Holy Mutant Fruit, Batman!

Look at what I found this morning.

This has GOT to be the biggest strawberry I have ever seen.

It is a mutant strawberry. It must have been grown near a nuclear power plant!

Upon further inspection, we have determined that it is the most ginormous strawberry ever because it is actually two strawberries that grew together. They are conjoined strawberries, if you will.

I absolutely love it when trivial things in nature go awry. When I see things like this, I am convinced that God does, indeed enjoy messing with me, just a little.

You know, by doing odd things like dropping mutant strawberries into my kids' breakfast cereal in the morning.

A Toddler, a Tub and a Tur....

It rarely happens, but with Littles, there is an occasional... um accident... in the tub. In fact, it happened just this evening. So here are my steps to taking care of the situation:

1. Get everybody OUT OF THE TUB! As quickly and calmly as possible. Please do avoid gagging, shrieking and general freak-out behaviors.
2. Calm toddler, who is nearing hysterics at the horror he is experiencing over his accidental, um... deposit. Wrap in a towel and hold close while making "shushing" sounds.
3. At the same time, calm seven year old who is nearing hysterics at the horror of being in the tub during the accidental pooping. Reassure him that nobody ever died from a little poo.
4. Once everyone is relatively calm, put the toddler into a diaper and have the seven year old put on some undies. (Wait. Strike that. I was strictly informed this evening that boys do not wear "undies.") Decide that this is definitely blog-worthy.
5. Get children involved in playing or looking at books. Go to kitchen to get paper towels and disposable shopping bag. Trust me. Do not skip this step. Consider whether to grab camera... blog posts are always better with photos, right. Decide against it. Probably too graphic.
6. Return to bathroom. Assess damage. Procrastinate using one of the following strategies:
1. Call husband (who is conveniently out for the evening)
2. Tweet commentary on the incident (in 140 characters or less)
3. Check email on iphone. Email friend about incident.
4. Run out of "legitimate" reasons to avoid the bathtub.
7. Steel yourself for what comes next. Submerge hand in water to pull the plug. Shudder. 
8. Pull out toys and place in tub-toy keeper. (See WFMW for more on this.) Shudder again.
9. Wait for water to finish draining. Briefly consider whether it might be easier to set tub on fire...  Scrap that idea on the grounds that the insurance agent would not likely understand.
10. Use paper towels to pick up the... offensive deposit. NOTE: You will be tempted to use toilet paper, but I strongly urge you to use paper towels. The tub will be wet; the poo will be wet. Toilet paper does not hold up in very wet situations (unless it's that very thick, scratchy notebook-paper-type stuff they use in public school restrooms). Trust me. Use the paper towels. Place the um... waste... in the bag. Shudder again.
11. Take bag out to garbage can; grab cleaning bucket on your way back to the bathroom.
12. Check on children. 
13. Return to bathroom knowing that the worst part is now behind you. Scrub (and I do mean scrub) contaminated bathtub with Scrubbing Bubbles, Kaboom! and bleach. Please be sure to rinse after each chemical so as not to fill your house with toxic fumes (even though you might wish for a little something to take the edge off right about now...)
14. Repeat scrubbing. Seriously. It might not be necessary, but you'll feel better.
15. Start shower, gather children and put them back in shower. Reassure toddler who is less than excited about returning to the scene of the crime.
16. Give everyone a good scrubbing. (Ignore temptation to use bleach and steel wool.) This part should be quick and as happy as possible. Try singing a song.
17. Remove children from shower - use clean towels to dry children. Don jammies and settle in for a bit of extra snuggling.
18. Place children in bed. Pray, give kisses, turn lights out. Return to bathrrom. Realize that as long as you've got the cleaning bucket out you might as well give the whole bathroom a once over. 
19. Gather all towels. Consider starting a bonfire in the back yard. Think better of it as the fire department would likely not understand. Start a load of towels (even though it's not towel day), being sure to use extra hot water and non-chlorine bleach if you've got it.
20. Collapse into chair. Knit. Or read. Or blog about the entire experience in very graphic detail.

And since blog posts are, in fact, better with photos, I will share with you this photo I took this evening... post cleaning.

Shiny! (and completely poo-free!)

I Got My Secret Decoder Ring...

Remember the movie A Christmas Story? Remember how Ralphie ran home from school every day to check the mailbox? How he waited with bated breath for his Little Orphan Annie Secret Decoder Ring?

I've been just like Ralphie for the last 11 days.

Every day I race home from work to check the mail & see if the thing I've been waiting for has come.

Every day for 10 days I was disappointed.

And yesterday, on the 11th day, it was there. In my mailbox. We were very excited.

Hmm? What's that, darling? Oh! You're wondering what on Earth could be so exciting?

This:

This is our new sponsor packet from Compassion International.

I posted a link to this fantastic organization a few weeks ago. I heard about them when this blogger and this blogger went on a fascinating journey called Blogging Through Kenya. I watched their journey through terribly impoverished areas. I read the stories (and watched the videos) of young adults who were sponsored as children, and the difference their sponsors made in their lives. I studied their photos of the landscape, the conditions and - most importantly - the faces. The children, living in slums, hungry, and... smiling.

My heart was moved. I wanted to do something. How could I not? I saw those faces, the hope... and I was moved. Matt & I talked at length. He had all kinds of very logical, manly questions. Why help a child in some other country & not one in the U.S.? How do you know this is a reputable organization? What percentage of the money we send monthly goes to actually helping the child? (It's a little above 80%, by the way, which is a high percentage for international aid.) I anticipated these questions, and had done my homework. I also prayed for my husband's heart to be moved the same way mine had.

And so, we decided that we would sponsor a child. God has blessed us. We felt compelled to give something back. So, we went to the Compassion International website to find a child to sponsor. I must admit that this part was a challenge. How could we choose just one? Also, it felt... odd... to look through all those photos of children in need. It felt a little like "shopping" for a child. But we prayed for God to show us which child He would have us support. We knew we wanted to sponsor a child who is about the same age as Tyson. We knew we wanted to sponsor a child from a relatively small family so that we could be sure to send enough stickers, etc. for all the children in the family to share. We hoped to find a child who's profile would suggest that we could find something in common, something to share.


And then we saw her. Her name is Michelle. She is seven years old. She loves to sing. How perfect is that? When I looked at her eyes, I couldn't help but think that I was looking at an "old soul." We felt pulled to sponsor her. And so we did. And I waited with bated breath for the new sponsor packet so that we could send her our first letter.


So, what does it mean to sponsor a child through Compassion?


Sponsorship means sending $38.00 per month to Compassion, who in turn sends it to the mission project in that child's community. The workers in that community act as case managers. They work with the child's family to determine what is needed. Food, clothing, a home, vocational training for the parents, etc. In addition to this monetary support, we also get to send letters to our child. Our plan is to mail her a letter, plus photos, pictures from Ty & Riley, stickers, etc. once each month. As sponsors we are encouraged to share with Michelle encouragement, stories of our faith and prayer requests. The program is one of discipleship, and although the children and their parents are never required to choose a walk with Christ, they are given opportunities to attend church, learn about Christ, and develop a relationship with him if they choose to do so. We started raying for Michelle and her family the same night we made our commitment.


There are many opportunities to help this organization improve the lives of these children. From one time gifts, to child sponsorship, to being a correspondence sponsor (which means you sponsor a child with encouraging letters), Compassion makes it easy to make a real difference in the life of a real person. A real child. I hope that you will visit their website. I hope that you will pray. I hope that you might be moved, as we were, to give something of ourselves to help a child in a place where help is so scarce.

He's TWO!

On Wednesday, my Baby...

...turned TWO!

He's such a big kid now...

He can open his own snack baggy...

...and then shove his snack into the cracks in the driveway.

 He's a busy guy...

..and always on the go!

He loves to run around like a Wild Thing...

... and play with the big kids...

...and do everything that his Daddy & big brother do!

He's silly...

...and snuggly...

and

We love him!

Processing...

First of all, I want to say thank you to everyone who commented on my #fail post. I truly did not expect the outpouring of encouragement & prayer that I read.

Right now, I feel like my computer when it is processing something. Seriously, I feel like I have that little spinning colorwheel (for you Mac users; or that little tipping hourglass for you PC's) right smack in the middle of my forehead today.

I'm doing the "three P's:" Praying, Processing and Pondering.

I'm also doing the "three R's: Reading, Reading, Reading.

Okay, I know that's just the same "R" repeated over & over, but it's been a LOT of reading. (In fact, I finished Ezekiel today!)

I hate drama and attention and I'm already feeling a bit embarrassed about that post... But I think I really did need to get it out there. Keeping it all inside was making it much, much worse. I'm not sure if it's really better today (remember, I'm still praying & pondering) but I know it didn't get worse today. I've heard that confession is good for the soul. And I have to admit that (although I was afraid of getting responses) I did feel like a weight had been lifted as soon as I wrote that post.

I will definitely have more on this later... After I've done more of those P's.

But for now I have to say thank you.

THANK YOU.




Oh, and did you know that I am somebody's "funny purple friend?" that totally made me laugh right through my tears!!!

#fail (Bible in 90 Days)

I hardly know where to begin. This post is a bit long, and it wasn't easy to write, so maybe it won't be easy to read. But it is (eventually) about the Bible in 90 Days, and I feel compelled for some mysterious reason to be completely honest, raw and open about this. So here goes...

I have pondered whether to write this post or not... and ultimately decided that I promised myself (and you) that in this place I would share my journey.

The good parts and the bad parts.
The highs and the lows.
The challenges and the triumphs.
(Does anyone else think this is starting to sound like marriage vows?)
The successes and the failures.

Of course, that's easy to say when you've just begun a new journey. If you'll remember, Dorothy began her journey on the yellow brick road with a catchy phrase, a song and a dance.

That's the easy part of the journey to admit to and to share with others. But we all know that even for Dorothy, the wheels came off the wagon a few miles down the road.

Well, folks, the wheels have come off my wagon. I am surrounded by my own failures, and I have been left bewildered, wondering... Is it possible to fail at everything? All at the same time?

"It can't be that bad," you're probably thinking. "Get over your pity party, pull yourself up," you're probably saying. I can hear you. It's okay.

This is not a pity party. Well, not the "all the bad stuff just happens to me" kind, anyway. This is more of the "I really and truly and completely suck. I have let people down, I have let myself down, I have failed at so much. I have been lazy and undisciplined and I have made poor choices, and I have made myself into a huge failure," kind of pity party.

What are the current failures, you ask? Here are some of the highlights (though this list is not at all exhaustive):

Bible in 90 Days = #faithfail
Stl Slimdown = #healthfail
Wife/Mom = #homemakerfail
My job = #musictherapyfail
Tyson's Sensory Issues = #momfail

Since today is Monday (and is therefore #B90Days Check-in Day), I'm going to focus on my complete & utter failure to read the Bible in 90 Days. This is of particular importance to me, given the spiritual impact it will should have had.

Read the Bible for about an hour each day - 12 pages a day. It sounded so easy. I read & knit for about an hour a day, so if I just cut back on that it should be smooth sailing. I started out so hopeful, so optimistic. I tore through the first week, when I was still on Christmas break from work.

Then school started again, and one of the wheels on my wagon started to wobble a bit. There were days when the hours just seemed to slip through my fingers. I got about 2 days behind. Then I caught up. Then I got four days behind and I briefly considered throwing in the towel. While considering this, I fell behind about 3 more days. Then I caught up by 2 days...

You get the picture.

By the time spring break arrived last week, I was nearly 14 days behind. No worries, I thought. I've got no work for a whole week.

But I promised Tyson I would paint his room. That took about 2.5 days. And I had to reorganize my household notebook, which took a lot of time. And, well... I didn't make good choices concerning my time and my Bible and I think I may have actually fallen even farther behind. (I've lost count given up counting. It's like rubbing salt in a self-inflicted wound.)

"Pray." People told me to pray. God would help me through this. I considered it.

But let me ask you this:

Aren't there things, no.

Shouldn't there be things that we do on our own?


I mean, I expect my seven year old to do things that I know he is capable of doing, without help from me. He can make sandwiches, and get his own drinks, and get himself ready for school... and he can do them without my help (most days). Therefore, I expect him to do these things all by himself.

I am capable of managing my time. I am capable of making responsible choices. I am capable of reading, for crying out loud!

Shouldn't I be expected to read for one stinking hour a day without Divine Intervention? Doesn't God expect me to do for myself things we both know I am capable of doing? I mean, I don't pray for God's intercession when it comes to brushing my teeth or reading the latest Stephanie Plum novel. Why should I request help with reading the most important book I will ever read?

So, I didn't pray. I didn't ask for help. Because if I can't do this one small thing, then what good am I?

And I failed. I am so far behind that I could only finish on time if I quit my job, send my boys to my grandmother's house, and give up small luxuries like showering and sleeping.

I should be clear: I am still reading. But it is not called the "Bible in 137.5 Days." So I failed.

I won't be done by Easter.
I won't be done with everyone else.
I won't feel like celebrating when I finally finish.

Because, really, what's to celebrate finishing a race when the race officials have already taken down the finish line because all the good people are already done?

I failed. I hate myself for it. I have failed at so much lately. And I hate myself for all of that too.

I don't know where to go from here. I don't know how to climb out of this pit I'm in. (Ever seen The Princess Bride? Remember the "Pit of Despair?" Or the "Bog of Eternal Stench" from The Labyrinth?)

I don't think I even feel like I deserve to climb out of it. 

So, there it is. Me, in the raw. I promised the good, the bad & the very, very ugly.

I think I've delivered on those last two, so at least I haven't failed in that.

Spring Break & a Confession

Tyson & I have Spring Break this week, and this seems like a good time for a confession.

I. am. a. complete. mess.

See, I always begin the school year with an organized house & home office... but as the school year drags on, balancing work with household & family stuff beings to wear on me. And our house. To be honest, by this point in the school year, my house and I are both in a sorry state.

The organizational systems I started this year with are disorganized. The house is cluttered with the boys' school papers and stray materials from my job. Post-it Notes are stuck everywhere. Clothes and mending are piled high in the master bedroom. All those happy projects I started in late summer (e.g. Riley's quilt) have been relegated to a corner in the basement. My craft table is covered in perilously teetering piles of craft materials, school papers, glue sticks and other odds & ends.

I feel like the house is beginning to get to me. But upon further reflection, I realized that I am beginning to get to the house. I think the chaos around me is just a symptom of the chaos I feel inside me. I know that every mom has challenges. SAHM's with littles have to balance all of their domestic duties with wiping noses, changing diapers, potty training, and sometimes being supermom with a little or two clinging to you like a baby monkey. Moms who homeschool have to balance the roles of wife, mother, teacher, counselor, principal, and sometimes, SRO (School Resource Officer).

But right now this is my pity party, so I'm focused on the challenges of being a WOHM (Work Outside the Home Mom). In some ways, I love having a job. I really get to flex my creative muscles. I get to make a real difference in the lives of kids with special needs. I get to have conversations with grownups on a daily basis. I learn new stuff on a daily basis, and it's so awesome to be a part of so many great kids' lives. The breakthroughs my students have, and the smiles on their parents' faces are so wonderful to see when we meet. Music therapy is a really important part of most of my students' education; without it many of them would struggle to learn even the most simple skills. That is why I do my job.

But I really must admit that I liked my job a lot more before I had children of my own.

Sometimes (usually on Mondays) I have to fight back tears when that huge yellow bus gobbles up my seven year old son. I find myself wondering often during my day at work what my children are doing and learning and thinking and feeling, and oh-my-goodness-what-am-I-missing-out-on while I"m at work? I do find myself watching the clock, praying for the seconds to tick by just a little quicker, for 3:30 to come just a little faster, so that I can see my boys.

And in the evenings, I find myself watching the clock, praying that the seconds will tick by a little slower, and that their bedtimes will come a little later. I pick up Riley at 3:50; Tyson gets off the bus at 4:00. Their bedtimes are 7:00 & 7:30, respectively. That gives me 3 hours a day with my boys. That's not much time. We tried pushing their bedtimes back, but these are my kids, and like their momma, they need their sleep.

Another drawback of working outside the home is that I still have all the same responsibilities of the moms I know who stay home. I still have to fit in time to plan menus, do the shopping, cook meals, pack lunches, do the laundry, help with homework, read books, sing songs, be sure the clutter & slidge of life don't get too out of hand, counsel, teach, discipline and deal with a public school that doesn't really understand Tyson's sensory needs (and so wrongly chocks a lot up to stubbornness). Since we both work, my husband does help out when he can... but he works longer hours than I do. And I still have to coordinate all the help I get from him (& Tyson). My husband doesn't always know what needs to be done when, so it still falls to me to solicit his help & give instructions when needed.

As the school year wears on, all this starts to wear me out.

So, Spring Break is a perfect opportunity to get my house (and myself) back in order for the big push to summer vacation. All that stuff that has been piling up can be dealt with. All those projects can be finished. Organization and order can be restored.

And a little fun and quality time can be spent with the kids.

If you're even remotely interested in what may end up being a truly boring week of posts (featuring some before/after photos, personal reflections, soul searching revelations, small triumphs and fun with kids) check back here often! I'm planning to blog daily (which is something else I can hardly find time for during the school year!).

Ahhh... Life With Boys!

Here is a conversation I had with Tyson today. We had just left the book store, where he spent a gift card from Christmas (Thanks, Grammy & Pappy!). We were in the car, and from the backseat I heard:

Ty: Mom, why did that boy have the diarrhea?

Me: (thinking some poor kid had to leave school early today) Who had diarrhea?

Ty: That boy.

Me: Honey, I don't know which boy you're talking about. Did someone get sick at school today? (And also wondering why on earth bodily emissions are so fascinating to little boys.)

Ty: No Mom. You called him the "diarrhea kid" at the book store.

Me: Tyson Norman! I am quite certain that I did not, in fact, would not call anyone a name as offensive as that! It would be very rude and hurtful and I am pretty sure that particular phrase would never, ever cross my mind. (Thinking that we might have to pull a consequence from the jar when we get home)

Ty: But, Mom. You kept saying that about the boy on the book. That red book I got. I showed you the book and you said you heard of this diarrhea kid book.

Do you want to know what he was talking about?

My very sweet son didn't hear "Diary of a Wimpy Kid." He heard, "Diarrhea the Wimpy Kid!"

I laughed so hard I nearly had to pull the car over!

And then I wondered: Why on earth did he want to buy a book about a kid with diarrhea?

I think the answer is probably: Because he's a boy.

It's Difficult Stuff...

There are two things flying through my mind right now. Neither of them are easy to think about, but I think both need to be shared. Please take a few minutes to click on each of the links I've posted. One is a commentary on the state of parts of our society. The other is... well, information about the state of another society.
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I want to show you a really good post.

No, silly! It's not here on my blog. ("Really good posts" are in short supply here...)

Click on over to The Dana Show to see an excellent commentary on the woman who posted her abortion on YouTube.

The story itself absolutely disgusted me. The video is... well, I honestly can't think of a word to describe what it is. The words "disgusting," "sad," "infuriating," "abhorrent," and "disturbing" all fall terribly short. But Dana's post puts a spotlight on what is really going on. Prejudice. Discrimination. A crumbling of Civil Rights. But not in the way the progressives in our society like to think.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As long as you are clicking all over the innernets, I'll share another link with you today.

I've been reading the blogs of two great women for a while, and this week they have left the comfort of their homes to travel to Kenya with Compassion. But they aren't just traveling through Africa. They are blogging through Africa. Every day (usually more than once) they post photos, thoughts, feelings and information about their experiences.

I had never heard of Compassion International until they started posting about it. I had no idea how their trip would affect me. Just click over to the Compassion website, then click on each of their photos to visit each of their blogs. I will tell you know that this is not easy stuff to look at. It is not something we really want to see, but it is something that we need to see. And I challenge you to read their blogs and not be moved. Moved to tears, moved to reevaluate, moved to praise God, moved to help.

My husband & I are doing a little financial rearranging this week, and as soon as things are in place (likely by Friday) we will be sponsoring a child. Because we looked at the photos, read the posts, then looked at our own home/stuff/life and said, "Really how can we not help?".

KidSpeak

One of the most amusing things about being a mom is the amazing (& sometimes strange) running dialogue in our home. When we were a young married couple with no kids, the house was filled with talk of politics, weather, funny friend stories and where we should eat out (Because, dude. I seriously could not cook).

Enter the children, and even the grownup conversations seem to center around snot, school kids, bowel movements, who put which new scuff mark on the previously freshly painted walls, and oh-my-gosh-how-can-we-be-out-of-milk/bread/toiletpaper-already?!?!

The best stuff is what we hear out of our kids. So, without further ado, I give you some of the strange things we have heard around our house this week:

 

From Tyson:

"I hate to tell you this, but..." (this is his new catch phrase, and it could be followed by anything from "these bananas are squishy," to "Riley is stuffing buttons up his nose.")

"That is soooo inappropriate" (uttered to his little brother)

"He's not making good choices. Again." (uttered about his little brother)

"Mommy, what does your colon do?"

"Everyone needs to be quiet, because I need to tell everyone this...." (this preceded a big announcement at dinner - see the next in the list)

"...we made a home for worms yesterday!" (Worm homes are apparently quite important..)

"Mom! You just said the 'Nerd-Word'!" (I admit to needing an explanation of what exactly a "Nerd-Word" is...)

"Wow! Mom, you have got to come here [to the bathroom]. I just dropped a BOMB in there!" (Do I really need to elaborate? Suffice it to say that boys are strange, and sometimes icky, little creatures.)

 

From Riley (with translations)

"Momma! Rotcoe [slurping noise] [licks hand] Ewwwww! [touches face]" (Mom! Roscoe the dog just licked me all over the face when you weren't looking and it was gross, but that won't stop me from going back over so he can do it again.)

"Uh-oh. Momma! Uh-oh! Wiwey may mess meowk. Momma! Meowk coe!" (Uh-oh! Momma! Uh-oh! Riley made a mess [with] milk. Momma! Milk [is] cold!) (Uh-oh! Mom, you're not gonna like this, but I just spilled an entire cup of milk all over myself, the cabinet front, the floor and the dog. Oh, and the milk is cold.) 

"Wiwey no yike Daddy caw rrrmmmmmmm." (Riley no like Daddy's car [that goes] vroom.) (I do not like Daddy's Mustang Cobra, as it is quite loud, and the emissions from the tailpipe could easily kill an elephant unfortunate enough to be behind it.)

"Momma! [grins] Wiwey oohh. In oohh." (Mom! Riley ear. In ear.) (Mom! I have stuck several peas into my ear. Good luck getting them out because peas are really squishy and I have the smallest ear canals ever seen on a human toddler.)

"Jfjiilllll. Wiwey fhfhfhpplththth." (I have no idea. Seriously. Sometimes he just lets loose with a string of very excited, but completely unrelated phonemes, then nods his head as if he has made his point. He then waits for us to give some sort of appropriate response. Thankfully, a "really?" or "Oh, I see" from us is sufficient.)

"Momma! Wiwey weh. Neenee. Wiwey wike neenee. Weh."(Momma! Riley wet. Candy. Riley like candy. Wet.) (Mom! My diaper is wet. It's barely wet. Okay, maybe it's not really even wet, but you've been giving me a mini M&M every time I come & tell you that I'm wet. I really like candy, and we hardly ever get any at all, so I'm gonna go ahead & cry "Wet!" so that I can get a little candy. By the way, we both know that you will give me the piece of candy, and then take me to the bathroom to change said diaper. And that's when I'm planning to make my escape. The minute my feet hit the floor, I'm going to do the "wet noodle" & drop to the floor, then I'm going to do a "triple sow cow with an extra twist" to wiggle away from you. I'll finish my program with a full on naked-from-the-waste-down sprint around the house during which time you'll be thinking about how my diaper wasn't really that wet & I'll probably end up peeing all over the house as you chase me. Good times, Momma. Good times.)

What kinds of things do you hear in your home?

For Your Musical Enjoyment

To the tune of "I'm a Little Teapot."
Go ahead and sing along! Nobody's listening!!!

I'm a little blog 

about lots of different things.

My author is a mom who knits and sings.

She's a little scatter-brained,

here and there,

posting everything from scripture to her bright pink hair!

I'm a little blog,

yes I am.

I'm too small to get comment spam.

I'm not that big,

a little rink-a-dink.

Please leave a comment and tell me what you think!

Okay, so I do like a little syncopation here & there... those who know me will tell you that I like to make up little songs while I'm working or driving or folding laundry or whatever. I think it's a side effect of being a music therapist with lots of novel song requests from teachers. (If I had a nickel for every toilet-training song I've written I could retire!) 

Sometimes I make up songs about nothing (e.g. this "Little Blog" song) and sometimes I make up songs about stuff that really bakes my noodle (e.g. people who dumb things; political happenings). Usually it's just a way to amuse myself as I go through this sometimes exasperating life!

What do you think? Would you like to see more of my musical antics here at Purple Brick Road?

Works for Me...

In this era of "reduce, reuse, recycle," I am sharing an idea that I actually got from my Mom. My very green-thumb Mom. Seriously, my mom can put a stick in dirt and have a ten foot tree a week later. We both have quite a few house plants, and, although we do use Miracle Grow in our gardens, we use something else for the potted plants.

For houseplants we use tea. Compost Tea. Free Compost Tea. I started a new batch today, and here is what it looks like right now:

I wish I had thought to take a picture of the jar I had just emptied. It was better. Very dark.

So, here's how you make it:

1. Find a clean glass or plastic jar (mine is a peanut jar). 
2. Put it on your counter and put a little water in it.
3. Whenever you use an egg, put the shell in the jar. (I use a spoon to crunch them down in there.)
4. Whenever you make coffee, put the used grounds in the jar.
5. After you've put a few egg shells & coffee grounds in, top it off with water, shake and let it sit.
6. Let it sit some more.
7. And let it sit some more. I shake mine once a day, but Mom says that's not necessary.
8. Don't let it sit in direct sunlight or over your oven (where it will get warm). You want all the nutrients to leach out of the egg shells & grounds, but you don't want to start an algae farm!
9. I let mine sit for about a week.
10. When you are ready to fertilize feed your plants, you just strain out the eggs & grounds (I do this by pouring the contents of the jar through a paper towel into a big cup or bottle).

 

Sometimes I add extra water, and sometimes I just focus the "tea" full-strength on my plants that need it most.

Does it work? Well, you be the judge:

Philodendron + a purple plant I pinched at a Dr. office...

Oregano. Yum...

Prayer plant + something else I got 7 years ago.

If you're new today, please take a moment to leave a comment... I love getting feedback!

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