Detention Flowers

Gladiolas. They always remind me of high school - Mount Saint Joseph Academy. My high school was attached to a convent. And in that convent lived very, very old nuns. Whenever anyone got detention, it always involved the nuns. In the winter, you'd have to read to them, and it was usually a really racy love novel. In the fall, they would sit in their lawn chairs outside and instruct you on pruning the gladiolas. They had hundreds. All colors. They were beautiful.

The gladiolas bloom earlier here than they do at home - almost a full month. I love them. And the nuns probably thought that we were the biggest bunch of hoodlums because detention was always full. I don't think that they knew about the waiting list in the office. We always volunteered.

A rare moment....

of peace and quiet in an usually hectic time of day. The hours of 4-6 pm have always been a little stressful for me because everything happens at once. Dinner needs to be made, the baby is fussy, Nina's had it (and we're all paying for it), the dog wants to go out-in-out-in, cats wants to eat....and well, I start eyeing the wine a little closer with each passing minute.

Today, poor Nina has a migraine. Of course, she didn't tell me that her head hurt until we got to the grocery store and she walked around saying, "Oh - I'm gonna throw up", a little too loud. Boy did people move! We got out of there in record time. She fell asleep in the car, and she's still snoozing in her bed. I feel bad for her. I don't get migraines very often anymore, and I hope that she outgrows them.

So, Asher and I have been quiet downstairs, while she sleeps. He's finally able to use his toddler crayons. I gave up on the paper and just let him color his highchair tray. Gotta wash it up anyway. He's cute with them - and yes, he's eating them. A childhood right, I guess.



I'm not too sure why she got a migraine. Most of the "triggers" are food related, and she didn't eat any of them today. It might be because her ponytails were in too tight. Her hair had been braided the last two days, and we took it out this morning. She had the biggest white-girl afro, so we had to put it back up. Maybe that was it. Who knows?

So much for the candid shot

I was trying to get a picture of the funny cat sleeping in front of the door, and Asher came over and plunked himself down. Show stealer.

Meanwhile, in the other room, Nina was engrossed in some vintage Disney movie - probably Chitty Chitty Bang Bang - which drives everyone but her crazy.

If you get the same fortune twice

does that mean it's true????

....because I did. Several years apart, but the same, none-the-less. Oh, so true (LOL!!!!!).

In the garden of rambling thoughts

Every spring, I set out to have a beautiful garden. One without weeds, flowers rotating at the perfect time, always fresh and in bloom. The type of garden that stops people on their evening dog walks and makes them say, “Wow! What a beautiful place”. I set out that way. And it last for a week, two tops. In short, stuff happens, and by mid-July we look like the Munsters. Again. I have all the makings and skills for that perfect garden, but what I lack in gumption. Whatever gumption is, I need some of that. By mid-July I’m so disappointed in myself and my lack-luster garden, that I want to mow the whole thing down and plant grass, but I know that I won’t water it, so it would just be a giant bare patch in the front yard.

This morning I stood in the front yard, looking at the overgrown patch, with Asher in my arms and Nina running all over the place – sighing. It will take hours, no make that days, to clean the mess out. I don’t think that I have it in me to do that. I don’t think I care enough at this point to even bother. And it’s hot out here. And there are bugs. And is that thing even a plant or some sort of hybrid weed? And isn’t there a water shortage? Somewhere?

Both my mom and mother-in-law have beautiful gardens. All sorts of flowers and plants that grow and make sense. Both women walk me around their garden saying, "Look at my so-and-so plant. Isn't it just gorgeous". Sure. I guess. Honestly, unless you stop right in front of it, point it out and make me touch it, then I have no idea what you're talking about. They might as well have a blue-footed boobie walking though the yard because all I can see is a 3 foot chubby toddler running toward whatever he's not suppose-to be near, and his sister performing some sort of acrobatic feat because my back it turned for 2 seconds. They're lucky that I was paying attention long enough to hear what they said. I think it's because their children are grown and gone, that their gardens are so beautiful. They have the time to nurture and care for them.

I'm growing children. The flowers are lucky to even be alive.

Not much news.....

....here on the Botvin front. The kids are getting bigger, school is starting next month, and the daily life goes on. Asher has been cutting his last 7 teeth for the past couple of weeks, and yes, he's getting them all at once. It's been a little rough, but not horrible. He's talking quite a bit more, saying, "eat, all done, ut-oh, kitty, down, that (said over and over again, while pointing)". He's a funny little man. He loves his Teletubbies, Playschool Farm set, books, riding car, and most of all, his sister.
Nina is doing well - getting older. I never knew that "almost 6 year olds" knew everything that there was to know in the world, and that they can do everything by themselves. I really am the idiot that she thinks I am. Silly me. She's changing, and it's all good - just annoying at times. She's better when she's busy, which means that I need to do most of the entertaining, or carting her around. She is funny as hell, though. She's growing her bangs out, and she looks so much older and prettier. I always liked the bangs, but she wants them longer, so we're dealing with the ponytail holders and headbands.

Blake and I are doing well....more summer house projects. Blake power washed the back deck over the 4th of July weekend, and now we're just waiting for a not-so-hot day to stain and weatherproof it. Horrible job, either way you look at it, but it will be done for a few years.

I've been doing a few craft shows, so business is picking up. I need to clearance some of my odds and ends on ebay because my studio is so packed that I can't walk in there.

How are things in your neck of the woods??

etsy trade

Sometimes I have to admit defeat. Adding a banner to my etsy shop is one of those times. I suck at Photoshop. Hands down. And I suppose I could come up with something, and be happy with it, but it would take me HOURS and lots and lots of swearing. There are a ton of graphic designers on etsy, who work for nothing in comparison to my frustration level. I sent out a request for what I wanted, and 45 people responded. I'm happy with the final result.

I traded two dresses with a photographer in California. http://jennybphotos.com/. Nina is getting too big for some of my styles, so I have to find a toddler. I love this picture.

When I've had it.....

A while ago, a friend of mine told me that you know it's time for your child to go to school when you can't stand the sight of each other anymore. We might be getting to that point.


I think it would be easier if she had a sibling closer in age, but she doesn't, so I'm the reserve playmate. And I'm not a very good one most of the time. Not that I mind playing with her, I really love it, but I can't do that all day - every day - because nothing else gets done. So, there are times when she needs to do something alone, so I can clean, or do laundry, or make dinner....forget about the outside work. It's just not happening.


Blake and his dad went to a folk fest in New York, Old Songs, this past weekend. They were gone 4 days, and I'm glad that they went because they don't get to spend much time alone together. Everything went fine at home, until Sunday. Let me back that up - everything went fine as long as we did what Nina wanted to do, which is typical for any kid, so I don't hold that against her. On Sunday, we went thrifting, painted her nails, made cookies and played about a million games of Uno......then he brother needed to take a nap, and I needed to get some stuff done. Nina wanted me to color with her. I didn't. This was not a popular decision. She cried, had a fit, but enough was enough. In the end, she finally calmed down, but what she really needed was a nap. Good luck with that idea.

She ended up making a fort with her cat and calming down. I finished what I needed to do. When I came back into the kitchen, I found this on my laptop. She still loves me. Even when we're both miserable. I know that I will miss her terribly when school starts.......but probably not for the first month or two. LOL!!!