Social Responsibility

Perhaps today, our nation's day of financial reckoning and atonement, has imbued in Alex a sense of communal responsibility.  This afternoon she told me, "When I grow up I'm going to do my chores.  I will get up in the morning and go potty and get dressed.  Then I will cook and clean the dishes.  Then I will hang the  clothes to dry and go work in the garden."

Do you think I can expect this to start in the next couple weeks?

A surprise for Nina and Sophie (no peaking, Thembi!)

(Please ignore my bad grammar!)

We tried to dry the dresses in the sun with lots of flowers and ferns to decorate them but the sun disappeared so there will be no shadow designs -- bummer!  Where is SoCal sun when you need it????

Greggie brag

Yesterday I took the girls for haircuts. Our truck was parked right in front of the door of the salon and when we came out and were getting settled into carseats Alex noticed a sign in the window.

A: What does that say, Mom?
M: You tell me, Al. What are the letters.
A: O-P-E-N
M: What does it spell?
A: I don't know.
M: Sound it out. O-P-E-N. What does it spell, Al?
G: OPEN! Mom it spells open!

Yes, Greggie, it spells open.

Ballet class

Last week we went to Mouseland

Greggie headed in, very determined!

Riding Pirates:

Running from Pooh:

Tigger's okay, as long as Mama's there:

Mama and her girls -- yes, that is cotton candy, even the food nazi understands the power of spun suger!

Garden Update -- Spring Equinox

Broccoli, carrots, and onions in the long bed:



The peach, pear, apple, pomegranate, and fig trees:





The potato box:

Pole peas, peas and mint (would make a nice soup!), and bush peas:



Shallots and arugula:


Lettuce in the terraced bed and in a rolling deck bed -- under row covers because otherwise something eats it all!


Garlic in a rolling deck bed:

You can check out the progress a month makes by looking at last month's beds here :

And bonus points if you find the cat twice!  He always follows me when I check on the gardens!

Friends

In the last month I have been fortunate to have two of my dear friends that I met in online mama groups visit. First Mo and her son L. came for an afternoon playdate. The kids had a good time doing some fabric painting -- the girls painted some new sundresses and L. painted a sun hat that his Mommy wore on her kayaking trip.






Then this past weekend Boo and her husband and their clan visited for an afternoon BBQ as they passed thru SoCal en route from Portland to Las Vegas. After dinner the kids had a fun time playing in the hot tub while the parents relaxed on the deck.







Thank you both M. and Boo for coming to my home and sharing your families with me! Love to both of you!