Observations

Some things that Parker has mentioned to me lately:

"A school bus doesn't need a caboose."

"No one else can touch your private parts. They might get germs."

And this one shocked me - I told her about a trip I was planning to Austin, and she asked:

"Austin, where Emily lives, or a different Austin?"

I have no idea how she knew or remembered that.

Like the glasses? She picked them out to go with her outfit and wore them to school.

Flower bed overhaul

As Parker says "ta-daaaaaaa!"
We have finally finished redoing one of our existing flower beds. It's been driving us crazy and an embarrassment since we moved in. It was full of overgrown weeds, brush, tree stumps, poison ivy, fire ants and existing plants that didn't belong. After several weekends of hard work (mainly Bob's hard work, although I did help more than usual) we are finally done! Now it just needs to grow.

There was an existing cedar/cyprus (?) tree that was odd and out of place. Bob used his brute strength and iron will and dug it out....along with many other large thick-trunked 'weeds' that had grown into small trees. We replaced it with an Autumn Blaze Maple. The other plants in the bed are purple verbena, Compact Pomegranite, Goldmound Spiraea, Blue Star Juniper, multi-color Sage, Frost-Proof Gardenia, Crimson(?) Barberry, and Dwarf Burford Holly...which will eventually grow in a bit to provide some screening of the house behind us.

Here's the before.....it's taken from behind the bed...it was the only before I could find.

During.....Bob v. Tree

All the stuff that was dug up.....and Parker (for scale)

And the finished product. It will look really great in 3 more growing seasons....but I'm happy with the results already.

Parker was great every weekend at amusing herself - a miracle. She'd play on her swingset and trampoline or with toys we brought out while we were digging, and endured several trips to the plant store. It was definitely a family project!