clumps of dirt and blades of dried grass are scattered everywhere

Last night Mr. T had his first soccer practice. He has already decided he hates soccer (Well, DUH! That's why you didn't play last year and why you had a terrible time when you did play the year before. Plus I may be bitter that everyone's sport schedule is encroaching on my time in the dojo.) It's going to be a long, long summer of dragging him to practices and games. Today he has 2 concerts for school--in which he and the rest of his class will play their recorders. I will endure both concerts, AKA the Fifth Circle of Hell. Children whining is about the only sound worse than a recorder squawking and squealing through songs no one has heard of like Red River Valley Sings A Melody About Hope and Victory March for Daffodils in April's Spring Rain.

Mr. B had to write a short piece about what he can do to help save endangered animals from becoming extinct. He wrote: "Stop taking their body parts for scientific experiments." I love how his mind works. He's also jumping rope all the time. He wants to beat his previous record of consecutive jumps--he's up to 87 as of last night. I know this because he's roped me in as his Official Counter.

Mr. G and I have been planting 50 tree seedlings--he's a real helper out in the field, selecting the best spots for the spruce trees and holding them upright while I cover their roots with dirt. We've cut and burned 7 tent caterpillar nests (*shudder*) and begun cleaning up the vegetable garden. Whenever Mr. G finds a worm, he puts it in a better spot beside our tree and talks to it. It pleases me to see him lying belly down on the ground engrossed in an ant hill or a worm's journey over the terrain.

The dandelions are in FULL BLOOM, growing in epic numbers in our yard. Yesterday Mr. B and Mr. G picked a large bag of them and took them to the neighbors' house to sell them. They came home with fists full of miniature chocolate bars and huge smiles. "We sold our flowers to J&J," they announced. "Old people like flowers so they bought them from us. Wasn't that nice? We made them so happy!" I've warned our neighbors not to encourage my kids--if you feed them, they will keep coming back. With paper sacks full of dandelions. Of which we have plenty.

Don't forget to leave a comment so you have a chance to win this month's FABULOUS, The Blue Virgin, a wonderful murder mystery by the amazing M.K. Graff AKA Auntie M (check out her book blog here!).


I'm pulling on my Wellies and grabbing my spade--I have a hot date with some shrubs and a compost pile this morning. Spill it, reader, what's your to-do list looking like?