This Means War!

Yesterday was a very stressful day for me.  I went outside to water my beloved garden and discovered that some local misfits (aka raccoons) had dug up all of my potato seeds and discarded them on the side of my dirt mounds.  Grrrrrrr!  MY POTATOES!!  Of all the veggies they could have sadistically singled out, they chose my potatoes.  Is carelessly tossing my compost all over my yard every single night not enough for them?  I was so mad!!  After googling a solution and requesting the expertise of my Facebook friends, I decided to build a fence,  and I must say, I am quite pleased with my handy work:

Nothing is getting in there!  

And if they do, well, we will then move on to plan B:  Hired Assassins!

He looks like he can handle a few raccoons:

. . . tee hee! 

Enjoy your day!

It Finally Happened . . .

I had nearly given up.

It felt like I was being thwarted at every attempt I made,

One step forward . . . three steps back.

But I didn't give up.

I kept up the dream,

the hope,

and the work.

And it finally happened  . . .

MY GARDEN IS PLANTED!

WooHoo!

feel free to join me in performing the happy dance

Oh, she is such a beauty!

Here are the seedlings I bought at Kredl's the other night.  (I must add, I do feel a slight twinge of guilt over the fact I did not grow my own seedlings this year AND that I did not incorporate it into our homeschool lessons.  Ugh!) I have corn, sugar snap peas, brussel sprouts, green peppers, cucumbers, and romaine lettuce in there!

And here is my baby . . . my potato patch.  You do not understand how giddy I am over the fact that I am growing potatoes.  It makes no sense, but ask Mr. Level-Headed, and he can attest to how ridiculously in love I am with the idea of growing my very own lil' spuds.  I know . . . crazy!!

I also planted some zucchini and pole beans from seed so we'll just have to wait and see if they are a go.

I am in complete and utter shock that it is finally planted.  I keep checking on it and basking in a job well done.  I can't believe I almost didn't put one in this year!

It was with great sadness on Sunday evening that I told myself to give up on the garden.  I had it in my head it was too late to plant one and too unrealistic to think that I could find the time to put it in.  So I chalked it up to one of my many failings this year and decided to try again next year.  It really saddened me because I remembered how much I loved my garden last year, how excited I was at each harvest, how proud I was when my family enjoyed a meal from the all of our hard work, and how satisfied I felt after a long day of playing in the dirt.

I am still a kid at heart!

Then, like all the other times when I feel overcome by defeat, my inner Tiger Mama kicks in and roars . . .

Girl, quit your whining, pick up some plants, and get to work . . . NOW!

And I always listen to her because, frankly, she terrifies me.

She shuts up my inner perfectionist and my inner nervous Nelly and pushes me to become the woman I want to be . . .

Yes, you've guessed it, this is no longer just about my tiny little garden.

This year has been filled with disappointments and challenges, and I have come very close to throwing in the towel, saying goodbye to my hopes of becoming a mama again, and closing the door on our homeschooling adventures.

But I didn't, and I won't.

Instead, I am going to take my three-steps-back in stride and make sure that my one-step-forward is a giant leap, and then, by the grace of God, I might just make it.

And, oh, how sweet it will be.

Just Around the Corner . . .

Can you feel it?

SUMMER!!

It is just around the corner, and I am so excited!

At the beginning of the week, I  had my doubts as to whether or not I would see my beloved friend again.  It was so cold and grey out that I feared we may be in a perpetual state of Maritime Spring.

Ugh! 

Can you say dreary?!

But my hope was  restored, as I woke up this morning to the sun streaming through my window.  My heart leaped with joy as I speculated on the possibility of all things lazy we could do today. There are no appointments, no errands to run, no elaborate plans to unfold: just a delightful Friday with me and my boys, quietly finishing up our school year at a snail's pace, while sipping on Freezies and peppermint tea (for the mama).

Delightful!

And, if you are asking yourself why this mama needs a lazy day, check out this photo dump.  We have been very busy!

There was a Birthday party for one of my favourite guys . . .

Monkey cupcakes were the perfect fit for this crowd:

Baby Girl went to Quebec City . . . 

(and NEVER checked in on FB to let her mama know all was well . . . Sheesh!)

The boys and I went on an End-of-the-School-Year field trip to Cherry Brook Zoo and Rockwood Park with some friends:

There have been house guests:

There have been extra snuggles doled out to the poor puppy, who was a little jealous of the novelty and excitement surrounding our house guests:

There have been dinners with friends:

There have been orthodontist appointments:

Children of the 21st Century are soooo spoiled!

And dental appliances to get used to:

There have been nights of "firsts", like my 3am visit to the ER to be hooked up to a heavy duty IV cocktail to alleviate migraine pain:

Carolyn, you know me so well . . . tee hee!  I will do anything for my Blog, even post ghastly pictures of myself.

Yikes!  For the sake of everyone involved, let's hope that never happens again.

There were End-of-the-School-Year celebrations:

There were countless shopping trips made looking for that one perfect dress for our favourite grade 8 graduate, and, which I am very happy to report, was finally found on Wednesday. Hooray!! Unfortunately, posting a pic of the above-mentioned dress at this time would endanger my life and the existence of this Blog so I will simply give you a peek at the adorable, and absolutely perfect, shoes we bought to match the dress:

Sparkly!

( I promise pictures will be posted after the dance on June 19.  She will be breathtaking!)

And, finally, soccer.  Lots of soccer!  Soccer practices, soccer games, and soccer outings!

Here is Elliot at the Canada/ China World Cup soccer game in Moncton with some fellow Kingston Soccer kids!  He had a blast, and from the sounds of it, ate his weight in hot dogs and french fries!

Phew!

And now you know why I am so happy to have a lazy Friday ahead of me.

Enjoy your weekend!