them. Last week, I was able to buy my easter egg coloring kits for next year for 13 cents.

I just tuck them away into my "easter box," and happily pull them out next year, knowing I only spent a few dollars on all this stuff.

I also buy easter candy, if they have any that would be good for baking with. M & Ms for a dollar a bag make great cookies. (And nobody's ever complained about pink and purple M & M cookies in June or July.)

Thursday, April 1, 2010

man versus...park?

You know your kids watch too much "Man versus Wild" when you lock yourself out of your car and they immediately start looking for crickets and firewood.

I locked my keys in the van at the park, and you would have thought we were stranded in the middle of nowhere.

"So, we have one granola bar and no keys," B. said. Quickly adding, "I call it!"

He's got a sense of humor, that boy.

The noisy boys got right to work searching for crickets to make the cricket stew. When Llama Papa showed up to rescue us, the preschooler ran into his arms and said, "YOU SAVED US!"

From the doom of a suburban park.

And cricket stew.


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