March 11, 2009

WHAT COULD BE MORE LABOR INTENSIVE THAN GARDENING?

Are you talking about me?

You may or may not have noticed that my posts are few and far between these days. Being a full time grandmother to my first grandchild reminds me also of why I didn't garden when my three children were growing up. Gardening is labor and time intensive and who can do it between the demands of a newborn?

As Lea is entering her fourth month she sleeps longer than before and I have learned to paint more alla prima works of art. This is sometimes good as it keeps me from ruining a good painting by overworking it.

I am looking forward to Spring and Summer but I'm also wondering how much gardening I can get done in between naps and playtime. Is there such a thing as alla prima gardening? I don't think so and I'm training gramps to take charge while I'm planting. He already thinks he's got babying mastered because when he picks her up she stops fussing and he's happy to walk her majesty all around the premises for an entertaining change of scenery. " I don't know if it's just me but I don't think I've ever seen a cuter baby, " he said. He's smitten.

Being a first time mother I think my daughter appreciates me more now that the reality of taking care of a baby's every whim has become reality. There countless sleepless nights, days when you can't get outside, housework, cooking, and no social life hardly to speak of are all part of the package with that little bundle of joy that depends on you for everything.

There's just no other way to know or appreciate your mother more than being one. At what other time in your life will your ever whim be catered to? You should give your mother or grandmother a great big hug for the devoted care they gave you.

Oops! Gotta go. Her majesty calls.




11 comments:

  1. I agree, babies are quite labor intensive. When my newborn grandson came for a visit two years ago, it took lots of work! And walking around wasn't always enough:) She's a cutie.

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  2. Yeah Mom I have to agree, That's why you are the best Mom and Grandmother there is!
    Well, we all know where Lea gets her good looks from..

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  3. Her Majesty looks very sweet and oh, so innocent as she teaches you all how to be her loyal subjects!

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  4. It's a labour of love, though, isn't it - just like gardening! What a very gorgeous little girl.

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  5. Carolyn Gail, She is quite the prettiest baby! Being a grandmother has to be the best experience...I do look forward to it sometime...There was no time for gardening when my son was an infant...it's good that gramps is a natural and can lend his arms to Lea's care. gail

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  6. This is precisesly why I didn't become much of a gardener until after my children were grown! Your little Lea is such a cutie; she has grown so much since you first announced her birth, but babies have a way of doing that, don't they?

    I have been reading all your posts even if I haven't left comments (I realized it's something with my computer, because I'm using one at work today). I so enjoyed the post with paintings of all your dogs in the garden--as a dog lover, too, I thought it was very touching.

    Hopefully, I can figure out how to change the settings on my computer!

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  7. How lucky is this babe, with a grandma AND a grandpa to wrap around her little finger? she is a cutie, for sure!

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  8. I used to work as a nanny and the kids (when they were babies) loved to be outside with me, either sitting in their exersaucer or sitting on a blanket with toys while I would do yardwork. And the added bonus was that whenever they spent a lot of time in the fresh air they would take much longer naps. So if you granddaughter turns out to enjoy the outdoors you might be able to get more done than you think.

    And then when they were about 1 1/2 - 2 I got them a really small watering can and some tiny gardening equipment and let them help. I was always amazed by how long they would stay entertained by watering flowers and plants.

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  9. Yes Mom, I do appreciate you more now than ever, you are the kind of "Maw Maw" everyone wishes they had! Becoming a mother makes me wonder how we kids didn't drive you completely insane, heh heh! I cannot wait til Lea Saoirse is old enough to play around in the garden with her mawmaw and Auntie Cathy!

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  10. Thank you all for stopping by and commenting but special thanks to the mother of my granddaughter for her first comment ever on my post .

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  11. Adorable! And I think about this too. I don't have kids yet but they're in my future (I hope) so I look at this special hobby and wonder if I'll ditch it or be the lady with the bassinet in the backyard? I hope it's the later.

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