Little Garden for Little Hands

We had a bit of a "powering down" period last week. With school nearing it's end things have been hectic. I kind of felt like blogger/mommy/student needed a breather. I still feel a bit that way but I think it will be like that until finals week is over. Anyway, the weather was beautiful today! It couldn't have been any more perfect. Windy, sunny, and warm.   Last week Clayton and I took Madi to Lowe's to get some stuff to set up a little herb garden for her. I've been having trouble with her dumping out my flower pots. Which I understand... if I saw a pot full of dirt, my first instinct would be to dump it out! So I thought that maybe letting her put the seeds in the dirt herself would teach her that there IS in fact something in there and we shouldn't dump it out. Or at least that's my thought...  

So this morning we did just that. I set up her pots with dirt/mulch/plant food and put them on the table outside. I taught her how to poke a hole in the dirt and sprinkle a pinch of seeds into the hole, then cover it up. She was SO giddy the whole time. She kept saying, "This is MADI'S garden. I love this. I can do it, Mommy!!"  

 

  We labled them with wooden clothespins that had writing on them. We planted Cilantro, Dill, Parsley, and Basil. She also loved that her pots were pink and blue :)  

  I also tilled up some dirt and planted Tomatoes and Cucumbers. It was my first time planting in the actual ground (instead of a raised garden) so I'm not sure how it's going to turn out. If it doesn't turn out right, or the weeds are too much, I'm just going to extend the raised bed out another 4 or 5 feet. We shall see. But for now, we've got lots growing!  

  Other pictures from today:

 

 

Wild hair and a blurry picture but she was giggling so hard!

 

Here's a video. Just a lot of squealing and giggling.

 

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Mommy Daughter Dates

The weather has been (for the most part) absolutely WONDERFUL! The mornings are a little chilly but once the day goes on, it becomes warm and breezy. You know how when the weather finally starts warming up, dogs just run in circles because it just feels so good? I wonder if it would be appropriate if I did that, because that's what I want to do. And it most certainly is what Madi does when she steps outside. The first thing we do when we go outside is water my garden. Sometimes she's interested in helping, and sometimes she couldn't care less. So she just runs and runs and runs. She runs around the garden, around the trees, around the house, etc. I totally think that she feels exactly like the dogs do when they just run in the wind.   Anyway, since the weather has been so awesome lately, we get a little stircrazy when we stay inside for too long. If the sun is shining in the window and I can hear the windchimes clinking together, I can not suppress the urge to go outside. Why stay inside and waste the sunlight? Madi definitely feels the same way. When she wakes up, she has breakfast and then heads directly to get her shoes on to go out. Since we both hate being inside, I've been taking her on little "dates" around town. It gets us out and keeps her entertained (usually for free).  

  Yesterday, we went to Market Street. It's a higher-end shopping center around here and I rarely take Madi there because it's usually so crowded. But it was a Tuesday around 3pm so it wasn't bad at all. I took her to get frozen yogurt at Red Mango. We sat outside and ate together and talked. It's so funny to sit and just talk to her. She's so full of questions, but equally as full of comments. She asks about the people walking by, and tells me that her ice cream is "girl ice cream" because it's pink. For some reason she's started associating colors with genders. I have no idea why. (It's probably something Kylie taught her... ;))   Then we started walking towards the middle of the shopping center where there's a big field, a splash pad, and waterfalls. That's usually where the kids gather to play. On the way there, we passed by a little salad restaurant where two ladies were sitting outside eating. As we passed by, Madi stopped in front of them and pointed at one of the lady's purse sitting on the ground next to her. It was white with pink trim and had a big gold buckle on the front. Madi said, "I like your purse! It's CUUUTE!" and giggled. The ladies thought it was the cutest thing. Then we kept walking and her comments about the things around her just kept coming. She dipped her hand in the cold water in the waterfalls, ran as fast as she could around the big open grassy field, and smelled all of the flowers lining the field.  

  One-on-one time with her is so much fun. It's amazing to watch her curiousity grow, as well as her personality. A lot of times, the days pass and we don't ever just stop and be in the moment. Even I find myself far too engulfed in my phone than anything else around me. I don't want to look back on the day and remember something I saw on the internet versus something I experienced. Just the other day, I was having lunch with my Mom and I heard a baby making noise at a table across from us. I looked over and see this adorable baby, about a year old, pushing a board book across the table trying to get her Mom's attention. Her Mom just kept saying, "yeah" acting like she was paying attention. When she really just couldn't take her eyes off of her phone. I don't want Madi to have to compete against my phone for attention.   So, on these little dates, I make it a point to be present. (besides snapping a few pictures, of course)     (Madi and Me is now featured on TopMommyBlogs.com! If you like reading this blog, vote for us. Just click the link, or the icon on the right side bar. All it takes is 2 clicks.)

Spring Is In The Air, A Picture Post

Ok ok- I know Spring isn't officially until March but if you live in Texas, you know it goes from cool to HOT quick around here. The last week or so has been wonderful! Perfect temperatures and so much sunlight. I love weather like this. I have a very hard time doing anything when it's colder than 50 degrees outside. I need sunlight and a warm breeze to function and that's exactly what we have had the past week or two. With Texas weather, you kind of have to take advantage of good weather as it comes because the next day could be the complete opposite. So, we've been spending a majority of our time outdoors. That's where Madi is happiest too. I am also working on a project that I will show y'all in about a week, so look for that soon! For now, I hope you enjoy this "picture post." :)   

 

 

It is like pulling teeth trying to get her to look AT the camera, so I'm pretty glad I at least got one close up ;)

 

 

Like I said, stay tuned the next week or so for a debut of a special project I'm working on. If you're an outdoorsy person, this means YOU! :)