Play dough & more garden rambling

Snuggle Bug was introduced to play dough today. He tried to eat it a few time and then decided it was more fun to squish against the table. I figure if I make it a regular activity it may serve to help build his fine motor coordination. It is one of a list of activities that were suggested by his occupational therapist.

On Tuesday, we had 'homework time' after dinner. Snuggle Bug was given a coloring book and crayons. Cuddle Bear and I practiced writing the letter 'I'. I figure since the preschool is sending Cuddle Bear home with activities to do, I may as well get the boys into the habit of sitting down after dinner and doing 'homework'. I think it will make it less of a shock when school starts sending it home.

Yesterday we went down to the hardware store. The boys really like going in there and saying hello to the owner. He and his staff enjoy having their smiling little faces pop in regularly and make a point of giving them lollipops when they've been good in the store. The visit to the hardware store wasn't just about being social. I was also buying some supplies.

I had been reading a few different websites on how to make your own greenhouse. One of them talks about making a frame and covering it over with plastic sheeting that is typically used to cover windows. I've a frame from when we lived at the old apartment in Lima. (The one with the drug dealers next door.) The plastic cover for that mini greenhouse got destroyed over the winter. I've decided to make a new one with some plastic sheeting and duct tape. It is probably going to look pretty ugly, but I just want it to be functional.

I have cut up plastic bottles over the seeds that I planted early in pots. Right now, all of my potted plants are inside. The weather turned cold and I didn't want to have them get burned by frost. The warmth of the apartment seems to be doing the plants good. I wish I had more light in that back hallway, but I think this is going to just be for a few days.

Fortunately, we're near the lake which helps keep the air warmer then it would be on the top of a hill, like at my parents-in-law's place. Looking at the weather maps and such, I am optimistic that by the end of the weekend it will be warm enough for me to put the plants back outside. I'm hoping that we don't get any snow accumulated over the next few days. I'm just tired of cold weather and want it to finally be spring.