So it seems I haven't had much to report other than to rant about Doug (FWIW - "for what it's worth," mom - the lure of lunch out sans kiddos convinced him to find a day that would work; it's scheduled for the 20th).
Like most of the southeast, we've been wet all week. In between showers we headed outdoors to see what we could see: one neighbor poured a cement driveway
(which inspired the boys to make their own concrete and caused the ban from the backyard for the remainder of the week), another was trying to decide on a house color, and another gave us a hair stylist's kiddie cape
which we put to use as the boys greatly needed to be shorn (they celebrated with Sprite).
Inspired by Lentil, the boys have been practicing their harmonica skills and were excited to find a neighbor who really could play "Comin' Round the Mountain When She Comes." "(He said that he hadn't played one since he was a boy, but he did very well considering.)"
To amuse myself outdoors, I braided some monkey grass which were then turned into snakes (Verdi). The next morning while a storm raged outside, the boys used dried herbs to make tree houses for their reptiles.
The biggest thrill, however, has been the trickle of water coming from a neighbor's spring.
It's probably 1" wide and 1/4" deep, but it has been a source of amusement for all of the boys this week. They floated leaf boats, made dams, and splashed.
And the man and boys who made me a mother...
For the occasion I requested to purchase some plants for our yard. Doug graciously watched the boys while I roamed through nurseries, eager to buy everything in sight. And while it looks like I purchased a lot (and not all is pictured), the biggest purchase (numerically not monetarily speaking) came from the "dead & dying" racks at Lowe's where I stocked up on some random annuals for $.25 apiece.
When I returned, there were fresh flowers on the table. "They are beautiful. Thank you, boys." Stephen immediately replied, "But we put away the surprise of Skittles until tomorrow."
Wow! I am impressed with all those plants and will you please come do my yard :) Lentil is a favorite around here as well and we had a similar experience meeting a man in a restaurant at the beach who was playing the harmonica. Gabe still talks about it. Also, my kids have gone through at least two changes of clothes everyday this week - I keep asking myself if it's worth it, but those minutes of quiet while they're outside are so wonderful.
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