The Vegetable Garden

One of the things I love about Phoenix is being able to plant our winter vegetable garden. And its that time of the year to do so. I was giddy all day. I absolutely love having a vegetable garden. Chrissie will try any vegetable that comes from our yard (Matthew eats anything, it doesn't matter the origin...I still can't get him to stop eating the dog food). Ever since Chrissie was old enough to do so, she would pick handfuls of peas right off the vine and eat them, feeding the remnants to Daisy.
Yesterday, Chrissie did an excellent job planting our vegetables-the tomatoes, zucchini, lettuce, strawberries and all the seeds-heirloom carrots, beets, peas, onions, etc. Matthew preferred throwing dirt on everyone and pulling out the vegetables once they were planted.

Matthew is covered in water because he got a hold of the hose and went on a soaking rampage; trying to get chrissie wet and in the process soaking himself. Plus it was a 100degress.

Survival

And this is one way I survive the heat in Arizona, while the mud is another way in which I send my kids out to the back yard in the nudity or with a diaper/underwear (yes I know disgraceful, but, far easier clean up), quickly shut the door, plop on the couch and soak in the air conditioning, while they go to town with water and mud in 115 degree weather. Another survival method is I tempt them with popsicles or "pops" as Matthew prefers to say. I, being pregnant, refuse to venture outside after 10:00am; the heat only intensifies the nausea. My children, however, are tired of being in the house and long to be outside, but, matthew always wants me to go with him. So, I hand them a"pops " (a great distraction for Matthew) and hurry them to the great sufficating outdoors. And cute as they are, the two of them sit side by side at the picnic table and enjoy their ice cold treat, always sharing licks with each other...and the dog.