shasta, I hope I didn't read it on this thread :-) but no one mentioned digging them up in any of the discussion I read about it. You just leave them where they are. I don't know everything, but I covered mine with chicken wire (read that somewhere, they'll grow through it) so the squirrels wouldn't dig them up. Then I had to cut some of it away this spring because it was cramping some of the tulips, haven't bothered covering it with mulch but should if I leave it. I think I'll take it off after the leaves die back and take my chances. I don't see anybody else doing that. As usual, the squirrels and/or chipmunks are messing with my stuff, gotta cut more chicken wire for all my planters. I love the critters but am really cross with them at this point. I think I did check back on the bulb forum with another question I had. Someone wanted to know if you could transplant tulips now. I can't remember the answer to that exactly - I wouldn't - would wait until fall, but they were talking those bulblets. One opinion is they take so long to mature and bulbs are cheap but you can grow those, sounds like a hassle. We'll see what happens with mine. There was an opinion that those grown in shadier spots are less likely to come back. Clunk. That could be mine on the east side of the house that don't even get a full morning of sun because of trees. Anyway, you might want to try it, and it's probably not too late to give them some bloom booster now for when they quit blooming for the food storage process, couldn't hurt. Your tulips are really pretty. And I still love your jug ghetto. Mine aren't thick like that because the germination is more in patches. But a visual is a great help and tells me to uncover mine (it is still getting pretty chilly here at night and I've got vent holes in mine). Now I'm seeing peoples' photos here, and I'm not seeing vent holes in the top part of the jug. Maybe they are just small and don't show. I will let them grow on until they get more like yours, more likely to transplant more easily than smaller ones. Also I decided if I reuse the jugs next year, I'm going to follow the packaging tape suggestion. I had a terrible time getting the duct tape off the 3 I did, white duct tape no less. I was thinking I could cut around it with my exacto knive and just put more over it again. You must have a lot of room for all those plants! I hope I'm around and you post pictures when you get the flowers blooming. I'm really hurting with a fairly small yard and few sunny spots because I love trees, too, and would have more if I could. I was thinking of some of the photos I've seen where people have acres to work with and told myself I'd better be thankful for what I do have!

Aputernut what are the origins of your kings? They are magnificent!! DH and I took a trip to Bronner's this fall. #1 on my bucket list was a visit!! I am sooo embarrassed and feel so STUPID. I was not interested in the video of the history as I knew it and saw much on Youtube, so avoided the "Program room". I did peak in at one point and it was dark as a show was going on...The next day, an hour outside of Frankenmuth I began reading their literature. To my GREAT frustration I discovered in that dark room are cases of 150+ nativities from 50+ different countries!! I have been begging and the Bronner's Facebook page has begun posting pictures of some of them. Unfortunately they do not post as many Creche sets as they do ornaments. But they are not for sale--they are a private collection so I get it. ANYWAY I added a camel and cow to my outdoor set..and I am scouring ebay for a few more shepherds..there are some older characters out there I would love to get my hands on!! We also went to one large spot light. DH is very into cutting our wattage use DOWN. I have a star hanging on the back of the light pole, and we have enough snow to cover the blue extension cord so it is all very nice IMHO

Well sadly .... they need to know what their mom's really think of them. SD is a royal pain the AM before school she refuses to bring clothes here "becasue she doesn't live here" I have said over and over its a control issue for both mom and daughter ... daughter doesn't bring clothes mom gets to play hero and "bring" her clothes to her ... Its a new thing before hubby drop SD of at her mom's before school so she could change/get ready then mom would bring her to school but now since "little b!itch gives me (BM) such a hard time in the morning" ... I'll bring her clothes at night this way she doesn't have to come here in the morning ... SD had to go to moms for something one morning ... BM called hubby screaming because he brought her there in the AM ... because SD went in yelling at mom for who knows what ... its all a power struggle between the 3 of them its their fight and I stay out of it to the best of my ability ... But hubby did tell her to tell SD not to come there in the AM he wasn't doing it its her issue not his. Don't get me wrong hubby is a factor in all this too and he knows it but its his fight not mine. So back to my point: Sadly until they hear from their mom's mouth (what we knew all along) that mom doesn't care. Even then they yell at us for what mom does or doesn't do but expect us to be at their beck and call. SD had to hear it from mom that she doesn't want to see her in the morning hubby was fighting with her all morning about not bringing her to moms but she put up such a hissy fit he gave up and brought her to mom's.

There is nothing you can do about how his ex is raising her kids & if they are rude, manipulative, inappropriate... and dad won't correct them on his time, then you'll have to get used to that. Some of that will rub off on your kids when the older kids visit. I'm not sure kids will resent that the parent disciplines them... kids WANT structure, routines, & discipline. They need limitations. His kids are more likely to resent him for NOT giving them that. But, the bottom line is you have a preview of what kind of father he is. He may be wonderful with your kids now, but they are not his kids. Watch how he deals with his own kids because that says more about him. Well, in fact it says a lot that he is more of a parent to someone else's kids than his own. I know my custodial SD sees her mom being more of a mom to her boyfriends kids & that hurts her a lot. For a long time, SD was protective of her BM but now she seems to be retaliating. She is rude, disrespectful at her mom's house. At our house, she is more self destructive... failing school, getting in trouble for bad behavior, etc. It doesn't surprise me if your BF's kids act up at his house, he isn't being the parent they want. His kids will always be his kids & they will be around for a long time... teen years are coming. Then there are young adult years.. paying for college, needing money for cars or housing... emergencies. They will visit, maybe bring kids with them. There will be holidays, graduations, weddings, grandkids being born. You may not like the way his kids are but he is their father & will be involved in all those things. I'm 41 & my parents have been divorced for 27 years and still dealing with each other because they have kids, grandkids & now great grandkids. Before you marry him, imagine what it will be like when you're in your 30's and his kids are teens that decide they want to live with dad. What about when they are young adults asking for help to get out on their own. Imagine what it will be like when you're in your 40's or 50's and they want to move in with their own kids following a divorce. Marriage is a commitment for life... til death do you part. My husband admits he never thought of what it would/could be like when we married 4 years ago. We are now raising my 23 yr old son's child because my son married a woman that isn't interested in being a mom & he joined the Army to support his new 'family'. I'm having to deal with his 11 yr old daughter that is flunking out of school, lies, is manipulative & she steals things from everyone. She has emotional problems due to stuff her mom does to her & has been boy crazy since she was 5... her mom buys her sexy underwear & padded bra's... thinks it's cute. We get to decide when to put her on birth control. Lots of stuff we didn't plan on happening...