Checking off the Summer Bucket List

This Summer, we wanted to make sure we squeezed in as much fun as we could.  We wanted to make time for some big things and we didn't want to forget some of the little things, too.    So we made a bucket list to help us make sure we didn't miss a thing.

We included things like "go to the beach", "do a science experiment", "catch lightning bugs" and "make popsicles."  One of the things we listed was "plant something".  This gave us a little more flexibility than planting a garden, which hasn't gone too well the last couple of years.  With having a baby in April, the garden just didn't get done.  So I decided each family member would have one plant to take care of.  Seven plants.  We'll see if we can manage that one. ;)

 My parents gave Paige a tomato plant earlier this season after she and my mom talked about a garden Paige wanted to plant that included the typical "tomatoes" and "carrots" to the unusual and bizarre things like "chicken" and "pizza".  (Gotta love those yummy chicken plants!)  So, she had a tomato plant and the kids each chose another plant to care for.  Elise chose a cucumber plant.  She loves them like her Daddy.  Ian wanted a spearmint plant.  Merry Grace chose basil, and they decided Jay would like the grape tomato plant.  That left me with a red bell pepper plant and Cory with crookneck squash.

First they weeded the area we were going to plant it. 

They all found some great weeds.

 

Elise got her cucumber plant into the ground.  She made sure the area around the plant was free of leaves and sticks.

Ian's spearmint plant needed part shade, so we had to plant it in a slightly different spot from the "full sun" plants.  Ian also regaled us with information about earthworms, compost and soil nutrition that he learned in Science last year.

Merry Grace planted her Basil with tender, loving care.  She is kind of excited that there are enough leaves already on her plant that we can go ahead and eat some. :)

Because Paige has had her plant the longest, it was also the biggest and I had to plant it for her.  So she planted my pepper plant for me.  And the kept weeding.  She and Ian really liked weeding.  She also liked eating popsicles, which we also did while we worked.  It was dang hot out there.  She may have sneaked an extra one...or two...

Elise and I took turns snuggling Baby Jay until we finally decided it was too hot for him and took him back inside to the cool.

I don't know if we'll reap any veggies or not, but we sure had fun planting our veggies and herbs today.  So that's one successful item marked off our bucket list! :)