One of the joys of being a large family is that we have the opportunity to participate in many different birthday parties over the year. There are slumber parties, pirate parties, pool parties, rock-climbing adventures, bowling outings, and Chuck E. Cheese extravaganzas, to name a few. I keep telling the children to stop making friends with kids who have birthdays, but they just laugh. “Silly Mom,” chuckles Sarah. “All the kids we know have birthdays!” It is never a good sign when you are out-witted by your five-year-old.
Ready for the Party to begin!
This week Daniel, David and Sarah were invited to a Garden Party. How delightfully appropriate for this time of year, when Spring is in the air. At least it is here in WA. In Michigan, where my parents and siblings live, it is snowy and cold and there is not a single HINT of spring. Poor dears!
The children painted and decorated their clay pots, and then planted a flower in each one. Several of them even managed to plant the root part downward.
These girls are ready to paint, and they’re not choosy about what they paint!
They have been caring, tenderly, for their plants since they brought them home to live with us. As I am notorious for having a black thumb, able to kill even the hardiest plants, their flowers will only survive if I stay far away from them.
This morning, Daniel and Tim left the house on an errand. I can just imagine how their conversation went. “Maybe I should bring my plant with me,” Daniel worried. “What if Mom tries to water it or something, and kills it dead!”
“It’ll be fine. Mom’s not even going to be home,” Tim soothed. “She’s going to Costco, and you know that’ll take most of the morning.”
“Yeah, but what if she comes home early? It’s just a baby plant, and hasn’t even flowered yet!” Daniel is very attached to his plant.
Tim must’ve convinced him, because they left the plant at home. I carefully avoided being in the same room as it, lest it keel over and I be blamed.
Poor plant, it will never look this good again.
We can only hope they make it.
Kathy
What a great idea for a party! I have a similar reputation to yours, Kathy. My family jokes about it, but what about the poor little plants they try to give me a couple times a year? Does no one think of them and the fate that awaits as soon as they come under my “care”? Good thing the kids step in from time to time. So, good luck with those!
Ah my black thumbed sister! I too am notorious for killing all living green things. Must be part of the curse of the fallen world.
I was given a plant that the giver claimed I could NOT kill. It did not even require dirt to live in and be watered. It actually lived in water, and I just had to make sure it had some in its container.
I actually did make sure it had water, I really did. But the plant began to wither and its leaves turn yellow in spite of me.
It could not be that I over watered the thing, it came full. It could not be that I under watered it, there was water in the container.
I know my limitation, but hope springs eternal and I convinced Greg to let me buy a couple of flowering plants a month ago or so at the Chiang Mai flower festival. I shall not post the pictures of those pitiful plants. They are technically still alive, just do not seem to be thriving. I am trying though. I think it is pretty sad that I cannot nuture a plant in a tropical environment where everything grows easily. Lets not dwell on that.
Clearly, plant care and watering needs to be part of the children’s Life Skills class at your house!
Beautiful pots!
Darling blog, sweet Katherine. I love the painted pots. I don’t think black thumbs are passed down. Sarah and David can keep their plants alive.
Happy EASTER to all of you out there. Yes, there is snow here in MN but Christ is Risen INDEED.
Aunt Kate
What a neat idea! Those pots are really cute!
Those are cute. Our old Sunday School curriculum covered the New Testament chronologically from John the Baptist to Paul, so when we would get to the burial of Christ (the day of His death alone took several weeks to cover), we would decorate pots and “bury” flowers seeds in them. We’d come back the next week, and there would be new life! The kids loved it, but I seriously doubt very many of the plants made it once they got home.
I love the pots. Daniels picture with his plant is great. This sounds like a fun party theme.
A few months ago you showed a picture of a birthday cake. It was a cupcake stand. I have been looking for one ever since in NI but cannot find one.Can you tell me where you got yours.
Those pots are so cheerful and springy
And Daniel looks like a future master gardener!
Don’t feel bad Kathy, I too have two black thumbs and am blamed for all plant related casualties within a 200 yard radius