Monday's Mommy Moment: Gardening?

9.27.2010

This weekend was my first attempt at trying some actual gardening and planting with Lil' Lewie.  I bought some Daffodil, Hyacinth, Grape Hyacinth, and Scillas bulbs and made a little sketch as to where I wanted to plant them in the front yard.  As I began to turn over the soil with my shovel (and made sure to give Lil' Lewie his own large plastic shovel too), I lost his attention in less than a minute.



Okay, turning over soil isn't exactly fun, so I prepared him for the next step.  Surely he would love helping me spread some fertilizer and soil in the flowerbeds while planting some of the bulbs.  Well, that didn't go exactly as planned either.  My tiny tot who once loved getting his hands dirty, now, evidently, doesn't like to get his hands dirty at all. 

"Common Lewie.  Now just grab a handful of soil from the bag and sprinkle it here like this," I said with the most encouraging of voices.  "Look how much fun Mommy is having."

He looked at me, looked at the dirt, and then grabbed my hand.

"Lewie, we're going to stay here right now. Okay?"  I tried reasoning with my two year old.

Silly Mommy.  Trying to reason with a two year old is like trying to reason with...um...a rock in the garden.  There is no reasoning.  If my little boy likes what I'm about to say, he's listening, but if I say something that he doesn't like, he ignores me like I don't even exist.   He continued grabbing my hand, this time with a little more persistence.

"Okay, where do you want to take Mommy?" I asked, shrugging my shoulders.

Just like I suspected, he lead me right to his swing set in the yard.  Our gardening experience lasted all of five minutes.  My equipment was spread out everywhere, bags of soil and fertilizer were open and scattered, bulbs were lying in the grass, and I was cajoled by my two year old to drop everything I was doing to push him on the swings and help him on the slide.  When I even suggested that we go back to the front yard to plant, he began to scream, cry, whine, and break out into one of his fairly typical tantrums.

My word of advice to any mommies out there with two year olds or younger is this--if your little one doesn't have a great attention span now, don't even try gardening yet.  There will be plenty of opportunities when they get older (I hope!)


"Look Mom, my hands are dirty!"
"Earthworms...Yuck!"

18 comments:

  1. I only try to actually do things when Jeremy's home and can take over Georgia duty when she loses all attention for the activity. But at least you got some adorable pictures!

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  2. following you from tuesday blog hop!

    http://vlayugan.blogspot.com

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  3. What a cutie!
    New follower via Follow Me Back Tuesday.
    http://changingbutstillme.blogspot.com
    Hope you'll follow me back!

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  4. I am a new follower from the blog hop.
    Living Out Loud
    http://lgreenss.blogspot.com

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  5. LOL, they really do have their own agendas! This happens to me every time I get ambitious and try to do something like that! Although I think I would have the opposite problem with my boys, if this were me dirt would be everywhere and ever spot they could dig they would LOL!

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  6. bwahahhaha soooo true. Trust me bargaining, reasoning, etc.. is a no go... Take it from me I have 2 of them.. lol.. but he's adorable/....
    Newest Follower here... Hope you get a chance to check us out...

    @

    http://mommyingonthefly.blogspot.com/

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  7. Im a new follower from follow me back Tuesday! How CUTE.

    Tracy
    www.audsbabydays.blogspot.com

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  8. So cute Annette! Little Chick loves to pick up worms. I think they are icky, but my mom gardens and thinks they are pretty cool. I think five minutes is pretty good for the first gardening experience! My thoughts are with Aunty Sarah! Have a good day!

    Mama Hen

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  9. I learned this lesson the hard way many years ago! It is still fun to have them out there with you, isn't it?
    Following you back.

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  10. cute pictures!

    I am your newest follower. I am following you from Follow Me Back Tuesday. I would love if you would visit my blog and follow me back. Have a fantastic day!

    Leslie
    www.livelovelaughwithleslie.com

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  11. Stopping by from Follow Me Back Tuesday to follow your blog :-)

    Carrie A Groff
    http://livingahealthybeachlife.blogspot.com

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  12. SOOOOO cute- my boys love dirt! Following you from the blog hop.
    http://survivingandthrivinginmom-dom.blogspot.com

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  13. Oh! So cute! Our girls enjoyed the dirt this week too! We planted a tree together!
    How old is your little one? Ours youngest is 26 months and loves to "help"
    Read more about it and our other activities from the week here http://www.mommymoment.ca/2010/09/what-week-and-link-up.html

    ~Jody

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  14. Too funny! That toddler attention span is brief! At least you tried, that's all you can do. Love the earthworm picture!

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  15. Such cute pictures. He is adorable! I'm a new follower and can't wait to read more!

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  16. He is just SO stinkin' cute!!
    I just left an award for you on my blog. You truly deserve it!!

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  17. Just following your cute blog from Follow Me Back Tuesday! Please follow me back @ www.romanianprincess.com

    Thanks, Nicole Mariana

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  18. Following you from Friendly Friday Hop
    Would love a visit at www.twoboysonegirlandacrazymom.com when you get a chance...
    Happy Friday
    Melanie

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