In the Wilds

Cue the heat and outdoor play around here. Since we are lacking activities in the backyard for now it's all about the water table and the kiddie pool, concocting sand soup and other murky mysteries. I need to find a sunblock that comes in a mousse form. I HATE applying greaZy lotion, even though the two pack I got at Costco is for kids and in a spray form, it's so greazy. If you're my brother and you're reading this you'll be especially amused to hear (in the spirit of cold-water-dousings during various showers growing up) that Jooge squirted me with the hose yesterday. Well, first she squirted her sister, then I came running only to get squirted myself. It was one of those things where she didn't really know what she was doing. Must have been quite comical to watch.
Our plants are going great guns. The preschool had a plant sale this spring so we invested in tomato, zucchini, and pepper plants as well as a half flat of dahlias. I was worried about the dahlias after reading how finicky they can be but we have them in a sunny spot on the front porch and for the most part they seem healthy. We also have a big rectangular planter of morning glories, sunflowers and black eyed susans that came in these cool seedballs my aunt gave Jooge for her birthday last year. That'll be a fun collection when they all come up.
We have this vine maple in our backyard that is badly overgrown. If it rains, the branches hit the ground. I agonize about it all the time and have called the rental agency to say, "Yo, tree emergency" way back when it needed to be pruned. I don't know HOW or have the tools, or else I would have attempted it, though it still isn't technically our tree to prune. So, for now it's providing my outdoor chair with a cozy shelter, lacy leaves fanning out to protect.
My latest craft project was to do a new lampshade for our playroom. I found an old copy of Where The Wild Things Are and decoupaged the shade with its' pages. Now I just need to rig up the insides and hang the puppy and voila, wild rumpus lighting up the room.