dirt don't hurt

When we put our oldest daughter Ellen into the grass for the first time, she was about seven months old. The instant her bird legs hit the ground, she started crying and was only consoled by picking her up. Put her in the grass = cry. Pick her up = stop. It was an amusing on/off game we played at her expense. Just yesterday I put Annie, nearly six months, in the grass for the first time. It was a warm enough day and there was plenty of uplifting sunshine, so I gave it a shot. Not even a whimper. She played with curiosity and wonder, feeling the blades between her fingers. If this is any indication of days to come, I predict she'll be the kind of girl who doesn't mind a little mud on her shoes. Just like her mom.

I am really bummed that I lost the picture. As I went to water our "extra" sunflower plants that we've got going in peat pots the other day, a little toad snuck back into the corner pot. He was hiding out in there! As ugly as toads are, it was rather cute to see those bulgy eyes poking out underneath the sunflower sprout. But the camera went kaplooie and I lost the shot. Yesterday as I went to water the plants, I heard a distinctive ca-chunk in the empty watering can. As you will expect, another toad. A dead ca-chunk-y toad in the bottom of the watering can. I shook him out in the woods for someone else to enjoy. Rest in peace. Ca-chunk.

I am really bummed that I lost the picture. As I went to water our "extra" sunflower plants that we've got going in peat pots the other day, a little toad snuck back into the corner pot. He was hiding out in there! As ugly as toads are, it was rather cute to see those bulgy eyes poking out underneath the sunflower sprout. But the camera went kaplooie and I lost the shot. Yesterday as I went to water the plants, I heard a distinctive ca-chunk in the empty watering can. As you will expect, another toad. A dead ca-chunk-y toad in the bottom of the watering can. I shook him out in the woods for someone else to enjoy. Rest in peace. Ca-chunk.

At a toy store this weekend, I saw those little hair-growing toys that are basically grass seed sprouting out of a $10 wad of dirt. As usual I thought to myself, "I can do that. I can do that and not spend $20 to grow a square inch of grass for each kid." And so... EGG HEADS. Easy activity. You'll need to chop off the skinny end of the egg. I used a pair of scissors and poked in at the top and then snipped around to create the hole. Once the insides were dumped out and I washed and dried the eggs, the kids carefully drew on their faces. (Toby's is a "masked super hero" if you're wondering...) Once that is done, it's a matter of filling it with some potting soil and sprinkling in some grass seed. We water carefully and have them sitting in a sunny place. After they've grown their full head of grass hair, you can actually style their 'do. Add a ribbon or two, give a buzz cut. I think at least one of ours will end up with a mohawk this year. Ha

At a toy store this weekend, I saw those little hair-growing toys that are basically grass seed sprouting out of a $10 wad of dirt. As usual I thought to myself, "I can do that. I can do that and not spend $20 to grow a square inch of grass for each kid." And so... EGG HEADS. Easy activity. You'll need to chop off the skinny end of the egg. I used a pair of scissors and poked in at the top and then snipped around to create the hole. Once the insides were dumped out and I washed and dried the eggs, the kids carefully drew on their faces. (Toby's is a "masked super hero" if you're wondering...) Once that is done, it's a matter of filling it with some potting soil and sprinkling in some grass seed. We water carefully and have them sitting in a sunny place. After they've grown their full head of grass hair, you can actually style their 'do. Add a ribbon or two, give a buzz cut. I think at least one of ours will end up with a mohawk this year. Ha

My grandfather seems to have his own language. One of his famous words is "bird seeder" which the rest of the world calls a "bird feeder." But he's really not wrong...is he... Anyway, here's a tidbit of information for all of us novice birders out there, one of the few that I know. When you buy mixed bird seed, a lot of the time the birds pick through it and half of it ends up on the ground. Don't be discouraged! There are birds that only feed on the ground, so by sharing the seed, you are sharing the love. Ohio readers-- are your hummingbird feeders -- I meed "seeders" up yet?

My grandfather seems to have his own language. One of his famous words is "bird seeder" which the rest of the world calls a "bird feeder." But he's really not wrong...is he... Anyway, here's a tidbit of information for all of us novice birders out there, one of the few that I know. When you buy mixed bird seed, a lot of the time the birds pick through it and half of it ends up on the ground. Don't be discouraged! There are birds that only feed on the ground, so by sharing the seed, you are sharing the love. Ohio readers-- are your hummingbird feeders -- I meed "seeders" up yet?

I know, I should record this and put a nifty little link so you can all hear it, but frankly, it ain't gonna happen. This is the song I wrote to sing to Ellen's class while teaching Junior Achievement. Look out Laurie Berkner... The Piggy Bank Blues I woke up this morning Turned on the TV. There on a commercial What did I see? I saw a toy That I just had to have. I ran to show my mama And I ran to show my dad. They said to me, And this ain’t funny. “That toy that you want Costs a whole lotta money! Check your bank And see what is inside.” I shook my little piggy bank But it was empty and I cried. Chorus: I’ve got those blues, Those empty piggy bank blues. Those lowdown got no money Piggy bank blues. I asked my mama I asked my pop. What can I do to fill My bank up to the top? They said to work, And they gave me lots of chores. I cleaned my bedroom, washed the dishes Even vacuumed up the floors. Chorus When I was done, They said, “now kid, It’s time to pay you for all The work th

Brace yourself. I’m about to go where no decent woman and mother has gone before. I’m about to enter uncharted waters and put right out there in words what so many of us have thought in the past but never, ever quite had the guts to say. Some babies are…ugly. I make this bold statement because recently I’ve had to work extra hard to keep my personal resolution which is to never tell mothers how cute their babies are. Last week, I spent a morning with some friends and their babies, who are actually very cute, and I couldn’t help myself but to let a couple of “now that’s a cute kid” fly. But not all babies are so good looking, and I made a promise to myself years ago to never tell a mother just how adorable that bundle of joy was because, by chance the baby wasn’t so adorable, I would feel awful telling a lie. It all started when I had my first child and, being desperate for adult conversation, immersed myself in a world of babies and their mother. Baby music, baby tumbling, baby pl

A bit of a religious epiphany over ham sandwiches: Sitting at lunch yesterday, Toby says, "remember that guy we saw at mr. zoltan's house and how he did that magic trick where he picked up his beer bottle without holding on to it? How did he do that?" "Must be magic," I replied, knowing full well he inverted the label and stuck it to the palm of his hand. "Yeah, magic. Maybe he's God or something, you know, all magical."

Just a couple of weeks ago I wrote about the ups and downs of Mom's Day. I whined about all of the extra work moms have to endure over this exhausting holiday, and even dissed my family's cooking skills. But for those who really care, I actually had a decent Mother's Day this year. After waking up with a sore throat and feeling generally ill, my morning (post precious cards and post breakfast, of course) was spent in the tub and the bed, trying to relax and sleep the bug out of me. And it must have worked because by the afternoon I was feeling better. We went out to eat and I pretty much scarfed down everything in sight. The kids were so well behaved, another patron actually stopped us on the way out to tell me that they were the best kids she's ever seen in a restaurant! Whoo hoo! Score one for me! Upon returning home, the kids and I all cuddled on the floor for an hour of Spongebob, and by the time we got up, Ryan and I must have had some strange renewed energy. We sp

Here's something we did a few weeks ago, and it was too cute not to share. Twig dolls! The photo kind of explains how to make them -- just find appropriately shaped twigs, tie them together with pipe cleaners, and add accessories depending on what you find outdoors. we made these fairly early in the spring, but I can imagine wildflower skirts, acorn hats, dandilion heads, etc. A great nature/creativity craft!

Here's something we did a few weeks ago, and it was too cute not to share. Twig dolls! The photo kind of explains how to make them -- just find appropriately shaped twigs, tie them together with pipe cleaners, and add accessories depending on what you find outdoors. we made these fairly early in the spring, but I can imagine wildflower skirts, acorn hats, dandilion heads, etc. A great nature/creativity craft!

I've always wanted to try this. It just sounds too neat to be true. To make your own sunflower house, plant giant sunflowers in a large circle. When they grow tall, you can "go inside" your very own house made of sunflowers! There are some neat children's books that tell the story, including "Sunflower House" by Eve Bunting. The original book, "Sunflower Houses: Inspiration from the Garden -- A Book for Children and Their Grown Ups" is by Sharon Lovejoy (who I've recently come to know as a very nice person!!! Here are some photos from our attempt this year. Anyone ever try this and have success?

I've always wanted to try this. It just sounds too neat to be true. To make your own sunflower house, plant giant sunflowers in a large circle. When they grow tall, you can "go inside" your very own house made of sunflowers! There are some neat children's books that tell the story, including "Sunflower House" by Eve Bunting. The original book, "Sunflower Houses: Inspiration from the Garden -- A Book for Children and Their Grown Ups" is by Sharon Lovejoy (who I've recently come to know as a very nice person!!! Here are some photos from our attempt this year. Anyone ever try this and have success?

As far as holidays go, I’d venture to say that most were created by a man. On Christmas we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, a man. Easter commemorates the rising of Jesus, again, a man. The Fourth of July is an observation of a new government that was mostly, you guessed it, men. And even Father’s Day, the day when we all treat dad like royalty? Yep, pretty sure that some guy made up that one, too. But if there were ever a holiday that was most certainly created by a man, it’d be Mother’s Day. Now, if you are a man and you are reading this, you are probably thinking to yourself, “oh yes, we men love our mothers and our wives, and we certainly want to celebrate the wonderful things they do for us and all that they mean to us, and of course we created the holiday as a day of honor.” And if you’re a woman reading this, you’re probably thinking, “gee, she’s on to something! No woman in her right mind would create a holiday that would require so much work, stress, sweat, and overc

Once the load of dirt comes in, we are going to plant a patch of habitat in our backyard, in a little spot near the woodsline where the sunlight sneaks between the woods and the house. I have a few packs of seeds from the Ohio Department of Nature Resources that I received at last year's Becoming an Ohio Outdoors Woman . If they actually grow, I will have a small plot of flowers that will provide nectar for hummingbirds and butterflies, and I've got my fingers crossed. There is something special about watching a hummingbird and the way it hovers, or the erratic flight of the butterfly. When these amazing creatures cross your path, you can't help but consider yourself lucky. They're not a common sight. But just think if more people planted a small patch of habitiat -- maybe it would be a common sight, and how wonderful that would be! So plant your habitat, folks! Here are some seed ideas that are included in my pack, but you can easily pick them up individually: C

Once the load of dirt comes in, we are going to plant a patch of habitat in our backyard, in a little spot near the woodsline where the sunlight sneaks between the woods and the house. I have a few packs of seeds from the Ohio Department of Nature Resources that I received at last year's Becoming an Ohio Outdoors Woman . If they actually grow, I will have a small plot of flowers that will provide nectar for hummingbirds and butterflies, and I've got my fingers crossed. There is something special about watching a hummingbird and the way it hovers, or the erratic flight of the butterfly. When these amazing creatures cross your path, you can't help but consider yourself lucky. They're not a common sight. But just think if more people planted a small patch of habitiat -- maybe it would be a common sight, and how wonderful that would be! So plant your habitat, folks! Here are some seed ideas that are included in my pack, but you can easily pick them up individually: C

I shouldn't be posting this in a public place. I might have crazed mushroom hunters sneaking around my backyard despite the No Tresspassing signs... We found a TON of morel mushrooms in our backyard this year! They are popping up everywhere! For those who don't know what it is, it's a funky mushroom that looks like this: They are unmistakable, and when fried up in butter taste like you're eating sauteed mushrooms on a steak...without the steak. We found so many this year that I passed them around the neighborhood. Amazing! I can only hope they come back next year. I'll be ready and waiting, fork in hand.

I shouldn't be posting this in a public place. I might have crazed mushroom hunters sneaking around my backyard despite the No Tresspassing signs... We found a TON of morel mushrooms in our backyard this year! They are popping up everywhere! For those who don't know what it is, it's a funky mushroom that looks like this: They are unmistakable, and when fried up in butter taste like you're eating sauteed mushrooms on a steak...without the steak. We found so many this year that I passed them around the neighborhood. Amazing! I can only hope they come back next year. I'll be ready and waiting, fork in hand.