I have a 2 1/2 year-old son and we also struggle with working in the yard at times. IT is better this year here are some things I have done... Let them water your containers or play with water. Drexler now tells me the flowers are crying because they are thirsty. I then give him the hose and let him have at it...last night he was right. One of my pansies was thirsty! Get excited about things. Right now EVERY DAY when I get home from work my son asks to go pick the strawberries. We go out and usually a new one is ripe (can't wait a few more weeks). He is still working on not picking the green ones, but he'll learn. Teach them what is yummy. Last year we planted carrots in a container and he would go out and pick a carrot out, wipe it off and eat it. Clean soil, no chemicals and hey he was eating carrots. Teach them to love flowers. How does it smell? How does it taste. Have them help you pick out what ones to pick. Drexler and I will do this together, go into the house and put them in vases and then talk about how pretty they are. I have a small vase by my bed that he empties out every day and replaces the water in...and then the flowers. A bit of a pain, but he is learning to appreciate my yard. Don't freak when they step on a plant, but do teach them to be nice to your plants. I have a large yard and Drex has hurt some of my plants, but we talk about how to treat them. Teach them to watch for bugs and to be interested in them. Ants can keep a kid busy for at least fifteen minutes. Tell yourself you will most likely not get a lot accomplished with your helpers so when you do accomplish something it feels good. Make them an area that is all theirs.

Happy Wednesday! My littlest one Billy had Kindergarten Orientation today :( He's SO ready for it! I don't know if I'm ready to let him go...all day. First day of school I know they're will be tears...MINE. And, SO SORRY Bingoer's...I missed yesterday...so to make up for it...4 words today :) The make-up BINGO words for Tuesday are: LITTLE WART and GYPSY LORD The BINGO words for Wednesday are: HIGH MASTER and BAMA MUSIC BINGO WORDS DRAWN: SWAGGER AND STYLE BAMBOO SHADOWS WEEEE! YOU CAN CALL ME AL WHISPERING SPIRITS PALOMINO MOON LITTLE WART GYPSY LORD HIGH MASTER BAMA MUSIC Anyone getting close to BINGO? OH MY! PARTNERS: flowergirl34 (vina) & sinbadsmom (kathie) send to each other **VINA SENT**VINA REC'D**KATHIE REC'D**KATHIE SENT**COMPLETE****** poisondartfrog (alana) & illinoisdoglover (marsha) send to each other**MARSHA SENT**MARSH REC'D**ALANA SENT**ALANA REC'D**COMPLETE***** hibiscusfan (suzanne) sends to nikkieneel**SENT**REC'D***** pinkiris sends to hibiscusfan (suzanne) nikkineel sends to pinkiris This swap is almost wrapped up. Only a couple more swappers to receive. Please don't forget to post a rate and review for your swap partner. I wonder who has September to host? Talk to you later! vina ps. took the family to Niagara Falls. Had the BEST time :)

I don't think having a weekend place "only 20 minutes" from your main home is funny, or even all that unusual in some towns. With the price of gas today, that's probably a plus. (Who wants to spend that much time on the road anyway?) I'm not sure how I feel about that style - and I should because I lived in one for a few years, and lived next door to an even more elaborate one longer than that. I thought they were fabulous when I was younger, and I can't really say that I ever disliked it while living in it. I guess my major complaint about that style is that it seems completely disconnected from all that came before it. Traditional architecture has evolved over hundreds or thousands of years, while those modern buildings just popped up out of a few people's (such as FLW's) fervent minds. As I've grown older, I've developed more appreciation for more traditionally styled buildings and how they fulfill our needs of all manner. Speaking of which, I trust you tend towards the exhibitionist, rather than voyeur, on the scale of human inclinations, since the dominance of windows would undoubtedly scare you otherwise. And I trust you also have great appreciation for brick (the one traditional element of this house) that seems to pervade most of the spaces. If you love it that much, I say go for it if the finances make sense. At least that way you'll find out just how fun it is living in a place like that. Keep that offer low, though, because even in a good market, the more eccentric buildings are much slower to move (in case the reality is less fulfilling than your dream). With the big yard, I can see it filling the "getaway" role, with parties, lively yard games, with plenty of opportunity for blending indoor and outdoor living. (Guests may have to stay at the local motel, or a tent, but that's not necessarily a bad thing). And I can almost guarantee you that buying it and enjoying it as the architect intended will be much more enjoyable than going through the building process yourself.

Robo, it sounds like you had fun! I missed this post so I'm glad you gave an update. Mayflowers, thank you so much for the colored salt jar idea. That can be one of the crafts I do with my grandsons next time we do a sleepover. My DGSs spent the night last night. I got out my markers, colored pencils, oil pastels, graphite pencils and an assortment of papers. While they were working on their drawings I was playing music. My oldest DGS asked if it was Beethoven. As soon as they were finished with their project they had out their iPads and were listening to Whip NaeNae. I videoed the oldest DGS doing the dance and we sent it and pictures of their artwork to Mom. Bedtime is still a problem with the boys, they are only fifteen months apart and they pick on each other unmercifully at bedtime. I'm going to order a cot bunk bed for them as the second queen size inflatable mattress bit the dust.