Tuesday, April 01, 2008

Digging

Thanks to the readers who suggested I plant those sprouting onions! And joy of joys, tiny Bibb lettuces are popping up behind them.

The kids like to dig, and I have a high tolerance for dirt. I'd much rather have the toddler scooping rice in an chipped enamel tray than clicking a V-Tech toy.

Andrew keeps a collection of sticks near the mud of the swing tree. Each one has a specialized tip--a stylus, a fat knob, a crack which scoops a perfect V.

Woe to the mother who accidentally puts these in the brush pile.

There is great freedom in knowing that your kids' clothes cost $1 and that the hardwood floor can be mopped (again) in the morning.

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yes, the best thing we ever did was remove the carpet from this house. Wood floors are a lot more 'family friendly' for kids and dogs.
Hope you are enjoying spring in your area of the country. We got our garden planted two weeks ago. We are putting the last few seeds into the ground this week. Soon we will be enjoying the fruits of the labor.
Thanks for the wonderful blog. Roxie

Anonymous said...

I just have to say, I'm jealous that you can already plant your 'garden'! I know Tennessee is a mite warmer than Wisconsin, but I can't even think of planting until Memorial Day here! *sigh*.....

Sticks make the best toys! Kids and their imaginations never cease to amaze me! :)

Anonymous said...

I find that wood spoons, plastic bowls, and measure cups make great toys too. I always snap them up when I see them at garage sales etc. The most loved 'toy' in the day care is the big 10'X10' sand box in the back yard. The kids always head there first. It is full of trucks, bowls, spoons, and sticks that are 'bridges' they have built. I think all the video games in the world could be left in the stores if you give a child a spoon and a pile of dirt. Roxie

Anonymous said...

You said it sister! I happily wash 3-6 muddy outfits from the creek daily!

Thank you, Thriftsmart!;)


so happy u r home

TJ said...

Good for you Meredith! Your kids are getting a real education! I don't mind the baskets full of laundry we bring back from camping because it means there was plenty of frog catching and playing in the dirt.

Anonymous said...

Sticks are the best outdoor toys, aren't they? They are the all-purpose tool ... shovel, prodder, poker, sword, light saber, trail marker, hoe, rake. Each one serves a different purpose, and we have a few precious ones that are taped together with masking tape! LOL

The basic 'boy' wardrobes of sweat pants and shirts (cold weather) and shorts and t-shirts (warm weather), whether they are obtained as gifts or at garage sales, dollar stores, clearance sales or hand-me-downs, are easy enough to clean, I agree.

I'm still debating whether to rip out the carpeting in the living room in exchange for hardwood (bamboo) flooring ... it would be so much easier to clean. We've already decided that the carpeting in the hall is going. I'm even toying with ripping the carpeting out of all the bedrooms too in exchange for hardwood.

BessieJoy said...

Oh, I agree wholeheartedly! I linked to this post on my blog.

Jennifer said...

My kids LOVE playing in the mud. As I get older I get more tolerant of this, which is a good thing. I figure boys need to be boys.

Lynette said...

My girls like getting dirty too and I think that it is great for them. I do a lot of wash but that is ok!!!

Kat said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Kat said...

I've never had my onions do anything but shrivel up and get mushy. I can't wait to get my hands on my garden and for all the snow to melt.
Thank you for your great post.

Amy said...

You are such a fun mommy! I can't wait until this Indiana weather warms up so I can enjoy some fun in the sun. The best part will be turning the sprinklers on to wash the dirt away and get them nice and clean again!

Nancy said...

There's nothing better than a day spent with your hands in the dirt - whether you're the kid or the mama! I just posted about some digging in the dirt I did...planted pansies in pots! Ah, spring.

Anonymous said...

I so agree!
After she "helped" me string the snowpeas before supper tonight, my toddler "cooked" the strings contentedly with her stash of odds and ends until supper. She thinks that sweeping is fun, too, so the mess is actually cleared up. Of course it doesn't always work out that way, but still, makes a momma proud.

Unknown said...

What better memories can kiddos have than making those mud pies in the back yard? And to see something that was "going bad" make new life, that is such a wonderful sight!

Anonymous said...

Ah, yes, the joys of diry fingernails....I'm afraid that here (Minnesota), we'll have to wait a good while longer to get outside. I content myself with moving some houseplants to bigger pots, & starting seeds under lights.

Brenda

Anonymous said...

My mother used to always say you must of had a good day if you came in covered with dirt. I used to say that to my youngest dd when she was in kindergarten. She used to come home grey no matter what colour she wore in the morning. Clare

Anonymous said...

Ah, yes...woe is me~I once burned the "snake stick" in one of our little chimnea bonfires! They haven't let me forget...
;)Kat

Sandy said...

We had hardwood floors in our old house, great for kids! Now mostly carpet in this house, but at least I have my kids trained to take shoes off! HA!
We've already planted lettuce in our garden! WOO HOO!

Anonymous said...

I love the detail about Andrew's little pile of stick tools : )

we had 59 degrees yesterday and sunny windy today! A whole lot o' meltin' going on, and it's fabulous. Slept with the windows open last night.

Nothing green yet, the only surprise the receding snow has revealed are last November's roadside election placards...Tom Tancredo, Ron Paul, John Edwards... It seems like a lifetime ago.

deb meyers

Tubo Family said...

Meredith, this is one of the areas you are most inspiring to me! Thank you!

Jenny's Vegcafe said...

Are the onion plants for decoration or can you eat them later? I ask because I have about three sprouted onions in my onion drawer.

BTW, I'm doing a Spring giveway in a few days. ; )

Renee said...

I have learned to let our 4 kids get dirty and play in the dirt. I get all our clothes at the thrift store for cheap on 50% off tag days.

The point of letting them is so they can experience one of the best joys of being a kid. Being able to play in the dirt.

Kids are only kids once.Adults can also have fun and act like kids too in the dirt.

The kids will remember that when they are grown and look back, that mom and dad took the time to have such fun with them.

I was thinking about our childrens future memories the other day and thought I hope that they think of us as parents that took the time to listen,and play with them.

I envy the weather around your parts. I thought here in Pa that it was starting to get pretty warm but now it's chilly again.It will be awhile till we get to the point that your at.

When I saw that your bibb lettuce is showing I got excited as I am hoping to make an awsome bibb salad that I had at a local resturant. Bibb lettuce with toasted pine nuts, pickled red onions, and a homemade rasberry vinagrette with blue cheese crumbles.

Well have a nice day!
Renee