Monday, September 12, 2011

Flowers in Film

Last fall I planted a couple thousand bulbs in my front yard perennial flower beds. This past spring was the first season for them to show their stuff, and I recorded the show in a series of photos taken every few days. Toward the end of the movie clip, the spacing was every week or two, because the allium just hung around forever.

Allium are more impressive in person. They remind me of purple fireworks in the garden. Wait until you see how I use them in home decor!

Anyway, here's the movie. Or one of them. I realize some of you think it's crazy that I love flowers so much. BUT, if you want to see all three movies, taken from different parts of the yard, you can visit my gardening blog: How My Garden Grows. The longest little filmstrip is less than two minutes.



Pretty nice, eh? I bought all the bulbs online from a company called Colorblends. I highly recommend them if you want an impressive bulb bed. I'm already looking forward to an improved show in years to come!

Friday, September 2, 2011

Reason to Have Kids: Entertainment Value

Scene 1: One night last week, Kent walked into the younger kids' room to tuck them in. #4 was busy with a pencil and school worksheets, and #5 was crawling around on the floor.

Kent: It's time for lights out kids.

#4: Dad, I need help with my math homework.

#5, without missing a beat: Dad, I need help being a horse.


Scene 2: Last weekend, when the children were supposed to be getting their cleaning done so they could play the rest of the weekend, I came home from running errands to find this.

Hey, I find "Malcom in the Middle" pretty irresistible too. But COME ON! Did they really think no one would notice them spending forbidden TV/online shows time if they huddled under a blanket?


Scene 3: Today while he was eating lunch, I asked #5 if his teacher would be back today. (He had a substitute the last two days.) Here's his reply:

#5: Yeah, I think she'll be back. You want me to tell you why?

(He always asks if we want more information and then waits for a response instead of just following up with the information.)

Me: Yes. Why?

#5: Because today we are learning the letter K, and that's a hard letter. I don't think the other lady could teach it very well.

Wow. I want my children to think independently and not assume that their school teachers are always correct, but what a huge underestimation of the abilities of adults! It's a good thing a certified teacher will be there to instruct about the letter K. !!!