Weather in Texas . . .

often changes from this:


to this:

in less than 24 hours. Most of the plants and flowers in my planter box survived all the snow over Christmas break (which we were not here for), only to be subjected to freezing weather again and again. I keep thinking it will all die, and I'll have to start over. During an unseasonably warm few days in late January, I entertained the kids with planting seeds for lettuces and onions in the planter box in between the flowers. Then it snowed.


So much for those seeds, I thought. We went out and played in the snow, which was a little too dry to actually make anything, but the ice storm preceding it made for some impressive ice and destroyed several trees in the neighborhood what with the weight of the ice and then all the snow.

The next time the weather warmed up, I noticed sprouting activity, as in actual tiny green leaves. Then it snowed again.

So much for the sprouts, I thought. But when the snow and ice all melted, there they were, as green as ever. And they continued to sprout some more. By this time we had also planted seeds in peat pots in the house with Ellen's preschool class.

Then it snowed again! By the time we went outside to check out the snow situation, the sun had worked on it just enough that it was perfect snowball snow. Rather than try a snowman, we found a squareish plastic container and made enough "bricks" to start a respectable fort or igloo. Then Ellen and Jack noticed their gloves were wet, their hands were cold, the wind started blowing more, and they wanted to go back inside. By the afternoon our half-fort was a pile of melting snow blocks. Daddy fired me that night for not taking a "before" picture of an obviously exciting snow activity so he could see, too.

So as of yesterday, the snow is gone and the lettuce sprouts are due to have reached maturity according to the packet of seeds I used. Um. . .maybe they'll need another 35 days, weather permitting. I hope they're not permanently stunted in growth, because they would be the tiniest leaves of lettuce I have ever seen, and they wouldn't even satisfy a Barbie doll appetite.

The sprouts in the peat pots are going crazy. I have no idea where I'm going to even plant them, but it is fun to have growing things!

Oh yes, and the Chia Tweety Jack got for his birthday? It's doing its thing.