work to be done

Yesterday there were apples to be peeled.

bananas to mash,

lettuce to wash,

veggies to be stir-fried,

And that was just in the kitchen...If I look outside I get a little overwhelmed.

The chives are coming up, which is always a sign that it's nearly time to plant.

The beds have been turned and a fresh layer of compost has been raked in. (Thank you husband.) They sit ready and waiting. I haven't even ordered seeds yet. I may just buy starts this year.

I'm starting to get anxious for the growing season to begin. Reading this book has provided inspiration. Check out this awesome website for planting dates in your area (Sign up for free! You get customized planting schedules!)

The pool is completely thawed. It will need a good shock and vacuum. Looking forward to many, many days of floating there.

The snow is gone, and there is concrete to pour for a patio, railing to build on our deck, and lots of potted plants to revive.

Good thing I have many happy helpers.

Happy  First Day of Spring to you!!

My Garden Helper

Can I just say how much I love that guy?  He exhausts me and fills me up all at the same time. How is that possible?  I'm finding that Ian doesn't chat much (growls and yells a lot). He doesn't have as many  "needy emotional moments" like the girls do. Instead, I see him as one who redirects his energy into exploration. At this stage, he doesn't care a whole lot about toys. He'd much rather play with the vacuum, or the broom, or the hose. I never did any child-proofing with my girls. None. This time around we have more than one gate, locks on every cupboard, locks on toilets, and nary an unsupervised moment. You just can't turn your back on this boy. It's good. It's really, really good. He's a smart little dude. But sheesh, being so vigilant all the time can wear me out.

I'm embarassed to show much more of my garden. I'm fighting a half-hearted, and losing battle with the weeds (between and around the boxes). Things inside the boxes are finally starting to grow as the days have really warmed up.

My irrigation system still has not been installed (it was supposed to be my Mother's Day gift) so I'm doing my best to water every day- with a smile on my face. I also captured some squash bugs on my zucchinni already. Ugh. Those things reak havoc. I did some research and now have a crazy experiment in place to get rid of them. Basically, I captured some of them, blened them (yes in the blender, I was gagging), mixed their pureed bits with 2 gallons of water, and dumped the water back over the plants.  I don't know why this is supposed to work...but hopefully will. I'll report back.

I'm off and running. I'll be back soon with thoughts on summer schedules and chores. Ooooh now doesn't that sound exciting?

Around the yard

After dinner last night: Carl was planting perenials in the front yard, the girls were next door playing outside with the neighbor kids, and Ian was eating bark. I grabbed my camera and took advantage of the lovely evening light.

I'm soaking up our cooler-than-usual Spring.  I'm not quite ready for the 85 degree weather yet (neither is our pool).  The wheat fields are still green and the hostas are incredibly lush.

We've only lived in our house for 6 years so much of our landscaping is very immature.  It's rewarding to finally see some of our yard in bloom!

Ian loves to play with the rocks in the yard.  He alternately fills and empties his bucket with them.

I just never get tired of looking out to the fields.  The wheat is long enough now that when the wind blows it looks like a flowing river.  It can be mezmorizing.

The chives are so pretty right now. I broke down and bought some more veggie plants from the nursery today. They are bigger than the tiny babies that I put out a couple of weeks ago. Fingers crossed they will make it!  I'll do a garden tour once it takes off.

The girls have been somewhat indifferent to the planting thus far. I am hoping that when school is out (in only a couple of weeks- yay!) and when the plants start to take off, this will change.  Ian, on the other hand, is pretty much hands on!  I don't get much done when he is "helping" me.

The dishwasher is broken.  We found a pencil jammed in the filter/pump. No one would fess up.  I have a feeling that the likely culprit is the Littlest.  It won't be until Thursday that a new one will be delivered.  You cannot even imagine how many dirty dishes are piled up on my kitchen counter right now!  Oh how I hate hand washing.  What did housewives of the past do without the modern convience?  With four more days to go and 3 meals a day for 6 people...I may break down myself. It might come to paper plates.