Executive Decision

I rarely make executive decisions, and when I do, they are 94% of the time about moving living room furniture. Our home groups/small groups can attest to my need to move things around from time to time, but there have been times when I get an idea in my head and just do it. The last time this happened, Todd was out of town and I was pregnant with Cooper. He came home to a vegetable garden and multiple large ferns removed. This time, my attentions were on these plants (which I despise, but I don't really have a reason for it, but I feel the same about most ferns as well).

Todd is a huge fan of succulents. I, on the other hand, had a VERY bad experience with a fuzzy-looking cactus as a kid (thank you Auntie Bubbie!) that turned out to NOT be fuzzy at all, but rather had spines the lodged between my fingers. Needless to say, I've got a thing against succulents in general and cacti in particular. I've never liked the look of this little corner of the yard, so I decided this morning to take it out.
Cooper and I went to my favorite local garden spot, which happens to open at 8am (wahoo!!) and by 9am, I was digging holes and putting these pretty things in my version of an English garden with herbs.

Cooper LOVED these yellow flowers at the shop, so we got them. My mom is a big flower person and my mother in law has two gardens that most would envy, but I on the other hand, seem to have been passed over in the 'green thumb' department. I can dig holes with the best of them, but knowing what to put in generally comes down to three basic principles.

1. The tag MUST say "hardy"... if not, I'll kill it.

2. In general, it has to be able to go in a vase. I love the look of lots of different flowers, but can't stand their lack of functionality. These all looked like they'd go nicely as "wild flowers" on a summer brunch table... if I ever starting holding brunches... or could wait to eat past 7am.

3. If the price is too high, I'm not buying it (unless it's a gift). I kill too many things to spend lots of money hoping they won't die, either by my hands, my dog's mouth or at the unmerciful plucking of my children.

Em is back in school now (can I get another WAHOO?!?!?!) so it was just Cooper and I. We had a ton of fun hauling out those two big succulent/bush things, and had plenty of opportunities to look at worms and other crawly things. Cooper even helped me "drag" the two beasts out of the way... and then crawled into them, and over them, and under them... each time with the dog trying to follow. It proved my theory that you don't need to spend a lot of money on things to entertain your children, at least not when they're still young!

By the time we were ready to plant the actual flowers, Cooper was covered in dirt, had eaten at least one worm (that I know of) and we was mysteriously missing a shoe. I was looking for the shoe when I heard shouts and squeals. At first, I couldn't tell if something had stung Coop, or he was thoroughly delighted with something. The latter turned out to be the case. He was THRILLED to be ankle-deep in red clay with colorful pretty things all around him (I still can't get over this face of his). So we planted, then watered, and when it was time to come inside, I was met by a tired, dirty, and sweaty little man who couldn't have been happier if had all the rice in China.