A few months ago we planted cleome in the front garden, a small annual plant that would grown about 24 inches high. Well, take a look at these mutant green things: 5 feet tall at least. Even though they still have a few pink blooms, that bit of colour is not enough to deter me from tidying up.

It helps to have a warm sunny day when you're in a gardening mood, doesn't it? It reduces the chore factor and increases the enjoyment. And at the end of the day, there's a pretty little garden, free from gigantic roaming leaves that block the entire minivan from the front window view. Really! They were that big!

My Left Foot

P's left foot is his good one! These look like a "before" and "after" shot of the biggest loser except with scratches and bruises and staple holes. Believe it or not, P's right foot looks marvelous in comparison to 3 weeks ago, with the swelling substantially less and the bruising almost gone. Soon he'll actually be able to put weight on it as he limps down the road of recovery.

Bonne Fete !!

On September 22 my youngest child turned 12, beginning his 13th year of life on this planet. He is wonderfully enthusiastic and curious and the world is a better place because he is in it. Happy Birthday, mon petit prince!

Sliver of Truth

Yesterday I got the nastiest paper cut on my right hand, in that wrinkly part between my thumb and forefinger, and every time I opened a book or held a pen, that little paper cut stung like a devil. I complained about it in too much detail to P, who then countered with his own anecdote.

He'd been to the cast clinic, had more xrays taken, had all the staples removed and had a meeting with his surgeon. A total of 18 staples in one incision and 25 in the other, and he still has a smile on his face. He's now in an air cast so he can submerge his entire body in the bath!! Yay! We scrubbed him up and hardly recognized him afterwards. The bottom line from the surgeon is that he'll be in some sort of cast for 12 weeks, and for the first 6 (only 4 to go) in a non-weight bearing one. No walking. At. All.

What a whiner. My paper cut is way worse.

Meagre Fruits of our Labour

In our little vegetable garden (formerly known as the fire pit), we grew beans, lettuce, watermelon, canteloupe and zucchini. The zucchini far outperformed the others, resulting in about 6 vegetables of about 6 or 7 inches each. Not exactly a bumper crop. In fact, I think I need to fertilize more enthusiastically next year. Take a look at these wee little fruits: canteloupe and, yes, that's a watermelon!

Terry Fox Month

September is the month in which the Terry Fox Run is held, and for us this September is particularly meaningful since we have our own leg-challenged athlete.

P isn't quite ready to embrace a marathon, but he is wielding the crutches effectively and has been exploring around the house. He's even been to check the mail box!

In all seriousness, the Terry Fox Foundation is an admirable and worthy charity and I encourage you to make it your charity of choice. At our school, I'm organizing the National School Day Run (Thursday, September 30, 2010) and I'm proud to say that all classes are participating, from JK/SK all the way to Grade 8.

Bounty

This evening a neighbour stopped by and invited us to pillage his garden ... no, really! He said he'd picked and picked and was all picked out and he told us to grab a basket or a bag and come for a look. I grabbed my son J and we helped ourselves to tomatoes, rhubarb, peppers, canteloupe, squash, beets and more tomatoes. Yum!

I see spaghetti in our future ...

Pre-First Day of School Ponderings

As the clock ticks down the last few hours of a steamy hot summer vacation, I'm checking out one of my favourite blogs. It's called 1000 Awesome Things (there's even a book with the same title), and it never fails to make my day. Today's discovery is called "Your Almost Name", the name that your parents almost called you but didn't. How different would your world be if you were a Hamish, a Bianca or a Montgomery?

http://1000awesomethings.com/2010/08/17/438-your-almost-name/

Happy First Day of School!

I hope the moments of excitement far outweigh the moments of terror!

Un CRASH Gateau

Our neighbours are so sympathetic and understanding. When they heard about P's accident they came over with a lovely cake that put a smile on all our faces ... and some sweetness in our bellies. They even used a Yamaha (you can tell because it's blue!) instead of a Kawasaki like I thought it was. It's not that I don't listen when he describes all about the details of his bike ... I, well, I, um ... what was that?