Paint

Once upon a time there was sweet little girl who decided to give up television for Lent.  On Sundays, there was a reprieve.  So she got up before seven to let the tv watching begin!  She tiptoed into her parents' room to quietly ask if she could turn on the television.  Why waste a single moment with your music or Barbies when there is a black tv just waiting to bring life into the room?  And so she had her way with the tv.  Until there were more exciting things to do..outside! : )


It was a gorgeous 80 degree day here, and not an ounce of humidity in sight!  Awesome day to be outside.  We started slowly, but ended up being out ALL afternoon!  Ches trimmed all of our monkey grass (big blue liriope, if you are a stickler), and I planted some flowering bushes I bought about a month ago: a new hydrangea and two peony bushes.  Ok, I should really correct.  I bought the little sticks that become these nice plants.
Here is what the peonies should look like:

Yes, they had me at Guaranteed To Grow.

..and this is the hydrangea packaging.  Also Guaranteed To Grow.

Are you really ready?

This little stub (center, kinda to right) is going to be a peony shrub.  Ha, I know.  But maybe when it's big and beautiful, I'll give you some cuttings!

And here is my little hydrangea.  I bought an Endless Summer Hydrangea two years ago, and I really did get summer-long blooms (and it's still alive!), but this one was only $8.  Big Difference.  Let's just see how it does. : )

I also watered all my plants, and let Ethan dig up some of my vinca vine (that stuff grows as crazy as spearmint or kudzu!!) to plant, since I didn't have any flowers for him to place in his little holes, and he was going to pull up these precious pansies to replant:

They are so happy in partial shade-they would cry over in that stupid bark pit.

Anyway, here is Ethan SO proud of his planted vinca, dug and planted personally with his own (snow) shovel:

Proud Gardener (I don't think he can fail with that stuff!)

And then we made pizza, had dinner outside, and proceeded to fill our evening with paint.

I just love to watch her paint.  She's so careful, and so patient.  And then..

she starts flinging water Maestro-style!

Ethan painted too-I love his too because he has no fear of mixing colors, and it always turns out so beautiful.

Very Carefully.

Look at the two for me...I'm so blessed! : )

And then I began to use leftover paper to clean out the black from each of Ethan's paints, and Mary Claire liked it.

..so this is for my girl.  Notice how the paints got cleaner and purer from right to left?  My only complaint..water colors need a white so you can make light colors.  Like Pink.

I tried and tried to get a good picture of Clay, but he's ten.  Much too old to pose or smile for his momma.  I got this as he disappeared; these are the only ones I got today:

pulling his pants up..

and then Gone.

I hope he doesn't stay in this stage forever, I love his beautiful face.

Last funny for today:
Ethan had some Cheetos for snack, and he said he got a toothbrush-shaped one.  I went to get my camera, and when I came back, Mary Claire was brushing his teeth with it!  Yum.

They said the only thing better was if they had Cheeto-flavored toothpaste!