Tuesday

 (Breakfast, so so late...)





January is when many gardeners start flipping through seed and plant catalogues (or browsing online sites), looking at what's new, seeking inspiration. I notice that I am growing less ambitious. This fall, I did a wildflower seeding over some of the grassy areas -- that's a big experiment for us right there -- and we dug out a huge bush from the Big Flower Bed. I'll have to fill in that space with... something. I'm not in a hurry to decide. It wont be a true lily because we have an infestation of lily bugs in south central Wisconsin. There is, in fact, a good chance that I will lose many of my true lilies to the little red pests. (They are, thank goodness, not interested in day lilies.) What big bloomers will I put in to anchor that bed? I don't know. In any case, I am looking to maintain and fix, rather than design and expand.

This leaves me with a January that's once again focused on what's inside the farmhouse rather than what's outside. Without snow, the motivation to step out is really on the low side. Warm and cozy is preferable to cold and bleak.

We are moving slowly today. I told Ed I had a list of tasks to work through. We should be outside taking advantage of another reasonably mild day (just above freezing), but I am in a bearish mood. Hibernate! Let the other animals romp and play -- I'm happy working on my computer from the comfort of a couch.

Of course, in the afternoon, the kids are here. Snowdrop often comes home with a kite she'd made at the art table in school. Today, despite the sudden bite in the air, she is determined to try it out.






Verdict? She tells Ed: ahah, we need wind, but also warm weather or hot weather to go fly a kite!

In the meantime, Sparrow has discovered the girl's birthday "tree house."






He is so ready to join in with his sister. And he's a good play mate, going forward: he's not one who comes over with the intention of wrecking her set ups. Nonetheless, when Snowdrop's setups are intricate and important to her story line, it's better to find something comparable for the little guy, without having him try to insert his characters into her tight space. This worked well for them today!







("I'll just put the baby on the chair next to the mommy and daddy...")






("In the alternative, I'll sit on Snowdrop and make her laugh.")






Later, much later, we settle into a good hour of "office" play. Snowdrop wants to make a book about super hero pigs and Sparrow wants to be allowed to use all drawing utensils.
















Such happy kids!  And in the middle of January no less!