I have a gardenia flower! My poor sad gardenia tree. I got the tree for Mother's Day when we lived in our old house. After we moved Jason brought it to this house and planted it as close to the kitchen window as possible so it could fill the house with that wonderful gardenia scent. It just isn't happy here, I'm afraid. It never seems to grow at all, the branches look super brittle and dark, and it doesn't flower ... until yesterday. For some reason, long after it should, it has one beautiful wonderful smelling flower. Of course the dang thing blossomed on the side opposite the house so I can't even see my one decadent flower unless I go outside and walk around to the far side of the tree ... but out I go, watching vigilantly for snakes to take a picture of my one flower.



The kids and I discovered a new (to us) park yesterday. Pretty cool one. We were there for about an hour and would have stayed longer but it started raining.



C had a doctors appointment today and they gave us one of those sheets that tells what she should be doing at her age and stuff. One of the items said she needed "warm fuzzies", which, being the teenager she is, she thought was dumb. So I had to tell her how popular warm fuzzies and cold pricklies were when I was a teenager, and how we made warm fuzzy pompoms to give to people. She still thinks it's a little dumb but the boys think it's the greatest thing ever. They put a lot of effort today into giving each other warm fuzzies - lots of hugs and compliments. It was so cool. I've spent a ridiculous amount of time trying to find ways to teach my kids to be kind and loving to each other, I wonder if warm fuzzies are the key?? I'll try anything ... it's heartbreaking to see them not be good to each other. So for now we're a warm fuzzy family, and hopefully we can get the girls more excited about it. :)