More water.  More mud.

Since Monday, our only work done is watering.  Leslie found out why it seems like our garden is overrun with weeds.  They aren't weeds but GRASS!  I guess someone used grass as their pathways and now the whole community garden area is effected by them.  Oh joy!  Soon we will start their impending eviction from our property.  That will be a huge task!  Our bible gardening book suggested this great way to remove them though, so we will see if it really works!

All we do is water for now.  Our seeds are little mini shoots or seedlings and we are to wait until they are 2" tall before we thin.  We also have to wait until the seeds are thinned in order to give them a nourishment drink.  In theory, we would have a compost pile or manure pile.  Since we don't, we can use a liquid fish emulsion?  (Or manure tea if we got our hands in some manure.)  In any event, we still have some waiting to do before that step arrives.  (Again, so says our book that is.)

One of the things I remember from this, what ended up being quite humorous, parenting teaching session at a pastor/staff conference by Mark Darling was about getting kids to work from a young age and having them use age appropriate sized tools.  He mentioned sawing off ends of brooms and such. 

While we do have kid sized garden tools, we do not have the water cans in the right size.  Jeremiah is holding one that we were handed down from my friend Mariam before she went home to Jordan.  The boys don't care about the color, they just care that it works!

In some ways this is a catch 22.  (And I think it only seems that way since our garden is not at our house and since our garden lot is 50 mama bear steps from the water source.)  On the one hand if it is their size for shape and weight they can do it well and they are very happy.  On the other side, that means WAY less water for each trip and having to make four times as many trips. 

Then I remember another parenting class that someone said when it comes to training your kids to do the work, like folding clothes, they may not fold them 100% perfect, or put the dishes in the dishwasher perfect, but they are learning and growing and with each time they will get better.  That is nice to remember when watering takes twice as long or when the larger water cans get filled half full.  And I think it is way more rewarding to see them working hard and being successful than me being done in less time.

One of Ezekiel's big jobs is working the spout.  It takes some kid sized muscles to turn it off and he does a great job.

And even though I HATE getting my picture taken, Ezekiel took this one if Miriam and I.  Sometimes, the work just has to get done and it doesn't matter how it happens, :)!

Our seeds and seedlings are very happy in our two gardens though.  Even with the grass.  Even with the very touchy dry soil.  Leslie, Amber, the kids and I are being as faithful as we can to water these young new lives as much as possible.