My gardening I mean - might not be exciting for you. But for me - it is so exciting. Besides, my older kids are all telling me I have officially fallen into the "empty nester" phase of life, despite having 2 children still living at home. I guess I might as well prove them right. The best part of getting old, besides seeing your kids build lives and be successful, is grandparenting. These girls are so much fun for us, and I can't wait til there is a whole, entire yard full of them! Grandkids are the best reward for the insanity of raising children. Seriously, how fun is it to get to do all the fun stuff, help out when needed, plan things with children that you want to do, and then at the end of the day, you aren't really responsible for them or their expenses? IT IS AMAZING!
These are my absolute favorite flower. Gaillardia. Which I am sure I am butchering the spelling on. They grow wild in places, and my mom seems to be able to get them to grow in sidewalk cracks, and the middle of her yard. I have struggled. Last year, I finally had one that took off. It spread. It looked amazing all summer. And then, winter. They are supposed to come back. I followed all the directions my mother gave me. I didn't see any sign of it. So I bought 2 more at the plant sale. As I was planting them last night, I realized the one from last year is INDEED coming back! There is green on the underside of it. Seriously, I was jumping for joy when I saw it! I still planted the new ones. Someday, I will have an entire, beautifully full, amazingly beautiful end of the driveway zone!
I also bought these pink things at the plant sale. Do I know the name of them? Nope! But they are my absolute favorite color. And they said perennial on the tag, which is what I am buying for the area I wanted to put them. Seriously, aren't they pretty? My plan - tear out the mums I planted last year in the fall, and put them in the holes. Except, when I started to tear out the old dead mums, I realized they too, are coming back! Yesterday was an exciting day! New holes for the pink beauties, dead stuff trimmed back off the old mums so these new ones will hopefully thrive!
All three of my clearance sale knock out roses came back as well. If you drive by, and see my dancing around, I am just excited, not having a seizure. All is good!
Jim helped me get the tiller run over the garden again (man the weeds came up fast) and I managed to plant the tomatoes and peppers that I also bought at the plant sale last week. I need a few more to finish my rows, but I am feeling good about getting them in the ground ahead of the rain that is supposed to be coming in today. I have always loved to garden, but this year, I am starting to think it is not just a hobby, but something that may be needed for getting around the grocery prices and shortages that are predicted. I am taking it a little more seriously than I have before.
After all the gardening, Maude was exhausted. And dirty. She got a bath! She hates bath time. She cries like a true baby! I picked up a bell at the garage sale this weekend. I am going to try getting her to ring the bell to tell me she wants to go outside. Maybe that will help with the potty training. I have heard it works. She is adorable and sweet. I just love her!
Time is really flying by. I can't believe April is over! I can tell we have entered the end of the school year, even if I didn't have a calendar to tell me the date. How? Because it is officially "spend 100 bucks before you even leave the house" time. I need money for a field trip, a yearbook, class snack day, and a whole myriad of whatever the heck else they can think to do to kill off a few days before summer break. Happens every year. After 24 years of having kids in school, you'd think I would know to have a little money set aside for May!!
