Archive for the ‘garden’ Category

• Great Husbands, Great Ideas

  Date: 2010.05.26 | Category: MFM, Recipe, Twins, garden, personal | Response: 1

  Great Husbands. Great Ideas.

  No, I’m not being sarcastic.  At least not now.

  Several months ago, we started planning the 5th birthday party for the twins.  Rob had the idea of doing a “Garden” Themed birthday party.  I had heard of another neighbor doing this party, and thought it would be an ok idea.  But as Rob elaborated on his plans, I began to stiffen, balk, and inwardly rebel.  I did not want to follow his plan. I was thinking, “oh, great…”

  You see, I was afraid.  I was afraid of how it would turn out, of what the children would think, of how we’d manage the grandiose idea, and of what the neighbors would think.  However, I’ve walked with the Lord long enough to know that when a wife submits to her husband both are blessed.

  My idea of a party was to provide continuous entertainment with all the guests bringing toys or other presents.  Rob’s idea seemed completely revolutionary. We talked through both our ideas, and came up with a plan.

  The day of the party, 12 children poured into our backyard. The decorations were a few balloons and a banner leftover from another party.  We started off with face painting.
  

  Each child decorated a pot and planted their own snapdragon flower to take home and “baby.”  We had bought most of the pots on clearance at the end of last season and saved some containers from others. The leftover plants were planted in our front flower bed after the party.

  

  The girls and I made a poster board sized flower for “pin the butterfly on the flower” game.  

  The girls and I transformed a yellow bundt cake into a caterpillar.  It was very simple and fun to do.

  I  served bug shaped macaroni and cheese and pink lemonade.  At the end everyone took a turn squishing their feet in the mud. We’d planned on planting the seeds, but it had rained. Squishing in mud was much more fun.

  

  We had other games planned but we ran out of time. Once again Rob and I collaborated and I listened and  every child was totally thrilled.  It was probably the best party we’ve ever done.

  We plan on sharing the produce of the garden with those who came to our party come harvest time! Thanks, Nina, for being the party photographer!

• Spring Science Project

  Date: 2010.03.01 | Category: Preschool, Twins, garden | Response: 0

  Dominick’s had their 10 ct Daffodil bouquets for $1.79.  I love to have inexpensive fresh flowers on my table, so I bought 2.  The radiant yellow brightens the home, trumpeting “Spring has come” even when outside quietly sleeps under its cold white blanket.  In typical Soukup fashion, the bouquet evoked a science lesson.  Alexis wanted to know definitively what all the flower parts were called.  “Petal” would not do.  Follow this link for a 5-10 minute hands-on science lesson which only requires a daffodil and a pair of scissors.

  
  

  

  

  

  
  

  

  
  

• My garden

  Date: 2007.06.23 | Category: garden | Response: 0

  Now, I feel compelled to issue a disclaimer. “*I* am not a gardener. I don’t have a green thumb.” Maybe this is why my garden is … needy.

  I jsut spend an hour weeding the garden. Would you like to guess what I was pulling up? GRASS! Someone let the grass go to seed and then mowed it and the lawnmower sprayed the grass seed into the garden.

  I am going to have brocoli and beans from this garden, and cherry tomatos. but nothing else. I have about 1.5 rows of beans, many of which have bloom buds. I have a nice row of mixed greens salad mix lettuce. I have five spinach plants. What happened there? (grass) And my carrots, beets? Beets were clearly overtaken by grass. Parsley is doing well. and so is the grass, both in the garden and in the yard.

  The tomato plants look very sad. The cherry tomato is happy. I am suckering both, but I don’t know if I’m doing it right. I lost one bell pepper plant. I am going to have to re-plant it. I want 2 bell pepper plants and 1 tomato plant.

  Ah, what if i put all this work into this garden for naught?