Impressions

It was a sad day..... he was a good duck.... the creatures of the night stole another one.... my heart ached for him..... Abe I promise your prayers will be answered.

Taking the Bad with the Good

It's become pretty routine for me to mutter 'hands down', every time I snap a picture of my boys.  Bunny ears are the favorite, but rock on, hang loose, or a peace sign are all a close second.... I've decided if you can't beat em', join em', at least for this trip.... yo, yo, bro, wiggity, wiggity, wiggity, wack (please let that be the last time I ever write those words).

Here it is, another blog post about another camping trip to Southern Utah, doing more of the same old stuff.... maybe this will be the last?  There is something simply amazing about these trips.... and it isn't just the scenery.  It brings out the best in us all, even when we're confined to small quarters waiting out the rain.

When you rely so heavily on one another for entertainment any arguments are settled quickly.  Which is why I have zero issues with the fact that in the time I planned and packed all cloths, bedding, food, and hygienic needs(yeah right), Monte packed 6 fishing poles (why 6, there is only 5 of us, & I wasn't planning on fishing... we never fished), nope no issues with that what so ever.

Even though we did see our fair share of rain, there always seemed to be enough breaks in the showers to do some exploring.

And on one exploration outing we found something pretty surprising.

Jonas thought he'd found a real Indian ruin, it was hard to tell him the truth.  It wasn't sandstone, I think it was mud that had been deposited on the wall of an overhang in really high water?  And although it was a pretty cool find, it was hard to explain to Abe that he couldn't leave his art work on other walls during our trip.

It did rain, we did choose a busy weekend to go camping, it did take us close to four hours to get out of the Salt Lake traffic (soooo glad we've left that behind), but our trip was worth every bit of the bad.  Is it bad... or is it the good?

We struck out twice in scoring our awesome old camping spots..... we found a new incredible, completely exposed but totally deserted camping spot, where the sand is the perfect texture to carve out a mini golf course, a four square, and an art studio.

The boys came back to camp completely wet and sandy from their 'deck' building on the river's edge.... I had a great deck platform to rinse muddy shoes out in the river.
 

We maneuvered our way through trails incredibly close to poison ivy and stinging nettle..... each trail we maneuvered our way through led us to beautiful places.

Abe has irritable bowel, and a small bladder..... Abe is years ahead in his outdoorsman bathrooms skills, and knows how to handle 'worst case scenario' sleeping situations.

We found quicksand.... Monte finally was able to take us to the cave he found quicksand in when he was in high school.

River water is especially cool when air temperature is only in the fifties..... Cool temperatures means we get swimming holes all to ourselves, and get a chance to find plenty new natural water slides.

Trigger had a hard time spotting pot holes, especially the smaller ones, in the sandstone river bottoms..... how cool are pot holes in the sand stone river bottoms!

Trigger almost went off a cliff, and is also confused by echoes.... Trigger will literally follow us to the ends of the the earth (I will never holler to hear my echo near a cliff with Trigger nearby again.... it's only my echo...I'm standing right next to you, you sweet dumb dog!)

The last stop on our weekend vacation was to see my Mom and Dad, at the only place I can anymore... a cemetery..... We ended our trip with a visit with Mom and Dad, to share some cookies, and spot six owls that love hanging out in the big trees nearby.

Really not all that bad.... definitely worth it for all that good. 

What About Bob?

My dear buddy Bob...

You do know that you are not a duck.... right?  I see you all day every day follow your fellow ducks around the yard.... you know what ducks I'm talking about.... the ones that refuse to live by the pond, despite all my best efforts (have they never heard the expression 'duck out of water').  I guess I can sympathize in your confusion, you were the only chick survivor of a brutal magpie attack, maybe this puzzlement is a case of PTSD?

I have grown quite fond of you however, and because of this I am asking that you please stop hiding from me at night.  All that I want is to put you somewhere safe, away from the creatures of the dark.... it'll be much warmer in the coop, and Ducky and Webster are in there to keep you company.  I wonder what the neighbors think about me calling 'Bob' into the bushes each night?  Please just help me out, and I promise to let you out first thing in the morning (although I am tempted to keep Webster and Ducky in the coop if they do not stop plucking the tops off all my flowers... can you talk to them about that?). 

I enjoy our visits at the back door (I always listen closely for you pecking so that we can catch up), and Abe tells me he loves it when you peck at his hair.  I hope this letter finds you well, and that you've not left me in the night like so many of your predecessors.  All of my love.

                                                                                                                    -Syrina

Impressions

'Mom, today you hug me as a 1st grader for the last time....'    Taking one last look at this first grader, and this fourth grader..... sometimes change is hard.

Joining Mamabyrd and others in their weekly Impressions posts.

Garden Journal

Oh there was so much to be done in the gardens this week.... seeds to be planted, tomatoes to be put in the ground, always weeding, yes isn't there always weeding?  And what about the friend & family gathering for dinner, a preschool graduation & art show, a 5K & 1/2 marathon, a birthday celebration.... yes there was much scheduled to be done in the gardens this week.  With all that activity the gardens should have been buzzing, but instead they've been.... drizzling. 

I love the rain, I think I wish for rain more than most, I have plenty of plants to water, and no one but me and Mother Nature to water them.  But the much needed rain has brought me some inconveniences this week.  Nothing was planted, performances were moved indoors, and yes it was a very cold wet run.  But it wasn't all a wash, the weather settled just long enough for one big 5 year old boy to celebrate his birthday (Thanks for that). 

And new to the garden this week is some thoughtful gifts from some sweet preschool students of mine.  I've always wanted to make a fairy garden ('So you can play with it in your flowers'), and my beautiful hanging flowering basket looks amazing on my front porch.

fairy garden left, hanging flowers right

It looks like there is more rain in the forecast, so in trying to stay positive.... rain puddles feel amazing to jump into, mud pies are satisfying to make, we've already reached our bathing quota for the week, and I don't think I'll have to worry about watering my plants while we're away on a camping trip this weekend (I've already packed  the rain gear).   Happy Gardening!

Impressions

Hip, Hip, Hooray!!!

Joining Mamabyrd and others in their weekly Impressions posts.

Garden Journal

It is already that time of year again, how quickly the seasons pass.  I'm excited to be back in the yard, even if it means more work.  I always hope to get my garden planted over Mother's Day weekend, but I never seem to make it in time.  This year was no different, however considering the rainstorms I feel like we're ahead of schedule.

The garden is turned and ready to plant.... maybe this weekend?  My one big change this year is my herb garden.  I've moved the herbs into pots (mostly... some have become wild in the yard, I'll leave those ones be).  They'll get more sun in their new spot, and I'll be able to move them in and out of the garage to keep them from freezing (I may have jumped the gun on the basil... I hope it bounces back.... maybe I should have kept it inside another couple of weeks).  I planted some of the norms, but added some new ones too.... like stevia (super sweet for iced sweet tea in the summer), lemon and lime thyme, garlic chives (double awesome breath), fennel (green smoothies?), and licorice flavored hyssop.  I'm excited for them to grow big enough (fingers crossed) so that I can use them freely.

I've got a great start on flower planting, and can I just say a little about my tulips.  Every year I buy tulip bulbs, except I'm to cheap to buy them when they're full price, so I wait until late fall when they go on clearance.  In doing this I always run the risk of it snowing before I get them planted.... which it always does... which means my bulbs usually die (it's hard to remember to water them when they get forgotten and buried in the freezer).  But this year I was determined, and even though it had snowed, it warmed up enough for the ground to soften and for me to plant my bulbs.  I love the results, I might be second guessing on planting them so close to the walkways.

 

just ignore the pasture grass that invades all my flower beds.... I do

Its funny, as I snapped this last picture I felt a little like the dandelions across the street where photo bombing.  I don't mind dandelions, especially before they go to seed (although it's overwhelming how often  we see seeding dandelion art), but sometimes I feel like they're just showing off.

And the outdoor shower is un-winterized and getting plenty of use..... looks like I have a few takers in a 'Hot Bath', 5, 10, 15 cents richer.....

 
I'm joining some good friends in their garden journaling, hoping that this will keep me motivated and optimistic.... please feel free to join as well!  Happy Gardening! 

Mother's Day Mushroom Hunting?

Sooooo, I'll bet my Mother's Day afternoon was a little different than yours.  I didn't go out for a Mother's Day Brunch with other mother's, or potluck it with family members.  No my Mother's Day was......different.

I love Mother's Day, the cards, the service (?), the flowers, the naps, the singing, I don't even mind that I do most of the work for it.  I just want a day that I don't have to deal with the 'Heavy' (thanks Jam) stuff.  'Heavy' as in settling arguments, deciding who has to bathe first (Why is bathing order an argument.... it's been 7 days, what does 10 more minutes get you?  And this isn't gross... we're conserving water.... we're in a drought.... we have to do our part somewhere), dishes, laundry, meal decisions.... all the un-fun stuff.

I'd avoided the 'heavy' stuff for the majority of the day, but avoidance doesn't equal progress.  I'd gone the night before and picked up the fixings for my Mother's Day breakfast, and I really I thought that Monte could handle dinner.... I should have known better.  At a quarter to 7:00 the kids started... 'Mom, what's for dinner, I'm starving?  Mom, can I have an apple, and fruit snacks, and a cookie, and another cookie, and another cookie?.... I made the announcement that we were going on the 'Boardwalk' hike, and we'd pick dinner up on the way.  I'd rather not say what dinner was, but on a side note are convenient store potato logs considered a vegetable? 

The hike was great, the only downside was that my camera went dead after one picture.... I had to get one of him with his back pack.  I'd watched him pack it. I questioned his pinwheel choice, 'to see the wind' he told me..... he was totally right.

I'm taking credit for the huge morel mushroom find.  The hike was my idea, and so was the decision to go down to the water.  Finding the mushrooms is like an adult Easter egg hunt, everybody loves it.  I kept suggesting that we should leave some for later, but I couldn't stop three pocket knifes fast enough. 

BIG

little

 We left with one very full bag of mushrooms...... And now it looks like I'm going to get a great Mother's Day dinner after all, just a few days late.
  

Talent Show

'Do you think that they really need a stage?'

What kind of question is that....A talent show with no stage....honestly sometimes I think you know nothing of the world of performing arts..... OF COURSE THEY NEED A STAGE!

Never in the history of backyard performances have I seen such talent grace a stage.

We Need Moms....

He has a little journal he likes to doodle in, I've seen what fills most of those pages (you can imagine).  But a couple of weeks ago he tore this note from its spiral binding.

'We need Moms.  Without Moms, we would be Nothing.  So we need Moms, or we would be nothing.'  (he even signed it... how could I not frame it). 

I'm so glad that I'm not nothing.... and I'm feeling pretty lucky that my boys aren't nothing too.  Happy Mother's Day & be glad that we aren't Nothing!!!

Impressions

It really is the only wild and unruly thing about me.  I actually do have great hair.... but the combing, and the washing, and the styling.... none of those are high on my priority list (maybe my priorities are all mixed up?).  However I guess there are times I wonder if I should have combed it.....

'Mrs. Syrina your hair is crazy, crazy like that one guy with crazy hair!!!!'  Really....that guy.... are you sure..... I don't know if I should trust your opinion, just moments ago I had you believing that a plastic dinosaur was the new 10th member of our class. 

I guess our true friends tell us what we don't really want to tell ourselves.

Joining Mamabyrd & others in their weekly Impressions posts.

(Looks like I curl my bangs right????   Except for I don't have bangs.... or a curling iron.)

Impressions

It was an especially hard day at work..... My small partner and I didn't ever successfully pass/catch our water balloon, I lost the water fight challenge (however... I never really mind losing a water fight), I had to walk to the park... twice, I was unsuccessful at quieting several young children while a handsome gentleman explained the importance of trees in our community for an Arbor Day tree planting ceremony, and to top it all off I was expected to figure something out for dinner... Nachos it is (I put out lettuce & beans so I can call it Taco Salad... but when you only eat the chips and cheese....).  Sometimes the life of a Preschool Teacher/Stay-at-Home Mother is truly grueling. 

Joining Mamabyrd & others in their weekly Impressions posts.