Last year, Tyler built a raised garden box and we loved having the fresh veggies. He decided that we needed more room, so he built a second, bigger box. We have limited sunshine areas, so there was only one option for where we placed it. Tyler had been watching the yard for weeks to determine the best area for sun.
Friday, Tyler had a big pile of dirt delivered. Logan and I got to "supervise" as the dump truck dumped it into our backyard. For a three year old, that is pretty much the best day ever. (Sam had a PJ day at school, so he is indeed playing in the dirt in his PJs and cowboy boots.)
On Friday night, I developed a scheme. Tyler was going to be fishing all day Saturday. Wouldn't it be fun, to have all of his dirt moved to his garden when he came home? I couldn't sleep, I got so excited. My plans grew into a mini backyard makeover. First thing in the morning, I talked to Sam and Jack. The thing is that my kids don't know how to work hard, they don't know how to finish a job, and they don't have a lot of opportunity to do service. I know this is my fault, and it really bothers me. When I have tried to provide these opportunities, it ends up with 1 - 4 crying Wiricks. I used my best excited voice and attitude to describe how happy Dad would be if we did this for him. I also told them they could earn money for the extra work, and that if we got everything done on Saturday, we could spend all day together on Monday having fun. They signed on, hesitantly, but agreed to the job at hand. I think digging in dirt sold it. We had a few tears and some stop and go activity, but they really worked hard.
Once we filled Tyler's garden, I landscaped a corner of the yard. It was a corner where grass didn't grow well, it is sloped, and it always looks messy. We used the left over dirt to make a nice little raised garden area. We also have a cool bird house that Tyler's dad built us a few years ago. I have always wanted to build a stand for it. I drew up some plans and purchased the materials. Jack and Sam helped me execute the plan. Jack was hilarious as always. He said, "Mom, I didn't know that you would know how to do something like this." (Honestly, I wasn't so sure myself) We made a cute sign for the front and bought bird seed to attract some birds.
On the deck, I replaced some over sized patio chairs that crowded the deck, replaced the old faded umbrella, and cleaned up the clutter. I added flower boxes around the edge and planted bright colored flowers. We are having our deck re-finished in the next few weeks, so it will look a lot better. I also mowed the lawn, so that Tyler didn't have to do it.
At about 7 p.m., Tyler told me he was on his way home. We waited and waited. Sam sat on the stairs with the garage open. He was almost in tears, because it was taking too long. He told me that he said a prayer, but it hadn't worked yet. Jack and I built a fire in the fire pit to get it ready for smores. Tyler finally got home around 8:30 or so. It was dark, which was a bit of a bummer. Sam got him right in the house with a big grin and brought him to the deck. He immediately noticed the new landscaped corner, but had no idea about the garden. We showed him, and he was flabbergasted. It was perfect. It was so much fun. After the kids were in bed, he went right to Walmart to buy some seeds and plants.
For fun, here are some pictures of our front yard too.
Way to go! I've tried to pull off a few surprises like that, but instead they turn into big disasters!
ReplyDeleteIt looks beautiful!
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