Random Thoughts

I have been thinking about many things over the past week and have had a chance to reflect on several aspects of my life and my children. I will share a few.

1. Nick has realized that not all adults are interchangeable. He used to cry unless someone, anyone, was holding him. Tom and I both have teaching assignments during church so a wonderful relief society sister usually watches Nick after sacrament meeting. It has worked out great, until last week when we went to do the hand off and Nick came all sorts of unglued. It was definitely a new cry and he was so upset that we were sending him with a stranger. While it makes things harder, I am secretly glad that he really likes his mama and daddy best of all.

2. Underneath the teenage veneer that Miriya so often wears, lurks a thoughtful, articulate young woman that can be a very good friend. She lets me see that side of her just long enough so that I am sure it is NOT a mirage. She then closes it off and reverts back to the Miriya that I am more accustomed to having around the house. But it does give me a glimmer of hope that perhaps my parenting skills aren't as bad as I feared. I'll take it, even if it is only occasionally.

3. I REALLY hate gardening. I actually love a nice garden. I was one of the crazy people that paid good money to walk around Red Butte Gardens when we lived in Utah. I consider myself extremely lucky that we have a larger and equally beautiful arboretum near our house that is free. That being said. I would rather do almost anything than work in my own yard. We had a horrible bush right in front of our house near the garage. It was too large, attracted Japanese beetles and was unsightly. I had Taylor hack it down on Saturday. By the whines of everyone else in the family, you would have thought that I was killing off a beloved member. Whatever. I hate all plants in my yard that require watering, weeding, pruning or general upkeep in any way. That tree was the worst offender because it required all of the upkeep and was still ugly. Moving to Ohio was a godsend in the garden department. You don't even have to water the garden here. I have perfected my spring garden. Bulbs, baby! Bulbs. These things were invented for the lazy gardener (me). I don't know why no one else in our neighborhood has discovered it yet. You plant them once and then they just get better and better year after year without you even lifting a finger. I have been working on my summer garden. Pincushion flowers seem to be the best. They bloom every year from late June to frost as long as you deadhead them. This takes my garden through the fall without me even digging in the dirt. My goal is to never put my hands in dirt again. Unfortunately, the kids love to plant a vegetable garden. We have one small patch on the side of our house that we reserve for vegetables. We plant beans and peas with good results. We try pumpkins and melons with not good results. I think it has something to do with Taylor running over the vines with the lawn mower. Anyway, vegetable gardens are NOT for the lazy gardener. I am pretty sure I can buy the produce cheaper and with less effort than it takes me to grow it. Too bad it is a commandment, and I do intend to obey all of Father's commandments...