cute

tonight DH's aunt (of the aunt and uncle who maintain the estate that we live on) is having a small family birthday party for his younger cousin...she is turning 8 I believe. I always get her something overtly feminine, like the purple sparkly bag we got her for her first eucharist, OR something really nerdy like books (I know I know, it's not nerdy, but it's almost self-righteous on my part). She's a bit of a tomboy b/c she is the youngest of four and the only girl. So in honor of her "down and dirty" play style I got her some gardening gifts! and I have to say...they are so cute, I might just have to come over and plant with her!

We got her a Manny Mantis Cultivator:

...a Dotty Ladybug Shovel:

...and two big pots of Pink Calibrochoa...annuals:


We have a nice sized planting pot and will fill it with a small bag of potting soil, and then put the tools in as well. It should be very cute...I hope our little one gets cool gifts like this! of course she could turn out to be a bit of a priss, and then well...purple pocket-books it is!

ps-thinking about getting her a small pack of seeds as well, maybe for some fall veggies or something? it's probably too late to plant though.

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baby's been kicking like a champ...an italian soccer champ that is ;) Today all I wanted was a chili-dog. I haven't had a taste for chili dogs probably since I was 8 years old. I don't eat tube-steak, but apparently I would it today. and that brings me to...

when I was a tiny-tot, my younger bro and I went to a daycare in the small town we lived in...we only went for a little while, b/c my mom was actually helping to take care of the babies during the busy times. we were friends with the owners and their children. It was converted from an old tin barn, so there were NO WINDOWS!!! okay there were like 3, but they were way up near the very high ceilings and about 1 foot high. Anyway, I have just a few random memories of this strange place. It was a very poor town, so it was a very simple set-up. Two large rooms, one lined with cribs for the babies, and the other for the toddlers with toy chests built-in lining that room. There was a kitchen, 2 big closets, and 2 bathrooms. My favorite lunch we had was (wow this is terrible) Kraft Mac 'n' Cheese with hot-dog slices mixed in, and green peas on the side. I also liked the "dirty rice" with corn...I'd mix it all together. Random memories:

• it was cold out and one of the girls showed up with a dress AND jeans. she was way ahead of her time


• I once dug in the toy chests for a good 15 minutes trying to find a doll with the head still attached


• coloring pictures of sheep (how do you color something white!). I made mine black and got into trouble for coloring outside of the lines. I remember doing it on purpose.


• harvesting the peanuts we had planted next to the swings


• watching the colt that was just born trying to run around in the pen (the daycare owners also raised horses) and thinking how there was a boy at the daycare named Colt and that confused me


• one of the "big" boys stepping on a huge toad and seeing it's guts come out...yuck


• being so angry when my mom made me dress up as an angel for the halloween parade (which was just us goofballs marching up and down the long gravel driveway!) I wanted to be a cowgirl


• playing "Ring around the Rosey" and "A tisket, a tasket..."


• learning to "gallop," "skip," and "tip-toe"