Down, But Not Out

Something has been creeping around here lately.  Hannah got the nasty cold-bug first, starting a week ago and is just now getting over it.  Her nose has been running like a leaky faucet, her cough makes her sound like an ol' smoker, and her fever lasted for almost three days.  Frankly, I don't know why I even try to keep the kids apart when they're sick.  They all of a sudden want to share everything when one of them should be quarantined.  Try as we might to save Blaine from the wrath of this cold, he's got it now.

Mister has officially given up "The Nap" - that glorious two hours in the middle of the afternoon when everyone in the household gets some much needed quiet time.   But today is a different story which tells me that Mister is, in fact, sick. 

Nothing a chocolate donut won't fix - that is Mister's motto anyway.

On Wednesday we spent some time in the backyard doing something Mister has always wanted to do: plant a garden.  Except we didn't actually plant a "garden", we just planted some fruits and vegetables in some huge empty pots we have.  I don't have the skills or patience to plant a real garden yet  The point is that he thought it was so cool and is expecting to be eating from the vine this week.  I don't have the heart to tell him that the maturation time is like 70 days from now.  So every day when he checks on them he tells me they are "almost ready." 

We plated two tomato plants, a cucumber plant and two strawberry plants.  I am praying that one of these plants comes through in a big way and produces something we can eat.

Did Mister enjoy planting the fruits and vegetables?  Well, you decide:

M: Ok, first thing we need to do is get all of this old soil out of the pots.  Use your shovel and move the dirt to your wheelbarrow then take it over to the tree where we'll dump it.

B: Ok, Mama. (Inserts shovel into pot to remove dirt and meets some resistance.)

B: MAMA!  This is TOO hard.  You do this part.

M: Blaine, it's not hard.  Here, use my shovel.

B: No, Mama.  I want you to do this and I'll do something else.

M: (I do the dirty work, literally, and then after planting Mister takes over.)

B: Mama, I'll water the plants.  That's a good job for me.

After we get all the plants in their pots Blaine says to me, "Mama, when I'm a farmer someday I'm going to make my animals do all the planting.  That's what I'm gonna do!  You don't know how to plant a garden.  Your work is too hard."

My reply to him: "Yes, Son, all that jumping on the trampoline must have really put you out while I was breaking my back to plant this lousy strawberry plant that I'm sure is going to die.  I'm sure your farm pig will do a better job."

Blaine: Laughs, then pauses - "Mama, my plants gonna die?" :)

After all that hard work Mister decided to take a load off and read.

And before my mom left on Wednesday Blaine really got into the art and craft bins.  He made this beautiful picture of a heart for his Great Grandma Millie, in Michigan.

We're all excited that it's the weekend, or as Blaine calls it: "Family Day."  Hope everyone else has a great "Family Day" tomorrow :)