fiddleheads

Years ago, my mother gave me a few starters from her own garden. Since I've been renting pretty much my adult life, the ferns have been stuck in pots. What's special about these ferns besides being from my mom, is that for some reason, I just can't kill them. Not that I've been trying! I just forget them out in the icy winters...don't remember to water them in the droughts of summers. I end up having to cut them back to almost nothing. They keep coming back..more beautiful and lush than before. This past summer was one of the hardest, but they survived and are now thriving again, because we've been getting rain, rain, RAIN! There's been a LOT going on in my life lately, and like these ferns, I seem to be able to weather it all and keep thriving.

Hanging with Nana & Pawpaw

Mia spent this past weekend with her Nana & Pawpaw. It's such a win win win situation. She gets them, they get her, Daryl and I...used to get to be alone...now we get to be alone with Lily. Mia always has the best time out there. She follows her Pawpaw around and helps feed the dogs, fish, ducks, chicken and even some deer. She helps tend their huge garden. This time, she took us out to see 'My Pumpkin Patch'. There are oodles and they'll be fabulous for Halloween! Daryl and I usually go out there on the Sunday afternoon and hang out, have dinner before we grab our girls and head back to the rest of the world. Time actually seems to go by slower out there.

I'm so glad I had my little point and shoot camera..I've fallen in love with it again. Video to follow...stay tuned.

Mia's baby had a owie and needed a band-aid...one of several she applied to baby and self

don't all Nana's make silly faces?

Got her Pawpaw and her paci...life is good.

the girls riding their horsies...Nana's legs :)

Mia needing so snack on her sister's arm

playing ball & still hanging on to his glass of wine

Mia helps prep food...including shucking corn

taking a break to scratch an itch

brushing Bug the pug

surrounded by furry love

checking out the cool wind chime they got on one of their many worldly adventures

my heart swells

Mmmmmm beer

sillies

something about a wind up fish in a bucket of water

Nana, can I have your attention, please?

Bubba...of the duo Bug & Bubba

beering...watering the seedlings

Pawpaw some how makes beer with this stuff

as Nana would say, 'Beep'

Lily must me HOT...Mia's hugging her with a potholder :)

Farmer Mia (guest blogger - Nana)

This child had SO much fun today!! First, she is so adored by both of us...she knows it too! And she is SO okay with it! She helped me plant corn, zucchini, carrots, and onion seeds today. While we were planting, she kept running her hand over my face and lovingly saying "Nana.....". We were planting seeds for our garden today while Pawpaw ran a tractor to dig up and grass and get the soil ready at least a foot down. Our seed planting had such a rhythm....I handed her cups full of soil, and she filled the Jiffy pots, then we smooshed and mushed until the dirt actually filled the pots. Then, I handed her cups full of water to water all the new soil.Then, Mia counted two seeds for every pot (OK, some little pots may have 70 seeds in them but hey...so what?) and dropped them into the holes I made. Then, we covered the seeds with more wet soil (she kept saying Look Nana, my hands are dirty....and they WERE!). After we planted lots of seeds, we watered some more and had some stick fights.

When we made sure that we had enough plants to feed an army, Mia and I went back to check on PawPaw. The tractor was loud and not very girl-friendly, but when he turned the engine off, Mia felt sure enough to sit in his lap. PawPaw showed her how to drop the bucket, and a new tractor operator was born. Once she got that down, the only thing left was to turn the engine back on (easier said then done with a 3 - year old in your lap. There are about 10 different things that have to be in neutral or the engine won't start.....as Tom set one thing and turned to another, Mia helped him by unsetting what he had just set.) Finally, I convinced Mia to step down for a second, Tom got all the stuff set to neutral and the tractor started. Mia was fascinated. She raised the bucket sky high and dropped it like a pro. Good thing it was a rental. Then she drove in circles until PawPaw got tired and a bit nauseous. She drove for about 30 minutes and had a BLAST. I will forward the pix I got tomorrow.

Once the tractor bit got old (for PawPaw, not Mia), the gals walked back to the house for a drink. Wine for me, juicy water for Mia. A quick rest and TV show, then off to the swings. But before we could swing, Mia had to help make dinner. A Farmer and a Cook all in one day. We put a pot roast in the oven, then went to swing for about an hour. After that, we had a duck egg hunt and found two! Success! Then, on to Elmo hat designing sessions with PawPaw. By 6, she was seriously considering a nap, but there was no time. Welcome to our world!! We still had to feed the dogs, chickens, ducks and deer. At one point, she peed and told me she needed another diaper. Now. We went into the bedroom to change her dipes, and uh oh.....WHERE IS MY CRIB?????? Did Swiper get it????? No, Nana had just put it away. Life was good.

While we waited for dinner, Mia did a movie star bubble bath with Dora and Boots. Way too much fun. See the pix I will share tomorrow. Then, a full dinner (she had to fight off PawPaw....GIGGLE, GIGGLE....NO, NO..GIGGLE) and a long snuggle with us on the sofa. By 8, she could not even start to keep her eyes open any more and curled up in my arms and went to sleep. Yes, it's true.....my heart is nothing but pudding now.

A wonderful day for all of us.....what a treasured thing. I hope your day is just as great. Happy Valentines Day!!! I love you and I love your willingness to allow Mia to share our lives. None of us will ever forget these moments. Thank you!

I love you!
Nana

Unplug Your Kids ~ Garden

While the kids over at Unplug Your Kids worked on a super cute miniature fairy garden for this weeks' Unplugged Project - Garden, Mia and I doctored a plant.

My MIL gave me a Christmas cactus she started from a clipping from a plant that came from a clipping of a plant that Clem once took care of before he passed away. This plant has some history behind it. Yesterday, while pulling up the kitchen blinds, a limb from the plant fell off. Ah Ha! Garden project for Unplug Your Kids!!!!!

Mia and I took the limb, found a pot and dish (that didn't match, but it soooo doesn't matter) in the laundry room, and some potting soil in the garage. I showed Mia how to scoop the soil with her hand (always use your hands) and dump it into the pot...when the pot was full, we tucked the limb the soil. Dee, my MIL, said that these guys can root anywhere...here's trying.

Then we found Mia's watering can that was behind the ferns, and showed her how a little potted plant needs to be watered a whole lot more gently than the grass or stuff in the flower beds. She had fun, and was very gentle.



I sure do hope this little guy roots and grows up...this will be a gift to Mia from her Great grandpa, Clem.

Chia update

It's been 2 weeks since our O'Mama Chia caterpillar playdate at the park. Mia still loves watering it everyday :)

first day

week 1

week 2

Chia ~ the progress

Mia's been diligently watering it everyday (I stepped in while she was at her Nana's), and it's paid off. Big time! She calls it her caterpillar and likes to pet it.

here it was a week ago

and today

Just call us the visitors

Mia loves to water/mist her Chia caterpillar and does it every morning. Mia had swimming today. She swam the whole width of the pool...by herself!!!! All this swimming at our neighborhood pool is helping her in class. She's a water baby, just like her mama.


Then we went over to hang with Mama Stephanie and her awesome boys, Roarke & Cole. I just adore Stephanie, we can chat forever about anything. I feel so relaxed around her. Roarke really engaged with Mia. He wanted to show her all sorts of stuff. She would look at something or other and say 'cooool' or 'wow'. To go off to another room and play...without me...is fabulous. She obviously feels super comfy around the boys and in their home.

Pizza then playtime outside. Mia is enamored with their big truck...she can't move it yet, but she loves it just the same. When it was time to go, she was almost in tears...her hand outstretched towards it, saying 'bye bye truck' 'I'll see you soon'.

Nap. A long and much needed nap.

Then we hopped over to Kiwe & baby Mia's house. Baby Mia is 4 months old, I met her about 4 days after she was born. I'm obviously partial to her name. She's a cutie. Mia sized her up a bit, pretended SHE was a baby (laying on the floor, and covering herself up with a baby printed changing cloth...clean). I wonder if she felt like she was going to be replaced by 'Baby Mia'. She got over it kind of quickly, and went off to play with pot holders, clean diapers, a soft brown monkey. Their place wasn't child proof, and why should it yet, but Mia did so well. Kiwe let me have a DVD for the Rebel I just bought. I'm getting so much help and encouragement, that I feel so fortunate to have such good friends.