Boys...girls...and age differences

Since we're past Easter now, I'm tempting nature by washing the snow gear today. Usually, I don't check pockets when I do the laundry. Every child has been warned that if it's left in a pocket, it's mine, and they are (usually) good about emptying things out. But I hadn't told anyone that I was washing coats and snow pants, so I thought I should check.

Matthew has 4 pockets in his winter coat. In them, I found:
-one Nerf dart (kind of surprised there weren't more of these, actually)
-two granola bar wrappers (glad he didn't throw them on the ground somewhere ;-))
-a slightly rusty Heineken beer bottle cap (for the collection, presumably)
-Lego pieces: sword, shield (broken, but the pieces are both present), tricorner hat, and a brown, claw-like thing: is it a hand for a Lego person?
-one penny

Meghan's 4 coat pockets were emptier:
-one granola bar wrapper
-one used tissue (this poor girl has been sick almost as often as Benedict this winter)
-blue beaded bracelet
-two holy medals that fell off the bracelet (in a different pocket)
-one ponytail holder
-a note from a friend

Joseph's coat pockets:
Were empty. Except...
I could tell there was something in the coat, more than one something, and one something that felt like his wallet, but I couldn't find the pocket. Finally, I called Joseph over to empty it. Aha! The hidden ski pass pocket! It held:
-wallet
-mini-lightsaber/flashlight
-pen
-one AAA battery

It's funny what you observe about people when you see what they carry in their pockets.

Pavement

Spaces by Vancouver Landscape Contractors High Tech Turf & Trees

Please indulge me for a few minutes. I'm landscape dreaming.

We are growing to love our new house, but it has its challenges. A big one is the amount of concrete and asphalt on our property. I'm not really sure why concrete was the material of choice; maybe because it is cheaper than other options? long lasting? There are multiple walkways, the front stoop, the back patio, two sets of stairs, a driveway, and the ponds, which are lined with, and surrounded by, concrete. That's a lot of impermeable surface for people who live on a hill. And don't forget the bowing brick retaining wall that is going to need to be repaired or replaced sometime in the next 5-10 years. Oy!

We have been thinking and dreaming this winter of what we would do with our yard if we were starting from scratch.  There are so many ways to make a landscape more beautiful:

Natural swimming pools






Cobblestone walkways

Spaces by Vancouver Landscape Contractors High Tech Turf & Trees

Flagstone walkways









Dry streams, rain gardens, downspout alternatives

Steps

                                                                                                     

Natural stone retaining walls












And maybe going down to the driveway, something like this, which would make a great stage/amphitheater ;-)



Stacked stone retaining wall









Natural playgound

Driveways










And one indoor folly: I'm dying to put floor to ceiling bookshelves on either side of the front window in the living room. And a window seat underneath.