Not Back to School

This week has been both good and awful.

1. Monday-Briggs turned 5, and for his birthday we explored the Butterfly exhibit at the museum. This week we are focusing our activities around butterflies and bugs. We started backyard observation journals, and filled up our hummingbird feeders to get ready for migration to begin.

2. Tuesday-Briggs got the flu, and the only thing good to say was there was less fighting between the boys that day.

3. Wednesday-It hasn't been very humid out at all for the past 4 days! There's an underlying coolness to the air...very subtle, but you can tell that fall is around the corner. Finn and I gathered sticks to make spider web cachers. So far no spider has spun anything in them.

4. Thursday-Finn got the flu.

5. Friday- No one is sick, everyone feels great! We found out where the Arboretum Nature Center is, and took a nice stroll in the woods this morning. We also saw a snake that startled me very badly! We're invited to a pizza making party this evening.

Cat update: Our raccoon, Merlin, is doing well. He's able to open doors, cabinet drawers, and probably other things that he shouldn't be getting into. He loves to kill plants. The tips of all my house plants are yellow because he bites them. He must have venom in his teeth that poisons the leaves! He sleeps all day under our bed covers, and is crazy in the evenings. We have to shut our bedroom door because he runs around all night long being too loud. I'm glad he's friendly though.

Beating the Houston heat

Thought I'd update everyone on what we've been up to. We have a lengthy list of projects we've completed, but the one I'd like to share is our gnome kingdom. We've discovered that every plant (in the gnome section) loves to die in this weather, so the ones that have survived are the succulents and a few natives that I'm nursing back from wilt every day with a jug full of water :( The boys have been making tiny gardens of their own, and then placing them around the yard. Here's a few photos I snapped of our magical little land.

This is a mom design.

Cowboy gnome has eggs and cabbages for sale. And the most sought after cottage in all of Gnometopia!

Just outside of the castle grounds lies a unicorn flower garden.

Briggs' very own design

Finn's dino garden that he named, "Party"

I'm having fun learning about fall gardening here, and am slowly planting things that are appropriate for the season. So far: tomatoes, peppers, pumpkins, cukes, okra, and zucchini squash. I'm even trying my hand at a couple citrus trees. The hummingbirds are supposed to be on there way this month, so I'm keeping my feeder fresh to lure them into the yard. I've strategically placed my plants in a way that I'll be able to squeeze in as many as I can. Will be using the wall to trellis, and train some to go different ways, and grow under taller plants..hopefully without crowding each other out too bad!

First attempt at raised bed gardening...sure takes some getting used to!

It's no surprise that swimming is a part of our daily lives. We have the pool, twirling sprinkler, and wiggly noodle sprinkler to choose from. But after about an hour, the water starts feeling like you're in a hot tub.The boys were excited because today we found new swim trunks: SuperMan and SpiderMan...their recent obsessions.

Twirly sprinkler plus the pool!

Also, Ted and I have decided to start a cooperative (parent owned) preschool for the neighborhood/surrounding areas. We are meeting with other parents this week to discuss our short term goals and develop a solid plan. I'm thrilled to be a part of this!

That's about all I have time for today, so fare thee well.
Jaylyn