Monday, January 24, 2011

In the Planning Phase



This week I'm dreaming of spring. Join the club, right?

We've got some garden space in a corner of our yard. It's sunny, spacious, and just outside the back door to our garage. There are some actual garden boxes, which were not planted last year. We have no idea what was in them previously.

I'm picturing herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots. There will be planting and mulching and weeding.

I'd love to get my kids involved, I think it would be a great way to get these town-living kids a bit more time outside.

Previous attempts at gardening on my part have been completely unsuccessful. Picture lots of weeds and ginormous, mutant zucchini squash.

My B is seven now, turning eight this summer. It's time I started taking more time to teach her the important skills of cooking, and the work that goes into bringing food into our home and to the table. Her brother starts kindergarten in August, I need to recognize that there are things he can be helpful with also.

I'm the stereotypical mom who is forever shooing the kids out of the kitchen. Cooking is my *me* time and it's time I got over that.

So I've got two goals for myself:
*putting my kids to work in the kitchen (prep and clean up)
*a small, successful herb/vegetable patch this summer

Dreaming of such things helps me get through this time of winter, when the sparkly snow is still beautiful, but we are all growing weary of the cold.
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3 comments:

Jenifer said...

Those are great ideas! I know what you mean about the cold, I love the sparkly snow, but the bitter cold I could do without.

I also want to include the girls more and in the last year or so I have been trying much harder. They help with setting the table, making salad, carrying things to the table, and things like that. I always underestimate what they can do or I just want to do it myself because it is easier. What surprised me though, was once they learned they are really helpful.

I love having a small garden and it is small. Even having just a few herbs, carrots and cucumbers makes me feel good. In our garden though the squirrels get most of the veggies!

Stay warm. It is fun to think about spring and make some plans.

Aliki2006 said...

I'll hold your hand through the "letting the kids int he kitchen" part, if you'll hold my hand through the middle school business!

An herb garden is a GREAT way to start--my kids love our herb garden, and each spring we go to the Farmer's Market and they pick out one or two small herb plants to tend. Plant herbs you can use in drinks, shakes, and recipes! Mint is great for lemonade or smoothies, and basil is super on garlic bread, or in pasta...

Captain said...

I vote for mint, chives and cucumbers. Because no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't kill those. . .