FAMILY FUN

Teacher's Pet

Listen, I'm not above using a little manipulation to help my kids get on their teacher's good side. Which is why every year during spring break, the kids and I plant our "back to school garden" with brilliant fall-flowering dahlias. It's a great way to get them away from the TV and out in the sunshine for an afternoon. Plus, dahlias bloom so prolifically, I know I'll have more fresh-cut flowers than I know what to do with from mid-summer all the way until frost!

Our back-to-school gardening time begins with a quick trip to the garden center where the kids marvel at all the different shapes and colors the dahlias come in and try to decide who is going to grow which ones. There’s even one called 'Pooh' … who could resist? After the munchkins have selected a few of their favorites, we head back home, grab our hand trowels and eagerly start digging and dropping at any and every available spot we can find (any sunny spot, that is … here's link with a few more pointers on growing dahlias: click here).

Once the dahlias are in the ground, I stand back and marvel at all we've accomplished with one simple activity … kids out in the fresh air, fresh-cut flowers all summer, a little exercise for all …

But the biggest reward comes when summer ends. Seriously, do you think any teacher's going to be able to resist the child who brings in a bundle of colorful blooms that first day of school? I'm telling you, it works like a charm. Every time.

Company's Coming!!

It happens every summer. The phone rings and some distant relative we haven't seen in forever calls to say they're "just passing through town" and thought it would be a shame not to stop by for a minute to see the kids … and they're just 15 minutes away. Do I panic? Not any more - because I've turned this once-dreaded scramble into a game the kids LOVE to play. It's called, "Stash, Straighten, and Spruce!" and here's how it's played:

We start out with the 'Stash!' phase when each kiddo grabs a bin and fills it with anything they can find that's out of place (dirty socks, toys, half-empty juice boxes, school papers) and stashes their filled bin in the garage while I stash dirty dishes in the dishwasher (or oven), and piles of laundry into the back of the van (oh yes I do.)

Then we move on to 'Straighten!'. This is when we adjust the sofa pillows, line up the shoes, stack the magazines, and strategically position the ottomans, end tables - and occasionally, Rover - to cover any recent spills on the rug that we just don't have time to clean up.

Finally it's time for 'Spruce!'. This is their favorite part, because it's when they run and grab some flowers from the garden while I fill a few jars (that I've pulled from the recycling bin) with water. After the flowers are placed around the room we all stand back and admire the transformation.

It may not be perfect, but Great Aunt Gertrude won't notice the fingerprints on the wall or the scent of yesterday's garbage when there are beautiful, fragrant flowers (lilies) all around the room … and three smiling, proud faces staring up at her.

A "Forced" Visit

I was growing tired of hearing her complain, "You never bring the kids over anymore." She just didn't understand that 'High Tea' - served promptly at 4pm — was not the kids' (or my) idea of a good time. So I dodged her inquiries for months by reciting the litany of activities, music lessons, soccer practices, cub scout meetings and school projects that made such a visit impossible. Then one morning this fall (after the kids had gone back to school) I was cleaning out Jimmy's room and came across his blue ribbon. That's when it hit me - why couldn't WE bring the FUN to Grandma's? That was it! So I dropped the pile of dirty clothes I'd pulled from under Jimmy's bed and headed straight to the garden shop and grabbed a slew of paperwhite bulbs, a bag of pebbles and a few colorful pots. I was on a mission. And I was going to succeed.

I swear I heard her dentures drop when I called and asked if the kids and I could come over Sunday afternoon for a quick visit.

On Sunday morning, the kids and I quickly reviewed the steps for planting paper whites indoors. It's surprisingly simple (and no dirt required!):

First you take your pot (let the kids decorate them with markers for a more personalized look) and cover the bottom with a layer of pebbles.

Then pack in the bulbs. Fit in as many as you can, paperwhites love a crowd, making sure the pointy end is facing up on each.

Next, add another layer of pebbles around and between the bulbs being sure to leave the top of the bulbs exposed.

Finally, add enough water to come just up to the bottom of the bulbs (not all the way to the top or they will rot) and you're done!

After an hour of laughter and fun around her kitchen table, we left Grandma that afternoon with three cheerful pots just waiting to bloom and a great big smile on her face.

Guess who's the favorite daughter-in-law now?