The Princess' New Room a.k.a My Weekend Project

I spent the weekend alone, and took on the project of The Princess' room, which has been on my list FOREVER. I made her some lilac colored curtains and then never found anything to match lol. Good thing it was about 99 cents a meter at Fabricland, I wasted about 5 bucks.

Anyhow, I went to Ikea, who rarely lets me down, and sure enough, fell in love with this Fabler line. All sorts of lovely old fashioned characters, and fairy frogs, and in gorgeous colors that aren't too girly. When I looked at Walmart the aisle with children's bedding looked like someone had drank pepto bismol and threw up on the shelves, god, that horrid Hannna Montana neon pink crap! Not to mention there is nothing but licensed character sets.

So as per usual I bought two sets of bedding and this one was just PERFECT for creating. The duvet cover had a polka dot pattern on the back, so I was able to use that side for curtains with the extra set.

View from the hall...


The characters on the bedding,I had tried to explain this to my mom and couldn't, you just have to see it. It has lovely colors of red, pinks, lavenders and blues too... I just fell right in love. It sounded tacky when I tried to explain all the colors.



The adorable fairy frogs on the wall lights...

The art I made, I painted two frames and put a picture of The Princess in one, then an embroidery that A made her when she was born. Ahem, it may be 2.5 years later, but I used it! The middle one is cardboard with with batting for depth, then fabric glued over, for fabric art.


My favorite part, I covered the frame with material, it was a plain wooden bar type, and it covered up so lovely! I wanted to hide the cords behind the bed, and this turned out SO much better than I thought it could, its a great headboard now. My hot glue gun was my best friend this project.

And the stuffed fairy frog makes me squeeee with its cuteness lol.


The wall quilt I sewed with the other side of the second set of fabric, I did it in a patchwork design, then yes, hung it sideways LOL! It looked much better with all those stripes facing a different direction, it was a little too orderly the other way, this way offset the matchy matchyness of everything.

And that is that! I am not in the least bit rested from the weekend LOL BUT man, it feels good to have one huge project off my list. I also have her name in wooden letters to be attached to the outside of her door.

I was busy Friday and I also donated 6 !! (where do we get all this crap!) bags of clothes, toys and books. Oh, and one bag of kitchen stuff, my cupboards are uncluttered! The basement is almost ready for playing in all winter,that is my project this coming week. The toys are all sorted out and lovely on the shelves, the pop/beer bottles are all taken in, I need a weekend to myself more often!

New Hair

Not only did I redo the Princess's room this weekend, between working really, really hard at work (bwhahahaha as if) I also popped to Pink Lime (oh, la, I DO like that place!) and went for the big chop and color.

Et voila! This is the closest I have been to my natural color in years ;) The Princess kept looking at me out of the corner of her eye, then telling me "mommy I love your beautiful haircut ", so she's trying to get used to the big change obviously!




Kandice you commented before I could finish posting LOL! I added the second pic.

Sick of Being Sick

That's pretty much it, the title sums it up. I am soo tired of having a cold, this is week #2 now, it went from my head to my chest this past week, and I swear to god, its heading back up to my sinuses as I type. I am SO DONE with feeling like shit.

I can't win, I realize. Not only do I enter into the land of the germs twice a week at school with the kids, I also work in a hospital, which, ahem, is full of sick people of course. Who cough all over the place, who touch door handles, stair railings, elevator buttons...um, I better stop at that, before I take a jaunt to emerg and borrow some masks and gloves and wear them like good ol' Micheal Jackson. Shudder.

Anyhow, has anyone tried ColdFx?? I'm thinking I need a real immunity boost this year...there's a girl here who swears by it, and she's not sick yet, even tho I have hacked and coughed and sneezed all over the workstations down here. (see? I am my own worst enemy, the sick employee that comes in anyway)

I think I am going to pick up some this week, because the combination of late nights with germy environments is going to steamroll me this winter. I have been eating incredible amounts of fruit and veggies and vitamins and exercise and NOTHING is working to ward off the colds.

And that's my rant.. I am at said workplace-full-of-infectious-diseases and was bored enough to blog lol.

Two Master Bedrooms

A funny title, yes, but I have decided that in my dream house, there are two master bedrooms. Funny enough ,I mustn't be the only one, because I guess builders ARE building new houses that have two master suites!

And yes, you can probably guess that this stems from Mike's infernal snoring and teeth grinding.

But in reading an article about it, I found some funny truths hidden in there, decadent dream or not. The article brought up the point that we teach our children to be able to sleep alone, in fact, is this not the golden dream from day one? To have them completely independent, in their own bed, in their own room, settled quietly and dreaming of sugarplums.

THEN when they choose to co-habitate with someone, in whichever form they choose, society instantly expects them to sleep in the same room as said tooth-grinding-snoring-like-chainsaw person? (hey, this can apply to both sexes, my old roomate could grind her teeth like a trash compactor)

And its FROWNED upon if you have separate bedrooms. I can't tell you how many times I have read that its damaging to a relationship, that you lose the closeness of being a couple, and that in order to reach couple nirvana, yes, you must sleep in the same room.

So, all our lives before we live with our partner, we are expected to sleep alone. Twenty, twenty five or more YEARS of sleeping in quiet bliss in your own space, to then be thrust into sleeping beside someone who's sleep habits make you want to commit spousicide. <--yes that's a word, at least in the urban dictionary ;)

So of course my wandering mind meandered to the thoughts of our childrens' schooling, which is of course, ever present on my mind lately. And how in most schools, children are taught in an environment that you can hear a pin drop in. Taught to concentrate in absolute silence, with punitive measures for those who break this golden hush surrounding learning. That THIS is the only way that children can learn, that they can't concentrate and absorb what they are being taught unless there is silence from all.

So who here has a quiet work environment? Anyone? I can truthfully say that I can't remember the last time that I worked in a place as quiet as a classroom. There is always a constant din of office noise surrounding us.

So there's another example, 12-13 years of learning only to be thrust into the workplace where sometimes, you can't hear yourself think. I don't count university in those years because that is an active choice on the part of whomever is partaking in those courses, not forced to "get your diploma" because you can't get a job without one.

I have lots of weird, random thoughts lately with Mr K starting his school, and myself trying to learn and adjust and think (oh the lessons we parents are taught daily) and this post would fall into that category. I LOVE that he is learning to concentrate with a burble of noise around him, that this is really preparing him for what life is, learning how to take on your projects and work on them even while putting up with that annoying person who keeps popping over your cubicle with the latest Dilbert cartoon, or simply finishing your coloring page with the classmate beside you who feels like singing his ABC's loudly today, bless his little off-key heart.

I probably don't have to add that I can't sleep beside Mike because I wouldn't function in the morning, but I WILL add, that every single google picture I found was the MAN snoring, with a frustrated woman beside him!

I guess not only are we obviously doomed to never find couple nirvana, our son is obviously being slighted in his education by not being ensconced in silence for his learning.

OH, and we are going to hell because we co-sleep with our children too, they will never function in normal society now because they never learned to sleep alone. Let me tell you, thanks to Mike's snoring, our children will be able to sleep through a hurricane. Now tell me THAT'S not a life skill!

My Heart Bursts With Pride

LOL take a peek at what magazine he's reading...yip....that's my boy. Hook 'em young.

My Friday Project

My falls bulbs that I picked up at superstore.... I am torn on daffodils and tulips..they have never been my favorites...maybe I will try some daffodils as well, but the planting time is NOW since its getting so chilly.

I was very excited to see the Allium (giant onions pretty much) I have wanted to try these for a while now! The others are all shorter ones that I am going to plant around the edge of the back flowerbed, and then stagger with pansies etc later on in the year when the blooms are gone...so I have a border that blooms from April to September...eh? Lookit that thinking.

Strathcona Wilderness Center

We had a lovely walk this morning out at the Wilderness Center, it was crisp and the leaves were gorgeous! We didn't see much in the way of animal life, just a little mouse that us adults saw, which was of course, too fast for the kidlets to view.

I would like to head back with Mike and tackle a couple harder trails when we can take turns pushing the kids in the Chariot.

The loop we did, I really want to get back and do a longer one.

I had guessed elk, but on second thought I think its large enough for moose... remembering the size of my grandpa's old moose foot ashtray (I shit you not!) I am going to say moose now. It was the same size as The Princess's shoe. Anyone care to weigh in on the guessing?

A little boardwalk that took us into the spruce bog, which was a beautiful little area, the second picture shows the lighting there better.

What I Have Been Up To

I haven't really had much time to blog the last while, so here's the update on the craziness that would be us...

Last week my dad, Karami and Deklen came up to visit, and even tho everyone but Mike was sick, we had a really great time visiting with them. And gave Karami our cold as well, poor girl. The kids, as per usual, were all over their cousin, who is getting vastly more entertaining very time they see him. Or it could be that his toys are getting more and more entertaining.

So last week we were sick and had visitors, and on Sunday Mike put his back out and has been off work this whole week. So my days have been chauffering him between his chiropractor and his family doctor (every morning this week has been spent doing this, big ugh), getting them all settled at home with survival gear all in place so Mike doesn't have to lift or pick up anything, then heading in to work, getting home and into bed around midnight, then up with the kids during the night since Mike is comatose on his pain meds (he's on percocet, I keep teasing him about how HOLLYWOOD that is LOL!!), The Princess is teething and is not sleeping at all during the night, Mr K keeps wandering between bedrooms lately and is so restless all night, I was listening to Mike snoring like a chainsaw in the other room, (so loud) and then up between 6-6:30 to start my day allll over again. I think I had just had it last night when I ended up between the two kids in my OWN bed last night, sandwiched betwixt kicking feet. And then Mr K had an accident, so I was up at 4 changing sheets and clothing, I said to hell with it and I threw the Princess in with Mike and grabbed another 2 hours of un-sandwiched sleep after I cleaned everything up.

It sounds like I am complaining, but really I am not. Sometimes don't you find that you just collapse at the end of a stint of 18 hour days filled with all sorts of crazy running-your-ass-off-ed-ness, grabbing 5-6 hours of extremely broken sleep and just wonder how you did it? Thats kinda where I am, shit happens and Mike didn't mean to throw his back out, but sometimes I am amazed at what you ( and by "you" I mean WOMEN) can just get done and not stop to think that you might drop dead of exhaustion? LMAO!

SO that's where I am, the point where I have finally sat down, relaxed, have two days off work, and I think I fell asleep while typing this, I lost time somewhere... and that would be why no one has been sent return emails or phone messages and I am sorry!

And to ease my suffering, I also managed to start my red wine ( hey, priorities! My house may not have been that clean this week, but I started my next batch of wine!) MMmmmm...I call this the red wine for white wine lovers.



And tonight I also finally did some baking, my whole wheat pumpkin muffins extrodinaire.



Tomorrow is free swimming day for the kids at Mr K's school but I honestly think I would drown from lack of energy to stay afloat, but who knows, I'm going to head to bed early tonight and *if* the kids manage to only get me up once or twice, I may go with the little man and leave the two babies at home. (ouch, did I just say that? snicker)

There's also a picnic Saturday evening with the families from school that I am very excited to go to after this week, something really fun to look forward to!

LOL

NO,it its NOT up on my lawn yet all you smart asses out there. But I saw this at the Dollarama and it made me literally chortle out loud in the aisle so I had to buy it.

I Didn't Plant....

...any of these petunias that I moved here....


..or this weird half white half pink petunia either.......or this aster.....or the other one I found growing....

...or this mini wee pansy...
...or this marigold and the other one in the backyard like it.


Very weird. I had a TON of petunias crop up, all different colors, red, pink, white and that mixed one, marigolds where there shouldn't be marigolds and the asters. I think that someone mixed in petunia seeds into something that I put in the back, I have about 20 plants that I sure didn't buy or plant on purpose. Weird.

And my cantaloupe that mocks me. Seriously, 3 months and I FINALLY get blooms? Whatever. I am seriously considering moving it inside or something because its puny and I want to see if it keeps growing.

OOOhhh Good Reading....

I am currently reading The Summoning, by Kelley Armstrong:

And thanks to a lovely gift from Amanda I plowed through eagerly the last week the next book in the werewolf series: (ooh SO good!!)



And then the next book which is about a witch introduced in Stolen. (again, SO good!)

I love these books! I don't know if I ever posted the link to the authors website but here it is:
Kelley Armstrong. I really am going to dig up the rest and read them,I am REALLY hooked now!

Backstreet Boys

Fuzzy picture, but a great time was had! Those "boys" grew up into some smokin' hot men LOL!
And I was amazed as usual how many songs I knew! Or embarrassed, take your pick. Ok well I have freely admitted I was going to the concert, so I'm not that ashamed. Boy, we thought there would be more tweens and 20 somethings, I think it was mainly cougars in training (which is the category we fall in of course) and full fledged cougars lol!

Veggies..Or The Lack Thereof

I feel like crap so I sent Mike out to take some pics of veggies and this is what I got. Not that the rest are sooo spectacular, its been a season of major disasters, my cauliflower and broccoli both went to crap and flowered in the heatwave, so I have none of those. I think one of my tomato plants has mushy tomatoes (what the hell??) , my corn is stunted, I have one squash that managed to not instantly rot, my brussel sprouts are short, and my celery as well.

So my one tomato plant that did ok. ONE. I'll check the other one tomorrow but they just look wrong somehow. I am a wee bit bitter that last year, I threw a plant into the flowerbed that my neighbor gave me, the thing grew 5 feet tall, with dozens of tomatos on it (had to ripen most of them inside in the fall but they were still there!) and now this year I TRY to grow them, and I get this.



And the squash that we are all having fun watching LOL. As bitter as I sound, at least we have one to watch grow and try out. The kids are really enjoying checking on it, we may as well name the silly thing at this point, they are fascinated with it. It is a winter squash, which means I have to leave it for the skin to harden in the fall, then bring it in. Vegetable Marrow Squash = All That Rona Had Left...we shall see what it tastes like.


I do believe tho, I have learned my lesson from my edible garden tour, and next year I am only going to treat the very top portion of the soil, I will be buying bags of rich material and putting it on the top and maybe 2 inches into the soil, and thats IT. I think I mixed it in too much and it wasn't on the top where the veggies needed it.

Even my red runners aren't as prolific this year, but are still flowering and I am getting beans at last, my ol' reliables.

Our First Batch of Wine

Had some issues with the corks (I think they were too big, they were WEIRD) and we got 28 bottles (fewer than we should have lol) but it tastes pretty good. I forgot what we made but I think its a Chardonnay. We're going to give red a try next!

I Can't Wait

Rings Screenwriters Back For Hobbit

UK, August 20, 2008 - The Oscar-winning team behind the Lord of the Rings screenplays will officially reunite for the Hobbit films.

Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, who successfully completed the massive job of adapting Tolkien's epic tome for the big screen and won an Oscar for their work on The Return of the King, are set to turn their talents to the author's more modestly-sized prequel - and a sequel which will bridge the two projects.

Variety reports that production on the Guillermo Del Toro-directed efforts is set to begin in late 2009, with release dates of 2011 and 2012 set for the films.

Oooh am I excited, The Hobbit is one of my favorite books ever, and I can't WAIT to see these!! What is really scary is that 2011 isn't that far off really..it will be here before we know it.

Edible Garden Tour

Saturday was the Edible Garden tour, put on by the Urban Farmer . It was an incredibly great 6.5 hours (10-4:30, ran half an hour late) and even tho I had my doubts about being entertained by gardening and gardeners for that long, it went SO fast, and was SO interesting! We visited 7 yards officially, then peeked into backyards on an alley tour as well LOL.

I hardly took any pictures! I was honestly listening so hard and trying to absorb everything that was being said, that I took maybe 9 pictures the whole time! Whooops.

These were plums grown by a gentleman who had many plum,apple, and Evans cherries in his yard.

The Evans cherries, which tasted pretty good, not as good as the normal cherries, but a unique flavor for sure. I am pondering planting one of these in the front now....they are a beautiful looking tree as well as bearing lots of fruit.

One of the front yards turned into a garden, she had said she had a few failures this year so it doesn't look like she wants, but she had all sorts of veggies, including the yellow flowering Jerusalem Artichoke in the middle, which I guess you can eat the tuberous roots like potatoes. It was taller than I am.


I would love now to attend some of his workshops, there aren't many left this year, but I definitely plan on keeping eye on his website for next year!

Summer Reading

I really haven't had time to update since I tend to plow through books in the summer while the kids are playing outside, so here's a list of most of what I've read, and most I bought so they are up for lending if you want to read them.

The Road - by Cormac McCarthy (excellent)

The Outstanding Adventures of the Hunt Sisters- by Elisabeth Robinson (entertaining)

Goodnight Nobody (belongs to Amanda) & Little Earthquakes-both by Jennifer Weiner (really wry, entertaining chick lit, two thumbs up!)

Here On Earth -by Alice Hoffman (excellent)

The Secret River - by Kate Greenville (a topic I have never read about, convict colonists in Australia, fascinating fiction book)

Spinning Around - by Catherine Jinks (chick lit)

I also finished that tome that Beckie lent me, Pillars of the Earth and its a fabulous read. Add in of course, my Iris Johanson's, my JD Robb's, and I got addicted to Fern Micheal's series about women vigilantes, they captured my interest when they Bobbitt'ed some men for revenge in the first one LOL! I would like to read them all.

And I hit VV the past week, so I have now to read Love In The Time of Cholera, The Rapture of Canaan, and I am going to try out a Joy Fielding finally, Don't Cry Now. I see her books eveywhere and thought I may as well check them out.

Just Some Celeb Quotes That Made Me Laugh

"It's the most fun I have ever had and. also the biggest pain in the ass I have ever experienced."
–Brad Pitt, on fatherhood

"I can honestly say all the bad things that ever happened to me were directly attributed to drugs and alcohol. I mean, I would never urinate at the Alamo at nine o'clock in the morning dressed in a woman's evening dress sober. "
Ozzy Osbourne

I would not live forever, because we should not live forever, because if we were supposed to live forever, then we would live forever, but we cannot live forever, which is why I would not live forever.
Miss Alabama at the 1994 Miss Universe pageant, when asked "If you could live forever, would you and why?"

When other little girls wanted to be ballet dancers I kind of wanted to be a vampire.
Angelina Jolie

"I phoned my grandparents and my grandfather said, 'We saw your movie.' 'Which one?' I said. He shouted, 'Betty, what was the name of that movie I didn't like?'"
Brad Pitt

I don’t really think. I just walk.
Paris Hilton

Another Vase-full

Just another vase full of flowers from the backyard, I am not sure which ones they are, but thanks to the birds (hey, gotta give credit where credit's due, it sure wasn't my planting) I have these awesome, perfect sized little sunflowers growing. I have several different kinds, I can tell just by looking at their shapes and sizes, but these are the ones I want to grow next year, they are the perfect vase size.

I am so glad that I moved those lilies from beside the front walk, I have orange stains all over my hands and arms from cutting them, the pollen is AWFUL for stains! It did make me wonder tho if indigenous people from wherever these lilies grew naturally (I don't think they are native to Alberta) ever used it to color anything in the past, (what a weirdo I am, honestly) but I looked at my skin and thought wow, what an amazing natural dye that is. Until I walked around with weird looking hands, not so cool.


Tomorrow will be the edible garden tour that Amanda and I are going on, I am really looking forward to it, not so much the 6 hours in plus 30 weather, but the gardens and yards we get to snoop in (hurray! and not look weird for staring!) and ask questions about. So of course there will be tons of pics that I will post,mainly for my reference, but you can take a peek at what we saw.

We spent the afternoon at the beach again, Mike met us there after work, and I am so tired but in a very good, spent time outdoors, summertime kinda way. I even think Mr K is sleeping, which is a miracle. I like that its getting dark earlier, I don't like that it means fall is on its way, but I do like that the kids are finally, slowly, getting back into their normal routine somewhat.

God, almost Backstreet Boys time, and the start of kindergarten. Which I try to ignore lest I burst into tears at the thought of my firstborn going. Sniffle.

Have a wonderful, hot summer weekend everyone! Get out those kiddie pools and beer!

Hahahahaha!

Ok, we are watching Sesame Street as I type, and this snippet came on, Mr K is laughing soooo hard at it, without getting the irony and mockery behind it LMAO.

I am still laughing about the block corner lol. Aaaah have a good snort watching it and remember why we all looooved this show when we were growing up.

Canadian Idol - Fantastic

Ha! Not a mis-type or oxymoron (not this season at least). We are just HOOKED this year. I happened to tune in at the beginning of the season, and have been amazed by the talent. I think its because most of the finalists actually play an instrument this year, while I know it takes hard work to sing, I am more impressed by people who are out there, trying to break in, working hard, writing their own music, plying their craft. And most of these people are just that, people who have a love for their guitar and their music. I was just so over Idol, then the talent they have on this year have both Mike (a hard sell!)and I watching every week.

Not only are we watching, but the kids stay up and watch, this is Mr K's favorite show at the moment! He LOVES the guitarists and lives for when he gets to watch it!

This kid Mookie, (from Toronto, he is only 18!)I fell in love with as soon as I saw him sing Twist and Shout,if I had ever come close to "swooning", this would be it.He is so incredibly talented! You can look up more vids on Youtube and watch him and see yourself, this was my favorite tho.There's no way this kid won't be recording soon, and I can't WAIT to see what he comes out with.




And Earl, (good ol' Lloydminster) well, I have a crush on him :) he is Bob Dylan wrapped up in some Leonard Cohen with a dash of soul.



And Theo Tams,(Lethbridge) his voice just says it all. Its gorgeous and he's an amazing pianist.



I just want them all to win!

Things

Sshhhh, don't tell work, but I miraculously have about 10 days off in a row! About time, I am worn out from those early morning shifts, wonderful to get off at 2:30, not so wonderful to start at 6:30 though!

I have my gardening tour this weekend with Amanda, should be very interesting, I am hoping for great weather of course. Then a whole lot of relaxing I am hoping.

The first bouquet I have cut, a gladiola, a lupine, and some larkspurs. Not sure what happened with my glads, I bought a 20 pack of ALL PURPLE. That is the least purple-looking glad I have ever encountered....there are a lot more about to bloom, so we shall see what I get.


Self portrait of us at the beach.


My lilies and sunflower..
And a visitor on our front lawn. I am not sure why they haven't eaten my garden yet....everything is still where is should be..maybe they are smart and just waiting for it to grow larger!

Things

My second bunch of snap peas and yellow beans from the garden..mmmmm..steamed together they are too yummy!

My midget echinacea. Blooming profusely on these stubby little stems.

Luna loving the sunflowers. Not that smart, but we like her anyways.

I am again, totally exhausted, we had a crazy wonderful busy day, playground in the morning with friends we haven't seen in a while, then rushed home to get our beach gear and then straight off to the south end to play on the beach with Lynn again.

The Princess kept talking about Lynn and calling her Karlynn instead after we left the first time we visited, she's at that stage where its funny to call us by our first names. Mike brought me a coffee outside today and she piped up "Oh, Mike brought you a coffee mommy!" and sometimes when she scolds him she says "Miiiiiiike!" which has us just roaring of course. Because its the same tone and manner that *I* scold him in ;)

Mr K at the moment is not sleeping, and is asking me if we can buy a footwash and put it on the sidewalk in front of the house. "but whyyyy can't we buy a footwash?? " Well Mr K, they are only for the beach for your feet, says I. "Well I want to live on the beach". To this I reply "go ask your dad why he hasn't bought us an island" and off he is to find dad.

Speaking of which, said Mike had to gall today to say in a slightly disparaging tone how hot the week is going to be, at which point I told him to stop swearing in front of the children, and to just go stand upstairs in front of the air conditioner, and never let those words cross his lips again. I will NOT complain about the heat or the sun or the temp in the house. I am so glad to have some summer weather that I refuse to jinx it by moaning about it. I am so A-ok with hot!

JANE - I can't access your blog, you musn't love me anymore :( I need my hummingbird photo fix!! karlynn@telus.net you nuked me! sniffle. you are just jealous of my Lupins. :)

And I will keep up on the blogging, my sister actually CALLED me today because I hadn't updated my blog in a while and she wanted to know what's up with me. Must-avoid-phone-calls-at-all-costs.....blogging it is! lol.

Hope everyone is damn hot and enjoying every sweat laden moment of it!

What's New

LOTS. But mostly I am dead tired lately, I took on 3 morning shifts in a row and my body does NOT like waking up at 5 every morning. Doing it again next weekend, whee!

Can't wait till the long weekend when K and I get to be cougars at the Backstreet Boys concert!

Our first wine batch is almost done, will post pics when finished!

The kids and I are spending lots of time outside of course, and will be living outside this week of wonderful hot weather, at last, the pool can come out again!

My parents should be coming up the week of the 11th and that will be endless hours of entertainment for us all. Perhaps mike and i will sneaky sneak out to a movie...ooooh!

We forgot our anniversary! I shit you not. We had a heck of a week, and a crazy day the day of, and I happened to look at the calendar on the 30th and said, oh crap! I'm too tired to relate the whole story, lets save that for another time lol! So we'll have a belated one soon. Perhaps when said parents are up to watch the kids. 8 years and our minds are obviously going.

More flower pics to come later on..just thought I would let everyone know I am still here and not just smelling the roses all summer.

Evil

Creepy evil guinea pigs... I looked at this pic Mike took and shuddered, they look eeeeevil! Wee beady glowing eyes, ready to EAT YOU!

Purty

I haven't ever grown these, and even this year it wasn't on purpose, I have the birds to thank for scattering the bird seed everywhere (don't get me started on WHAT A MESS it has been. ) I think as lovely as they are the bird feeder will be moved somewhere else next year where everything can't take root, its been constant weeding and cleaning I could have had a crop of sunflowers had I let everything grow.

They are however, delightful and a welcome dash of sunny color when we are getting this absolute CRAP weather this summer. I can't wait for the other ones to bloom. Mr K keeps telling me that we can eat the "tasty seeds" (same phrase he uses over and over lol).

Oh, and an A+ for the easiest flower to grow ever, they need NOTHING.