Spring

There was a plant sale at the local nursery this weekend. After the timely advice from Gardening Australia last night suggesting people don’t buy leafy greens that are too well developed, I chose a punnet of mixed lettuce, along with three different types of tomatoes: Black Russian, Grosse Lisse and some standard orange cherry tomatoes. I also bought two bags of cow manure and some white oil to treat the aphids on the lemon tree, so I’ll plant all of that tomorrow and give the tree a good spray. Last weekend I weeded the veggie bed in readiness for planting, and that was before I found out about the plant sale. Tomatoes haven’t done well in our garden beds for a few years, but now that the small snow gum has died and we chopped it down, there will be more sunlight and that might help.

It’s such perfect weather, except for the lack of rain. The girls are committed up to their eyeballs in extra curricula activities this term: to their existing one ballet class per week, swimming, pottery and recorder they have added Little Athletics on Saturday mornings and a second ballet class during the week: they were keen for both. For the free time remaining on Saturday and all of Sunday, I’m happy for them to play with Sienna over the fence and run a bit wild. A friend’s daughter Evie is having a sleepover with us tonight and the three of them played on the footpath with a ball after dinner and then we had sparklers in the dark on the deck. Even though she’s two years younger, they get on well, mostly, despite that.

Maybe tomorrow they can help me with the planting, I thought I might ask them to help me clean the windows as well (perhaps for a small sum) and that might keep Evie occupied too. I feel like doing a bit more spring cleaning, wiping off the months of dust on the windows, sorting out the winter clothes and bringing out the summer ones. We sewed on the bibs and sponsors’ logos on to their Little Athletics uniforms last night, there’s always jobs to be done.

Lara was sick on Thursday and I stayed home with her, doing a bit of work via email and calling in to a teleconference I needed to attend. Apart from that it was nice being at home with her, we had a cuddle in her bed for part of the time, and she told me about the first time she remembered meeting Alice when she came to stay with us. Lara remembered being in her growbag so couldn’t have been more than four years old, she remembered hopping into their room where Alice was sleeping (it was the study then). She didn’t say what she had thought, she just had that snatch of memory.

I’ve been trying to call Alice for a few nights for a chat without success. That means that either she’s at her neighbour’s house or in hospital. I’d be interested in her suggestions for the girls’ behaviour management, given the results I’ve now logged for a month.

In the meantime, it’s spring. I’m still running and playing the piano three days a week, and reading and listening to podcasts a lot in my spare time. And the girls are growing tall and strong. With luck, just like my new tomatoes and lettuce will.