It’s not ‘just’ a song

This morning I heard Melody singing something weird and I discouraged it.

What did you just say?

She could tell I didn’t like it and gave me her ‘coy’ face, which at the moment meant,  I can tell you didn’t like that, but I thought it was cool.

“It’s only a song,” she said, trying to put me off.  I felt a tightness in my chest.  Maybe words are too important to me.  I don’t know.  But I couldn’t stand to hear that.

Without a pause I told her very seriously, “But songs are words, and words are choices, and we want to make good choices.”

Don’t know if it meant anything to her, but, as it usually does, saying what I meant just at the time I wanted to comforted me.

The Garden is In

Well, I guess I have to admit I’m impulsive.

This is the second big project in a week I’ve dived (doven? divved?) into.

But, hey, it was done in an afternoon, and all that’s really left is watering and keeping the kids out f it.

It’s about 4 x 15 feet (click on the pictures to see what’s planted where) and I think it’s my first “real” garden, if I may define that as variety with planning.

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The poppies and irises all came from seeds I picked at my parents’ old house years ago.  They’re established and have come back year after year.  Which, considering the way I abused them all today, I’m glad.

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I’ve tried to keep all the perennials in front or to the left of the window, since Jay’s long-term plan is to build an arctic entryway out to the edge of the window, and planning now will save me transplanting later.

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There is that little tree there that will have to be moved eventually, but it was so bitty and cute when we found it I enjoyed having it by the porch.  We’ll just wait for now and watch how fast it grows.

Natasha liked the idea of having all the “cooking plants” (the herbs) right at the front near the door.  The basil was sort of a fun find– there was a whole snarl of them bunched in a little 2″ pot, and I was able to separate them with little difficulty.  No telling how many of them will grow to the projected 18″, but they all are perky at present, which is more than I expected.

I had some wire fencing from Grandma’s garden, so I bordered the plot with that, hoping the plants will survive long enough to produce (I tried to put everything enticing to little fingers out of reach).

So there you are.  I turned the whole plot this morning (being careful of the established flowers) took the kids to pick out a handful of plants and seeds, then planted them all before Jay got home.

Of course, dinner wasn’t ready, and the mound of dirty laundry still sits and calls for sorting, but I feel a high measure of accomplishment.

I can’t remember ever thinking before how pretty clean, blank earth (i.e. sans weeds) looks.

First Sunburn of the Season

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We spent the morning at the Ewigs, and the kids had a ball, playing in the sand, riding in the canoe and generally enjoying being outside– without sunscreen.

I’m surprised Elisha shows as much color as he does, since he was the only id who brought a hat (his sister’s sunbonnet) and wore it much of the time.

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This trip was also the first time he didn’t race to my side every five minutes, coming on the heels of his second sunday in a row of going to his own “class” for sunday school.

This has been a long time coming.

In other news, Natasha is loving her bike with training wheels.  Last year she tried really hard but it was still too big for her.  I think she’s ready for a real ride now.  Haven’t gotten my bike down yet though, so we haven’t tried yet.

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Jay bought two air purifiers in the last, hmmm, 3 or 4 months.  He was preparing for alergy season which is in full bloom.

I got my first taste of his sorry condition this spring, with my eyes becoming irritated and the skin around them itchy and swollen.  Not. cool.

The up-side, though, is that when I went to the eye doctor to verify allergies he gave me a sample of an eye-drop antihistamine.  It’s been sooo nice.  Not only does it directly target the problem area (eyes), there are none of the tiredness side-effects that come with systemic (oral) meds.

Jay’s used them too, and while they don’t eliminate his issues (as they mostly do for me) they have been a help.

I have to use a cortisone cream, too, on the skin around my eye.  It fights the itchy feeling.  I actually couldn’t use it at first because that tender skin was so raw.  I used ointment on it for a few days until the skin healed and now between the drops and the cream I feel entirely human again.

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My latest big project is making costumes for each of the kids for a “Renaissance fair” coming up.  It’s taking place on Melody’s birthday, so she is thrilled about the big “birthday party” she’ll get to go to.

I’m hoping (especially if it goes annual– this is its first time) to mae this a dressing-up alternative to Halloween.  I’ve been growing more uncomfortable with that over the last several years, and have been praying for an alternative since October.

When I saw the article in the paper and the coordinator’s comment encouraging costumes, “It’s like Halloween in the middle of summer,” I felt I’d found my answer.  We’ll see how it goes, but I’ve trying to be very enthusiastic and creative here to mae this a more special/fun time.

Natasha picked out a princess-dress with bell sleeves, and an indigo fabric, Melody chose a fairy costume and bright pink.  Elisha, of course, is oblivious, but I found a simple costume I described to the girls as a jester and they are pleased with the idea.

The article was asking for more era-correct entertainment on a volunteer basis, so I put a call in to the number to offer storytelling.  I have several adult-length tales that I believe would be quite appropriate for the era.

The only drawback I can think of to the whole costume-thing is the all-or-nothing weather of summer.

Natasha’s dress is dark and long-sleeved, Melody’s light and sleeveless.  Odds are somebody’s going to be uncomfortable.  I just hope they have enough fun being out and about in their dress-ups that they don’t melt into complaining.

There is good hope for that.  They’re already pretty excited.  Piles of frilly, colorful stuff will do that for a girl, I suppose.  😉

Note to Self:

You don’t have to “win” the argument to be right: it’s like Natasha wigging out because Melody says the sky is green: just say it’s blue and move on.

End of the year note: The tables definately turn. Natasha knows how to push Melody’s buttons in just the same way.  I use the same line no matter who’s wigging.