If there is anything in this world that is important to me, it is having a strong relationship with my kids. I want to be there for them, during both the good and bad times, and somehow I want to keep a strong relationship with my kids . Which is why I do as much with them as time allows, and when I think I for something I quickly remind myself how quickly times passes us by if we do not stop to enjoy it. Which is seriously my biggest downfall, I am always in a hurry, and I am trying to remind myself how to stop and smell the roses from time to time befor everything passesme buy.
You might remember a post I write a few weeks ago about Miracle-Gro’s new Gro-ables. They are really neat, and if you did not know I received two of them for my personal use. I had planned on planting them with my two younger girls. They are to be grown indoors, so I had them in my bedroom where I thought they were safe from the kids. WRONG, Mattie decided to come in my room, grab one, take it outside while dad was working on the race car, and plant it before I ever noticed. I have to admit, she did fabulous. I would have never known it was her who planted it, but she forgot to get rid of the evidence, lol.
When I talked to Mattie about taking the Gro-able from my room, I learned Mattie thought the Gro-able was hers to do whatever she wanted. I also learned that she did not want to wait and plant them together, because I take too long, and she already knew how to plant it. Unfortunately she cannot read, so she planted it outside and it is supposed to be planted inside lol. When I told her she was supposed to plant it inside she got mad at me, and asked me how come I did not tell her and tried to talk me out of the other one.
I have to give her credit for the planting she has done. She did a great job planting the Miracle-Gro Gro-able, even if it was outside. She picked the perfect spot, fixed the soil just like we have done in the other flower beds, planted the seed, marked it with a Barbie shoe flag she made, and watered it. She has been watering it daily, and she never forgets.
I took Mattie to the store a little over a week ago to pick out some of her favorite flower seeds since she was doing such a great job caring for her little seed. We went home, and planted them, and Mattie came up with an awesome idea, but I cannot tell anyone. I was pinky sworn to secrecy by my three-year old daughter. Mattie doesn’t’ want anyone to know about her secret garden because she wants to show them herself so she can show everyone and surprise them. I would love to share it with you, but I had to pinky swear, and in our family we NEVER break a pinky swear. It’s bad luck, and if Mattie found out she could shave my hair.
Since planting the seeds, we have a morning schedule. We drop the kids off at school, come home, play in the garden before it gets hot, fill up the duck pool, let the baby ducks swim, and water our top-secret garden. This morning was exciting, was the first day we saw a few little green stems poking up out of the ground. Mattie was so excited; I am surprised how well she has done with the seeds. She cannot wait to see what her secret garden looks like, and I cannot believe she has not told anyone yet. Honestly, I did not think it would last a day.
Mattie recently started begging me for a bamboo plant for her bedroom, and I put it off because I was worried she would not take care of it, and it would end up torn up. After watching her take care of her garden, I am 90% sure she can handle it. If she is going to try, and put that much effort into something I have to support her. Oh, she even cleared off a little place on her table next to her race car bed for her new bamboo. Darn kid, you would think she was getting a pony or something lol.
I have learned so much watching Mattie with her garden, and seeing how excited she is about getting a bamboo plant. I have learned that things happen for a reason, even the littlest things like growing a secret garden with your three-year old can do big things for someone who needs them. It might sound crazy, but I have needed these past few weeks with Mattie. We have spent good quality time together, our relationship as grown, and I remembered the little things that are important. Helping Mattie with her secret garden is doing more than growing flowers, it’s growing something greater – a stronger mom daughter relationship.