let’s face it. pledging to play outside every day for the month of april is sort of like pledging to drink wine every night (oh, wait! i already do that) or pledging to buy something new from anthropologie every day. the garage doors lift, and out burst two little bears, fresh from a long hibernation and hungry for the sunshine.

they are very comfortable with outdoor toys: our beanbag game, sidewalk chalk, the tricycle, various balls, and a golf club. i’m thrilled with this. but i hope to also guide them into the spaces where the main events are things like dandelions, earthworms, and dirt.

today, the boys and i will be spending some time with my father-in-law, who grows enough beautiful vegetables every year for a wide circle of family and friends. this year, he’s designating a little plot for our family, and we’ll make the trek to the burbs a couple of times a week to dig around and learn how this gardening thing works. it’s not that i haven’t grown my own tomatoes, peppers, strawberries and herbs. i have taken great delight in planting all of these things. it’s just that the only thing that i ever end up eating is basil. if there are any squirrels, slugs, or racoons reading this post, let me just take this opportunity to say, YOU’RE WELCOME.