T-Ball Pictures

It's been quiet with Ken and the boys in Ohio this weekend, but these did just arrive...

Yeah, they're fuzzy, but until I get a decent scanner, that's how it is with pictures that aren't in a digital format.

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I'll be messing in the yard all day, getting my seedlings in and moving around some perennials. I'm going to try to water the front yard too, as it's already turning brown and it's only June 1. I asked my neighbor if he would mind cycling his underground sprinklers a few extra times this weekend; with all of the wind we're having, that would be the only way to ensure that any water actually hits my yard. It's sad...

Garble

Hmm... let's see. Shannon has a double ear infection, again. The antibiotics are kicking in and the Tylenol is no longer necessary. He didn't wake up at 5:00 am this morning crying, so things are good. He's feeling better just in time for Ken to take the boys to Ohio for the weekend! (I get to stay home and put my seedlings in and whatever else I feel like doing. I'm not complaining!)

The boys felt good enough to go watch their Dad's softball game last night, and we all actually enjoyed ourselves in the warm 75 degree weather. Daddy had 5 RBI's, including a home run for 3 points. In the outfield, well, he's had better days. Throughout the game the boys had a blast playing on and under the bleachers, hanging out in the dug-out, and even taking turns at being bat-boys. Daddy's team actually won the game, too, 8-7. This doesn't always happen.

The seedlings I'd previously mentioned are doing really well. Well, 3/4 of them are. If you look at the pot, you'll see what happens when you dump 1 1/2 packets of seeds into a small space. I gotta do something about that...

And then there's the flat that didn't really take. These were from seeds I'd harvested last year and most likely stored improperly. Can anyone tell me, is this a perennial plant or a couple blades of grass? If it's just grass, I still have time to tear up the tray and put in some more seeds...

I'd put two Cat-mint plants in by the mailbox last year, and they are now going nuts! I've had so many compliments and inquiries about them this spring, I'm thinking of writing a description of them, complete with name and care instructions, (put in ground, forget about them, whack them back when they get too tall,) on my mailbox along with directions to the local nursery. They are gorgeous, though:

And here's how my little flower bed by the house is coming along. You can't see the Cat-mint plant very well because the wind smashed it down so horribly that I had to whack 1 1/2 feet off of it already. It hadn't even bloomed yet! I also have 7 Black-Eyed-Susan plants, which had originally only been 3. Those things multiply faster than rabbits!

And finally, my compromise for making s'mores for a sick kid who couldn't go outside. Not my best idea, but it did warm the house up and melt the marshmallows a little bit...


Yeah, that's me toasting marshmallows in an oven. The kids sorta ate them... well, Corey said they were too sticky, Riley said he felt like he was going to throw up after a few bites, and Shannon, the one who really was sick, he ate all of his. Not to worry, though, I finished off Corey's and snuck the remaining chocolate out of what Riley had left behind...

Sprouts

Would you believe the seeds I planted on the 21st are already starting to sprout? I know this because I just moved all the trays into the garage in light of the fact that it's supposed to fall into the 30's for the next few days.

Dentists, Diets and Dirt

I went to the dentist today for a cleaning and came away with great news! (That never happens, I have sensitive teeth and I have grown to hate my dental appointments.) First, I had two pieces of filling material jammed in between my teeth and with much effort they were dislodged and removed. I can floss again! Secondly, veneers are an affordable option for my front teeth now, and Ken said "Let's do it!"

For those of you who may not know, I have a lovely yellow front tooth that is dead due to a diving accident I had when I was younger. (You know those '3 Feet - No Diving' signs you see at the swim pools? Well, I wish the teenager at Arnold Heights Swim Pool in 1981 had seen them, maybe then she wouldn't have decided to dive directly on my head!) Another result of this accident (or possibly just a genetic defect?) was a spacious gap between my two front teeth. My brother Casey says it's reminiscent of Madonna, therefore oddly attractive. (Gotta love Casey.) My take on it, however, is that if I can fix it without losing the tooth, I'm gonna do it!

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We're doing yet another nutrition study on Corey, it seems that a five year old should weigh more than 30 pounds. Hmmm.... yeah, I suppose so. The doctor also wants to run some tests to see if he has any allergies, deficiencies or disorders that might be attributed to his small stature. It seems like we'll never figure it out completely, but I'd put my money on Corey's birth weight (he was 1 pound 9 ounces) being a direct cause of it. Or perhaps the fact that he has Cerebal Palsy, which causes him to burn calories at an accelerated rate, could play into his slow growth. Or maybe Corey's size was meant to be, his paternal Grandmother is amazingly little and short. (Sorry, Joanne!)

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One more tangent. Riley and I planted some seeds yesterday, and we're hoping they take off. We had seed packets of mums and bachelor buttons, and I had cuttings from last year's black-eyed susans, mums, and some unknown flower the neighbor planted. Riley was wanting to plant carrots, so today I scooped up a packet of carrots and onions as well. We'll be starting three flats in all (recycled from my seedling purchases last spring,) with 48 plants per flat. Not sure what will happen if they all take off, however, because I honestly have no place to put them! I suppose I'll share the wealth with all of my neighbors if it comes to that.