Tempus fugitive

waterfall with mist maker complete with color changing LED lights. Green stones retrieved from the Mediterranean outside of Bonassola

bee balm

reddish blonde curls in her hair. I guess redhair genes lie closely below the dominant African-American ones

she likes to sweep

and dead head flowers with scissors

artwork just for me

shrimp plant. I am irritated because I bought several more plants that the woman was packaging up for me. I paid for them all but some were missing once I got home

Don't you love autocorrect? I type in Tempus fugit and Tempura fugitive comes out. I kept the fugitive. Time is running by, the end of June already. I mourn the flowers bloomed and gone while await new blossoms. Lilies, cosmos, bee balm, cleome all opening up. I've been harvesting Swiss chard though I think a deer got its head under the mesh to take a few bites too.

Still very dry here. It sprinkled one day. We had two days of wonderful cool air now morphing into a blast furnace this summer has been. Still way better than dead, cold winter.

What have I been up to? Lots of bicycling, running and gardening. I made a few more planters from end of season flowers and rescued my sensitive hibiscus from being rootbound until it outgrows its new pot. I added a bit to my 'family tree' but as I have some children predating their parents, I need to untangle some of the mess. I figured out how to quickly read the results of my gene tests with bargraphs highlighting the bad stuff, which there is plenty. Also there is plenty not tested for so some perspective is needed. The whole thing is somewhat like a pseudoscience horoscope and should be taken with a grain of salt. Still I am waiting for Maya's results.

She turns 6 tomorrow. Tempus fugit indeed. What can I do for her? What do I have patience for? More than Steve who can't seem to stop irritation from creeping into his voice. She is eager to please as most little girls her age but is so impulsive and hyperactive. Stop that please! Now! I mean it! I catch myself repeating that over and over. What is she hearing? She does best with a task at hand. Coloring, sweeping, and now using scissors to cut off the spent blossoms of coreopsis. She craves attention. She is making some progress though woefully short of the stringent standards required to go to first grade these days. She will go to kindergarten in the fall. She is not involved in any summer program. Last year, she had speech therapy. She has a different disability than what I am well familiar with that my mother retained her entire life (inability to remember certain sounds), I still have a small bit of, Josh had a severe case but outgrew(with therapy) and the grandboys have to a certain degree       9though it skipped Shanna who was articulate at an early age  as are Tessa and Allie)

The other day, Daniel was having a mini-meltdown and stated I hate my wife.

His brother quickly jumped on that even though he has only recently somewhat mastered 'l's , said Oh, I didn't know you were married (which came out marweed). Steve laughed when Daniel repeated he didn't hate his wife but hated his WIFE which provoked Daniel into a greater fury. I am sure in a few years, both boys will speak perfectly. They are both highly intelligent. Oliver is entering the gifted program this fall  in their school system. But speech really isn't an indicator of intelligence (I keep telling myself that)

Maya doesn't take time to properly enunciate things. Backpack becomes packpack. If I make her slow down, she says things correctly. I spend lots of time coaching.

How I despaired when I first heard of her existence (at 4 months!!!). Her mom was just a teenager and a very immature one at that. How could she handle a child?  She is a very special, loving child. She is stunningly beautiful but life is and will be hard for her. How to make it easier?

Six years ago found us in the hospital trying to ascertain if Naomi's water had broke. It hadn't but to the staff, she seemed to be in active labor excepting that Naomi was much too cheerful during her contractions. They released her if I promised to keep a close eye on her. I lived 3 miles from the hospital so she quickly could be returned. I have read that redheads have different pain sensitivities; what some interpret as minor irritations are major to them and visa versa. My first roommate  (a redhead)in the hospital found labor to be no big deal (it was a very big deal to me) yet whimpered all night because the milk rushing into her breasts hurt. Interestingly, my redhaired genes that I do have (but had been overruled by stronger genes) showed up as red (code for 'bad' genes). I assume it is considered 'bad' as they increase the risk for sunburn and skin cancer not due to the personality commonly ascribed to redheads. Her first daycare provider shook her head when she saw her saying something about a redhead personality. I should have fired her right then instead of 6 weeks later.