We have a ton of hostas over at the cottage we bought diagonal from our property. So no $$$ lost on them. I may just keep them closer to the sides that are without trellises on the inside. Adding hardscape and planting larger rocks and possibly a small bench or tiny checkers table and chairs. To the one side under the gazebo. Or...something to display a collection of birdhouses on. Worst case we just do hardscape under it. And a few eye catching details to catch ones eye when you walk through. I must admit...you voice a Huge concern of mine though Yardvaark. Though free plants won't break the budget at least.

Oh! That is AWESOME! *I don't care if no one uses that word any more...sometimes it's appropriate.* You cracked the whip and tamed that wild beast! Congratulations. Sadly, in cleaning up the dining room with a deadline today, I brought some clutter back into my home office closet that I previously removed. At least I know I can deal with it without taking too much time in the very near future. I know exactly what you mean about deep cleaning too. I just hate to dust, but it's not so bad when the clutter is gone. My dining room has been reclaimed, for which I am grateful. Celtic, I wish you had a scanner too. Tell us about the picture. Was the wraparound desk piled high?

Preschool children (and some a little after starting school) have no short term memory or real life experience to guide them and to inform their actions. They live in the moment, and so do their thoughts and feelings. They will tend to answer questions based on what they think or feel or are experiencing at the time the question is asked. A young child fearful of a scolding who ducked under the covers might answer _any_ question with the name of the first comforting adult that comes to their mind; they might answer a 'yes' or 'no' question, or a name question with whatever they think the asker wants to hear (to please the angry adult). They also are not so good at differentiating 'good' from 'bad' attention. They just tend to like attention and need attention for their survival... All that normal developmental stuff can end up with the most convoluted stories which do nothing more than illustrate the internal world of the toddler's thinking processes (normal for a toddler is not normal for an adult). Talk to your pediatrician about the situation and ask them for recommendations for your son. A child psychologist might be able to help sort out whether your son was likely having a problem. That you can do, to help your son or figure out what if anything can help you and him communicate better. The law enforcement processes are out of your hands at this point. Talk to the investigator about the interview they got with your son, and find out what the next step would be. They probably have a protocol they will follow as to charges, or what would happen with the accused person. You may or may not be able to exert an influence by sharing your doubts or expressing an unwillingness to proceed based on your current understanding of the situation. You can give it a try though. The daycare center will probably act to preserve itself no matter what. They have an interest in portraying everything as normal or as not related to their environment. That's normal and expectable, and if it seems possible that your son was not harmed when he was there then it might not be worth pursuing. This is where taking your son to a child psychologist can help because they can help with that first assessment of whether your son seems to have been harmed/molested and then work on where or who did that. Relatives, and apologies for major accusations are difficult. It's something that time and being consistent and stable can help them and you. Mothers of young children are generally known and respected for being protective. If a mistake is to be made, erring on that protective side is usually understandable at least intellectually in the abstract. You can share what you felt and what you thought which guided your actions if you want, or not if you don't. the books 'the gift of fear' and 'protecting the gift' are really good at explaining how you can take charge of your security and your children's security, and how you can notice your own instincts and honor them as situations call for

Gone_South, I saw the picture of the mural before but didn't want to scare you off of it. lol The field tile they used really plays up the gray in the mural and that isn't the look you need. You need to have some of those gray tones in the mural but need a field tile that will stay in the warm tones your kitchen needs. I totally get what you're looking for. At least I think I do. The two murals that you're drawn to are very classic equine. I really hope you find that right mural. If I were in your place, I'd be doing the exact same thing! Found this mosaic of Whistlejacket on eBay. Love the colors in this for your kitchen. Picks up the gray tones you need from your granite and looks like it pulls in the color of your cabinets. Problem is the size. It is 40"x40". But wanted you to see it just to give you ideas. Here's another one that I found on eBay. Also a mosaic and it is 40"x28". Too big but love the colors. I wonder if you could remove enough of the bottom of this mural to make it fit your space. Just a thought. Also found this site called Artwork on Tile and they'll make custom murals from digital photos. You can customize the size as well as the image. They will put your image on ceramic tile, tumbled marble or glass tile. You just need to provide a digital image that is a high enough resolution for the size mural you want. I googled Whistlejack images and there are tons. I thought this one looked like the colors would work with your granite and cabinets. Lots of options and ideas out there. Here is a link that might be useful: Artwork on Tile