Sun-scorch

It was so hot and intense today some of my newly planted iris are sun-scorched! EEEKKK! But although I was out all day I did not burn. I managed to cover all areas. Yes! My friend Angela and I dug flowers for her and I loaded all the woodwork up to bring home. It was a load I tell you. Matthew is still up, fighting sleep and I'm so tired I could fall asleep right here. I will shower first though.

I realized I forget to post on of my most surprising discovery. 2 days ago I found 3 baby kittens in my barn. I have put some food out for them in hope that they will stay and rat. I don't wish to go through that experience again. It was surprising because we don't have any outside cats. They are super cute yellow fuzzy things. No pics. They are pretty wild. Matthew has been trying to climb over the gate to see them. The first time he did it, it went perfect for him. You'd have thought he was 5. Tonight, not so hot. Little man boys should listen to their mommas. He didn't hurt himself though. What a daredevil. And it just gets worse, so I've heard. Insert the long drawn out groan here.

Thank you for all the comments about how beautiful my flowers are. They are lots of fun.

Not this summer...

Before I tell what won't be this summer, let me back up and discuss what we've been doing around here lately. Friday was the last day I will be employed till Aug 13th, unless I get some sortof part-time job. That means I'll get another small paycheck in June and nothing else till Sept., which will be a small paycheck. 3 months of starvation. Oh well, we'll all lose weight! Moving on, after work on Friday, Matthew and I hustled and finally got pets dropped off with my parents and arrived at Phil's around 11pm. Ugh. We all went to bed probably around midnight. Around 7:00 we all got up and rolled out of the apartment by 8am. We drove and drove and drove and arrived in the land of 1o,ooo lakes around 3:30pm. We went to visit one of my dearest friend's, Christa, her husband Matt, and Milo. (No, I didn't name Matthew after him or after my other dear friend's husband Matt.) Milo is 2 months old and such a doll. Matthew was very concerned about him when he was napping and crying. He'd go around the back of chairs to watch while someone cuddled him. It was super cute. In typical fashion, once we were there awhile he was on his best behavior and brought on the show. He charmed people all weekend. We stayed in the land of lakes till Monday afternoon and then we drove and drove and drove and finally made it back to the apartment. It was so perfect mini vacation. Matthew and I hung out for a day and Wed. drove back to the grandparents. Once there, Matthew played while Mom did some chores for her Mom. Finally we loaded up with all the pets and made it home. I was depressed to note it had not rained at all the entire time I was gone. It rained everywhere, but on my tender plants. Sigh. Since then Mom and Dad have babysat several times, while I continued transplanting plants and stripping woodwork. I've come to the place where I've decided I've moved all the plants I can stand to move for the time being and have stripped as much as I can, till they move all the junk out. It will probably be another 2 or 3 weeks before I can continue onward. It's all good with me.

Matthew has been asking lots and lots of questions and arguing about our answers, which means we have to explain more and then he says, "OHHHHHHH" with much enthusiasm. I think it's a game. He can catch big balls as they bounce now. He is asking to go potty in the big boy toilet with more frequency. Not always with any success, but it's a start. He is getting better about letting me know he's #2'd. He can identify so many animals now, like elephants, butterflies, ladybugs, giraffes and probably tons more. He figured out how to unlock my friend's front door and tried to escape. He now tries to move our deadbolts, but ours are harder to work, thank goodness. Our outside back door he can lock and unlock on his own. Could be a problem one day...note to self: carry keys at all times...

And the thing not happening this summer is me not having a sunburn. I felt so pleased with myself for putting on the high octane sunblock all this spring and I was determined not to burn. No skin cancer for this blonde hair, blue eyed, fair skinned girl. I did all that today, only to miss some spots on my arms and edge of my back. Rats, maybe by next year I'll have perfected my technique and win my fight with the sun.

A whole lotta pictures

Can I share my juice with you?

There's Mommy!

Here I'm hanging out with my new friends hanging out under the blankets.

I love the game of crochet.

Here Luann, I'll get your ball for you.

Playing crochet.

Stalking baby Milo.

I just love my Momma's coat.

Closeup of an iris.

But Mom, I'm good at hanging from the window sill.

If I can get this window unlocked...

Another potential bird parent trying to attract a mate, while building a nest in the propane tank.

I love horsey's!

Can do this all on my own.

Making an parking lot in a church basement.

I see a career in valet parking.

The large bird on the silo.

Large bird closer up, most likely a great horned owl.

Red iris.

Jumping Bean

For some reason my son is in love with my bed. He loves to curl up in the sheets, nap there, play there, roll there, jump there. It doesn't even matter if it has it's sheets on it. The boy will take the basket off the chair to get up there. And he hates coming down. It's an interesting phase.

We had a busy productive weekend stripping trim, planting more flowers (I know, is it possible?), visiting the Grandparents, debating how to get rid of poison ivy among flowers, going to a graduation party...we're exhausted. My brain has melted down so much I can't even think of the cute stuff Matthew said this weekend. What a shame. Because the whole reason for this blog is the boy. Of course, the plants creep in there just like poison ivy. I should probably put a warning on the blog. CAUTION: This lady is a plant nut! Don't read further if not interested in every tiny detail of her plants. (As they say on Everybody Loves Raymond, it's not really about the kids...)

Under house arrest

The criminal...
...in lock down.

Is it Easter time again?

No, ok, I'll just practice up for next year...

My fifth variety blooming. Awful picture because it's so windy today. I believe it might be the same as one of my Grandmom's varieties.

The Vinca varigated.

Trying to get a picture in the wind again.

The latest occupants of our home, Mr. and Mrs. Barn Swallow. They are hoping to raise a nice little family out of the way this summer.

A cool dragonfly. (And it's what Angela?)

One of my most beautiful irises so far in tatters, due to the wind. I wonder if it's Alpine Glow.

Another iris.

The yummy grape iris.


It feels like so little time has passed, when a whole week has passed. At least a work week. The biggest news is our little Scamp has finally done it and is under house arrest. He is on a line under a tree with his food and water during the day and on a line connected to his house during the night. What was his crime? For the last time he has dug up my flowers, so help me. I spent about 3 hours planting daffodil bulbs and redoing my jonquils Monday, just to have him dig up a 3rd of the jonquil/daffodil bed. Not happy. This happened bright and early yesterday morning. Scamp has tried to convince me he's learned his lesson and won't touch the house or bulbs again, but I see where he was trying to eat some wiring by his dog house. I don't buy it. So the only time he is free, is when we are outside with him. Which is quite a bit since it's mostly nice weather now.

The week has passed pretty smoothly. Monday our new window finally came in. It was installed Wednesday morning. Wednesday evening Matthew and I went to the Grandparents and helped them weed the flower beds. Yesterday we went and dug some more flowers from the abandoned house. I realized yesterday morning I have a variety of the lovely I. Pallida, which smells like the most wonderful grape koolaid ever. After dinner last night I planted some of the plants I got. I think they are Vinca Varigated, or periwinkle with cream and green leaves. I'm hoping I've found a plant that will dig the not ideal ground around my porch. Today Matthew and I tried to play outside, but the wind is awful. It's supposed to storm, and now that the clouds have built to a threatening level, I believe it.

Matthew has been learning more words and imitating words when he hears them. He still enjoys spending as much time as possible running around outside. I am trying to keep him out of the alfalfa and brome fields, due to the return of the snakes. Sometimes having a fenced in yard would be nice! Although I roamed all around the countryside as a kid and never got bit by a snake. He hasn't been sleeping the best lately. Which in turns means I don't sleep so well. I sure hope it's a phase. His favorite place to sleep these days: my bed. And it just doesn't seem big enough anymore.

Hansel and Gretzel revisited

This morning, while Matthew and I were eating breakfast, it never occurred to me to think of the wonderful story, Hansel and Gretzel. That is until I heard a noise that made me anxious. I had the feeling that wood of the house tasted delicious to the puppy again. And I'd be right. He was eating the corner of our window's sill. And he did a great job of it. This, of course, produced lots of hand waving and yelling, so I haven't seen him for awhile. But it made me think of the story. I've decided that I totally agree with Miranda on Sex and the City. She said once that the witch was totally misunderstood. Here she built her dream home and these brats came along and started eating her home. I have total empathy for the witch now. She was misunderstood and misrepresented. I have home, that I guess is my dream home, and I'm trying very hard to fix it up, just to have a brat dog decide that it's a mid morning/day/evening/after dinner mint for him. It's frustrating to no end. If we can't get the wood fixation under control, this family and the puppy will be parting ways. I will work with the flowers issues, but the house demolition is where I draw my line. If anyone has any suggestions on how to make the pup stop, please send them right away.

All the bottom of my porch posts look like this, or have less wood because he's yanked it out...

$70 a board, siding he's splintered.

The latest damage. Yep, I feel for the poor witch.

The irises did bloom this morning in the house.

Very pretty.

And you want to know how I slept? Well, awful, thanks for asking! Matthew decided to get up around 3:30am and not let me sleep till 4:30 and then back up at 6:30am and chattered until I gave up at 7:30am. So I got a couple hours of excellent sleep and then from 3ish on not good. I will be taking a nap here shortly.

Last night I forgot to say that Phil and Matthew didn't just get haircuts and gas Saturday. They also picked up roses for me. I was in the process of drying my hair, when I looked up to see that Matthew was presenting me with a bunch of roses nearly as big as him. He looked so sweet and cute. I hope I can remember that forever.

Big footed galoot

I guess this is why I love the big footed galoot...

Big footed galoot and a productive weekend

While trying to show my husband that my one flower bed has 3 different types of purple irises, the big footed galoot decided to show off and jump over the irises. As you can see, all this accomplished was alot of yelling and the knocking off of 3 buds that probably would have bloomed tomorrow. Grrrr....puppies, why do we need to adopt them again??

I'm so cute in my Dad's shoes...

I'm nearly angelic like...

Iris blooming at my Grandmom's.

I just love allium blossoms.


We have had a big weekend. Saturday Phil and Matthew left in the morning for haircuts and gas, while I cleaned the kitchen. After lunch Matthew napped, while Phil and I tackled the yard. Both lawnmowers had been on the fritz, but Phil changed the spark plugs and we were in business. I pushed mowed and he riding mowed for 3 hours, after which he weed-eated, or however you spell it. In the middle of it I got a call that they were planning to tear down the old house we got bulbs from and should come dig all the rest we wanted. So Mom came and got Matthew for a sleep over and I dug bulbs. I have as many daffodils as I can manage at the moment, I think. I shared a variety with my mom, as well as lily of the valley's I dug for her. It pays to watch my son. While I was digging, the man who had bought the house stopped by. He let us in the house and yeah! He's letting me take any moldings, lights, doors, windows, and doorknobs I want out of the house! I'm very happy to receive more trim as I needed more for our house projects. After I got home and showered the dirt off me, Phil and I went on a little date night to dinner and a movie. Ghosts of Girlfriends Past is very funny, but definately a chick flick. I believe Phil wished he was at Star Trek instead.

Today we journeyed to my parents to retrieve our bundle of love and celebrate Mother's Day. We ate lunch and then went to see Great-Grandmom. She was in a great mood and Matthew put on a good show. She even thanked us for bringing live entertainment. Now Matthew and I are relaxing while Phil is on his way home. The weekend just in never long enough for this family.

Paint brushes and plants

Paint brushes in my shoe make me happy.

Silly little man.

First iris to burst forth in bloom.

Name: Queen of May?

After much research: Star of Bethleham Not a good thing to have in the yard, but it smells good.


We got up bright and early this morning and it's been busy ever since. We'll be leaving in about an hour and 1/2 for the school, where we'll stay till 6pm. Then we'll be off to the parents and the visitation. I think Matthew is too small to sit still at a funeral. Anyway, while being busy this morning Matthew found some of my paint brushes and had a wonderful time sticking them in his socks and shoes. I had to take a picture it was so cute. He has also been trying to sing Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes.

Last night was the first night is 3 nights Matthew didn't wake up crying, but the thunder and rain woke me up instead. We got 2/10's of an inch. That makes 1/2" since I came home to the 4". Maybe the rain finally encouraged one iris to finally open. And I believe that it is the Queen of May. It's a very pretty light rosy purple iris with a fragrance like citronella if you ask me. I'm glad that I didn't buy one earlier this spring because I almost did. Now I'm wondering if I should wait on some of the others I was going to buy this summer...I did alot of research on plants last night and it wasn't encouraging. The little white flowers that come up are bad, wild violets are bad, and possibly one type of iris too! I can't win!